The craziest minivans in history

High-capacity cars are still of great interest to large families. They have a universal design and a spacious interior, and on the road do not attract much attention and do not stand out from the crowd of cars.

Actually, this is their main purpose - comfortable work in the city, as well as convenient long-distance trips. However, there are exceptions in history that are the work of modern manufacturers. They are trying to break stereotypes and put real works of art on the market. 

Mazda Washu

This car impresses with its unusual 5-door design, which allows easy access to the interior and trunk. Using the interior space to the maximum, the entrance doors open at an angle of almost 90 degrees. Therefore, neither height nor weight interferes with entering the salon without hindrance.

Access to the back row has become even easier as the manufacturer provides sliding doors. The back has a unique two-piece design. The lower one is made of metal and goes down to the bumper, which makes loading luggage as easy as possible.

The Japanese automaker calls its project the "RX-8 for 6 people". It should be noted that there is some truth in this definition, as this minivan is very similar to the legendary Mazda RX-8.

Renault Escape F1

The bright yellow minivan was unveiled at the 1994 Paris Motor Show, causing much controversy for its appearance. It makes a strong impression mainly due to the Formula 1 engine it is equipped with. Its development involves not only Renault engineers, but also Williams F1 specialists.

The result of this collaboration is the 5 horsepower RS800 engine. Due to the use of carbon fiber in the body, the car is quite light, acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h takes 2,8 seconds, and the maximum speed reaches 312 km / h.

Despite the impressive parameters, the minivan can easily accommodate 4 people. As a minus, of course, you can note the uncomfortable travel, but this cannot be with such characteristics.

Toyota Ultimate Utility Vehicle

The SUV, in the form of a minivan, is the development of the North American division of Toyota. This car is based on two models of the brand - the Sienna minivan and the Tacoma pickup, as evidenced by the huge wheels, high ground clearance, body protection and spotlights.

In fact, the car is ready to compete. She took part in the Ever-Better Continental Race, which went through Death Valley in Alaska and ended in New York.

Sbarro Citroen Xsara Picasso Cup

This model has all the characteristics of a racing car, which are combined with the design of the popular French minivan. Under its hood is a 2,0-liter petrol turbo engine that develops 240 horsepower and is combined with a 6-speed manual transmission.

The manufacturer has provided an additional safety frame in the cab, which improves the rigidity of the body and thus protects the drivers in the car. Gullwing doors open upwards to further enhance the vehicle's sporty character.

Dodge Caravan

In the world of minivans, there is a replica of a popular model that can amaze even the most avid car lovers with its unusual engine. In fact, the owner of this car uses not one motor, but two.

The standard power plant is complemented by a helicopter engine that develops a maximum power of 1000 horsepower. Thanks to this, the minivan covers a distance of 1/4 mile in 11,17 seconds, and a flame emanates from its turbine.

Many are probably wondering why the car needs an original engine. The fact is that this allows him to move on public roads. However, the owner of this Dodge Caravan, American mechanic Chris Krug, does not specify the reasons why he chose a helicopter engine for the car.

Ford Transit Supervan 2

The idea of ​​putting a race car engine on a minivan does not come from Renault. A decade before the Espace F1 Concept, Ford used the same recipe to create the Supervan concept.

In fact, 3 generations were produced from this model. The first series was released in 1971, and was equipped with an engine from the Ford GT40 car, with which the brand won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The third is from 1994 with a 3,0-liter V6 from Cosworth, but it is inferior to the second, which is the craziest of all.

The Transit Supervan 2 visually resembles the second generation Transit, but under its hood is a Cosworth DFV F1 V8 engine that develops 500 horsepower but increases to 650 horsepower. On the Silverstone track, this minivan develops 280 km / h.

Bertone genesis

In this case, a renowned design atelier goes extraordinarily by placing a V12 engine on the minivan. As a donor, a supercar Lamborghini Countach Quattrovalvole was used, the basic version of which develops 455 horsepower.

However, the gearbox is taken from Chrysler as it is a 3-speed Torqueflite automatic, which is suitable for both heavy and not very fast cars. Add to that the fact that this minivan weighs around 1800 kilograms and you can see why it's not that fast.

Among the features of the Bertone Genesis are gullwing front doors, as they blend with the glass in front of the driver. The rear ones are traditional for a typical family car of this class. And the driver's seat is right on the floor.

Italdesign Columbus

The Columbus Concept was created to mark the 500th anniversary of America's discovery, commissioned by Italdesign and personally designed by the legendary Giorgio Giugiaro.

The interior of the 7-seater minivan is thematically divided into two parts - the driver's area, which is in the middle, like in the McLaren F1, and two passengers next to it (one on each side). At the back there is a place to rest other passengers, there are swivel seats and TVs.

Since the Italdesign Columbus weighs a lot, it also needs a very powerful engine. In this case, the engine is borrowed from BMW and is a transversely mounted 5,0-liter V12 that develops a top speed of 300 horsepower.