He thought about it for years. Since the moment when Daniel discovered the VelSatis, at Le Mans, during the commercial launch of the large Renault sedan, in 2002. “JI was struck by the revolutionary side of this car”. And not at all disconcerted by his line, as many of his detractors have been. Then the years passed and this executive of a large insurance company returned to his Mercedes of function. But the retirement age has come, and with it, like a desire to rediscover the brilliance of twenty years ago. So Daniel went looking for a VelSatis. And he found it, on November 2, 2021, exactly.
The neighbors’ car – Daniel finally found the VelSatis he was looking for
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His quest for the rare bird lasted two years. Because of the need to have a car in very good condition with fairly low mileage, of course, but also because Daniel was looking for a very specific model. Perfectly aware of the reliability problems of the first VelSatis in general, and of some of its engines in particular, he opted for a phase 2, equipped with a reputedly reliable engine: the 3.5 l V6 gasoline engine of 245 hp original Nissan.
He ended up finding it, in the Paris region, with a professional. It had 150,000 km. “He couldn’t guarantee me much and sold it to me in its own juice”. A rather irreproachable juice, apart from a few scratches on the bodywork, signs of time and its 17 years of existence. “I did about thirty kilometers of test driving it, and I bought it”. For a rather derisory sum: 3,500 euros. With his VelSatis, Daniel returned to Le Mans and immediately had it serviced by the local dealer.
3,500 euros and 150,000 km on the clock
A new set of tyres, an engine and gearbox oil change later, here is the VelSatis sprucing up out of the garage. Since then, and in a few months, Daniel has traveled an additional 4,000 km, “without the slightest worry”. He is still amazed by his car, and in particular its very techno interior for the time. It’s a top-of-the-range model, only the sunroof and rear video screens are missing. “But I rarely have the opportunity to sit in the back to watch videos” he smiled.
Its passengers are also amazed, in particular by the astonishing design of the dashboard of the machine and its equipment, astonishing for a 17-year-old car, such as this color GPS, “which has the latest update, except it’s from 2010”Renault not having wished to continue the adventure.
Obviously, a 245 hp V6 petrol engine, mated to an automatic gearbox, even if it has 6 speeds, has a tendency to gluttony. “I love my VelSatis so much that I wouldn’t talk about its consumption” explains Daniel modestly, who nevertheless ends up dropping a number. “On the road, it takes between 10 and 12 l / 100 km”. An appetite certainly high, but comparing it to the purchase price of the car, to the moderate price of insurance (500 euros per year for a car with 17hp tax) and above all to the exceptional comfort of a VelSatis, this level of consumption becomes very acceptable.
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