Video: TopGear drives Renault’s 800bhp, 1983 F1 car

The classic racer above is Renault’s RE40 Formula One car. Specifically, the RE40 driven by four-time F1 world champion Alain Prost.

It has a turbocharged 1.5-litre V6 that produced well over 1,000bhp in qualifying trim and between 750-800bhp in race-spec. It weighs 543kg, and even with 75kg of TG journalist aboard, has a power-to-weight ratio of 1,250bhp per tonne. For reference, a McLaren P1 is 650bhp per tonne.

And, as aforementioned TG journalist Ollie Marriage found out, the RE40 also has “a reputation for brutality that puts it on a par with Genghis Khan…”

Here’s what happened when Ollie met the RE40. Have a watch of the video above, and then click below to read the full feature.

Feature: What's it like to drive Renault's 800bhp, 1983 F1 car?