×2
TURBOS
To challenge the great German autobahn cruisers, Renault handed the V6 of its flagship to the tuner Hartge: two turbochargers, 268 bhp, four driven wheels — a genuine catalogue model, and the only production Renault powered by a bi-turbo PRV V6.
The base is the 3.0-litre Z7X of the Safrane. The German tuner Hartge fitted it with two turbochargers and took it to 268 bhp (variant Z7X 726), sent to all four wheels. Unveiled in 1993, the Safrane Biturbo was sold through the Renault network until 1996 — 806 were built.
The widened body, the bespoke interior and the final assembly were the work of Irmscher. The exact division of labour between the two Germans varies between sources — the full tuner files are in Tuners.
Rare and confidential, the Safrane Biturbo found barely 806 buyers between 1993 and 1996 — far from the German rivals it aimed at.
Around 1995 Hartge built a Laguna Biturbo prototype on the same block: 280 bhp, front-wheel drive, 0–100 km/h in about 7 seconds. Burned by the Safrane's flop, Renault refused production — only around five to seven were built.
Alongside the Biturbo, the standard Safrane carried the naturally-aspirated 167 bhp Z7X — until the 60° L7X (not a PRV) replaced it from 1997.
Every Z7X variant, from 150 to 268 bhp — and the L7X caveat.