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The Avantime was first shown in February 1999, in concept form at a press launch in the [[Louvre]], and one month later to the public at the [[Salon International de l'Auto|Geneva Auto Show]] – where it was referred to as a "Coupéspace"<ref name="avant1">{{cite web | url=http://www.autointell.com/european_companies/renault/renault-concepts/renault-avantime/renault92.htm | title=Renault: AVANTIME "Coupéspace" | publisher=Autointell.com, 5 February 1999 | quote=As the dawn of the new millennium lights the sky ahead, Renault, in partnership with Matra Automobile, has opted to develop a coupé of ground breaking design. This "Coupéspace", revealed in the lines of the AVANTIME concept car at the forthcoming Geneva Show, fuses the thrill and passion of a GT coupé with the unique quality of life on board a monospace.}}</ref> – and went into production two years later, after the subsequent engineering of the pillarless roof to meet safety standards. The Avantime's sales were poor.<ref name="avant8">{{cite web | url=http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/reviews/renault/avantime/coupe-2002/ | title=Renault Avantime (02-03) – Review | publisher=Parkers, Review Date: 1 August 2007}}</ref> The car's fortunes were not helped by the introduction of the [[Renault Vel Satis]] (another large, upmarket Renault) around the same time. When Matra decided to pull out of the automotive production business in 2003 (partly as a result of the financial loss incurred by the poor sales of the Avantime),<ref name="avant8"/> Renault chose to discontinue the Avantime rather than move its production elsewhere. 8,557 were built from 2001 to 2003,<ref>{{cite web |title=Histoire |url=http://amicale-avantime.com/historique.php |website=amicale-avantime.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070304234718/http://amicale-avantime.com/historique.php |archive-date=4 March 2007 |language=fr}}</ref> a figure that makes it one of the worst-selling cars of all time.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Petrány|first=Máté|url=https://jalopnik.com/the-ten-worst-selling-cars-of-all-time-1524379700|title=The Ten Worst Selling Cars of All Time|date=17 February 2014|work=Jalopnik|access-date=13 April 2020}}</ref> In 2002, ''[[Automobile Magazine]]'' said "Le Quement is clearly an outside the box thinker, and the product of his vision is a fascinating exercise, but American buyers' utilitarian expectations of the one box shape just don't jibe with the decadence and frivolity of a grand touring coupe."<ref name="avant6"/>
In November 2008, the Avantime was featured on the British motoring show ''[[Top Gear (current format)|Top Gear]]'', where the presenters modified the performance of a used Avantime, attempting to lap the test track faster than a [[Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X]]. The Avantime was recognized as one of the few cars that all three presenters, [[Jeremy Clarkson]], [[Richard Hammond]] and [[James May]] liked, along with the [[Ford Mondeo]] and [[Subaru Legacy]].<ref name="ReferenceB">Top Gear, Series 12 Episode 3. 16 November 2008</ref> May would later drive a Renault Avantime for [[The Grand Tour]]'s Carnage A Trois special.<ref name="GrandTour">{{cite web |last1=Harrington |first1=Alex |title=New Grand Tour Special Episode Cars Revealed As Jeremy Clarkson And Co Film In Warwickshire |url=https://www.grandtournation.com/thegrandtour/new-grand-tour-special-episode-cars-revealed-as-jeremy-clarkson-and-co-film-in-warwickshire/ |website=GTNation |access-date=21 December 2021}}</ref>
== European Sales<ref>"Renault Avantime Europe Sales Figures" https://carsalesbase.com/europe-renault-avantime</ref> ==
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