When taking a walk the other day I came across this rather peculiar scenery. It’s a collection of heavy Renault trucks and tractor units parked on a dike road, which gave me an unexpected opportunity to capture a Renault truck show on camera.
Two 4×2 tractors, on the left a 2007 Renault Premium 410.19T (410 hp), on the right a 2013 Renault T-series (430 hp). Both tractors are powered by a 10.8 liter inline-6 engine, their GVM -as in total axle load- is 19 metric ton. What they also have in common are the super singles on the front axle.
Volvo from Sweden now fully owns Renault Trucks; the current generation of heavy Renault trucks and tractors was introduced in 2013 and is based on Volvo technology.
2015 Renault T-series, 460 hp. As an aside, Bull isn’t a made-up macho name, it’s the owner’s last name.
The third axle of the semi-trailer is a steering axle.
2010 Renault Premium 380.18 4×2 truck with a drawbar trailer.
A combination like this is typically used to haul voluminous goods, rather than heavy goods.
Now to some (many?) this skyscraper may look like some sort of futuristic concept truck, but the Magnum is in fact the last true Big Renault, introduced in 1990 (!) and initially marketed as the Renault AE.
Its tilt cab -the structure above the yellow line- is basically a box with a fully flat floor, as the engine doesn’t intrude into the cab. Just leave it to the French to come up with something like this.
The 2001 6×2 truck has a 480 hp 11.9 liter inline-6 engine. The tag axle is liftable, as always on a 6×2 truck or tractor chassis.
Here’s a 2006 Renault Magnum 480-19T tractor.
2008 Renault Magnum 460-19T tractor. The production of Magnum trucks and tractors ended in 2013.
From 1990 until 2005 the AE~Magnum was offered with a 16.4 liter V8 Mack E9 engine (up to 560 hp), and from 1996 until 2005 all 6-cylinder engines were sourced from Mack too, more specifically the 11.9 liter E7 engine. Mack was a subsidiary of Renault V.I. before Volvo came along.
The Renault T High Sleeper replaced the Magnum. Renault’s current truck top model is always powered by a 12.8 liter engine; maximum power output 440, 480 or 520 hp.
The complete cab spoiler set in plain sight. This dealership tractor has a steering and liftable pusher axle. Very common, a chassis like this has the same legal maximum GVM as a conventional 6×2 or 6×4 configuration, yet with better maneuverability and less tire wear.
Inside a Renault T High Sleeper.
The last one, Renault’s smallest commercial vehicle, spotted the same afternoon. It’s a 2012 Renault Kangoo panel van with a 75 hp 1.5 liter diesel engine, the payload capacity is a whopping 607 kg (1,338 lbs).
Those are some good looking rigs. It must be quite a challenge to negotiate traffic in European conditions.
There is also a Renault Gordini Twingo Rs in one of the pictures.
The first shot actually does look like a bunch of trucks standing around and having a chat. hehehe
The green and white truck is interesting, from the window decorations, twin overhead Bibendums, and the front-end protection bar. I suppose it would help for protection against some stone chips but the mesh infill has very large openings and it appears that only the top section protects any lights.
The ’roo-bar is probably mainly decorative in the Netherlands. Here in Sweden they are quite common on lumber trucks, serving the dual purpose of holding a fair amount of auxiliary headlights and fending off those møøse and deer caught in the same.
I can’t get used to that ugly ducklin face of Renault’s new T model.
I mean they have come from the Berliet TR Cab to the AE Series – better known as Magnum- where they were leading for the whole indystry, to end up with a cab that looks like it is totally screwed up, designed by men drinking wine! Too much of it !
I mean French styling has always been different but has always shown us new ways and ideas to build cars like the hatchback, the MPV and other weird stuff, weird but functional and with a certain logic.
The high and mighth AE cab did make sense and served a purpose, as we can see that the concept has been used by everybody in the industry.
This thing is just plain ugly. And the sorry thing is that it has the best cab in the business for the driver.
Better then the one of its parent company: Volvo trucks