Sacr bleu! Renault's surprise electric reboot is a glorious nod to 1970s nostalgia that you'll sadly never own

Date:
Thu, 05 Sep 2024 13:40:24 +0000

Description:
Renault has unveiled a new show car that will be on display at the Paris
Motor Show later this year.

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Unless you live in France, or have a penchant for all things Gallic, its highly unlikely youve ever even heard of the Renault 17. But the model sold more than 92,000 units during its lifetime and its now back, looking more gloriously 1970s than it ever did.

Thats because Renault has sprung a surprise show car on the world a design study that will be showcased at the Paris Motor Show from 14 to 20 October of this year, flaunting its sharp 1970s lines and retro-futuristic touches.

Working alongside renowned French designer Ora to, the model uses the same monocoque structure of the original car, but shuns the puny 1.6-liter petrol engine and replaces it with a modern electric powertrain that produces 270
bhp and sits at the rear of the vehicle. Sounds fun. Image 1 of 3 (Image credit: Renault) Image 2 of 3 (Image credit: Renault) Image 3 of 3 (Image credit: Renault)

Renault is remaining tight-lipped about performance figures, only revealing that it weighs just 1.4 tonnes, which is lighter than a Nissan Leaf.

The body is 17cm wider than the original car, while cutting-edge LED strip lighting has been added to the rear and bespoke lamps fashioned for the
front. It is undeniably a Renault 17, but beefier, more purposeful and athletic, yet still achingly cool.

Inside, much of the original trim exists, but theres now a large central screen, complete with digital clock, as well as four small geometric screens behind the steering wheel, inspired by the dials of the original model.

Beige is everywhere, as well as deep woollen seats that have been sculpted
for increased comfort. All the interior needs is a Serge Gainsbourg
soundtrack and a packet of Gauloises thrown into the dash bins. Look but
don't touch (Image credit: Renault)

Renaults design collaborator Ora to said that his small team worked on a
theme that was retro-futuristic and "almost cinematic" in its approach. It shows, as the restomod R17 wouldnt look out of place in a modern remake of Logans Run or any other 70s filmic imagining of a dystopian future.

But unlike the upcoming R5 EV, which is an unashamed nod to one of Renaults most famous 70s vehicles, this R17 is highly unlikely to ever see the light
of day. The French marque stated that this is a unique model and definitely "not the forerunner for a future production vehicle".

Instead, you have to give up the glorious Galactic Brown paint job (bespoke
to this show car) and the suitably beige interior for the firm's boxy Renault 4, which will also be on revealed at the Paris Motor Show and will definitely be going on sale.

But does the world really need another small SUV? We say go all-in on the
R17. You might also like Renault reveals all about its 5 E-Tech Electric: a French fusion of retro charm, modern EV practicality and AI Ariels Mad Max-inspired E-Nomad buggy hints at off-road hooliganism, without the noise This new Chinese SUV is faster than a Porsche 911 and has a staggeringly long all-electric range



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/vehicle-tech/hybrid-electric-vehicles/sacre-bleu-ren aults-surprise-electric-reboot-is-a-glorious-nod-to-1970s-nostalgia-that-youll -sadly-never-own


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