ICONIC RENAULT 5 REDESIGN

Le Car is Electrified

Happy Birthday to a Work of Art

To celebrate the 50th birthday of the iconic Renault 5 "Le Car", the French automaker has given it a very artistic, smooth new design and also electrified it.  Now called the Renault 5 Diamant, the super mini-EV is now a rolling work of art.  The "haute couture" car takes its inspiration from precious jewelry which you can see in details like the gem-like headlights, the artsy door handles and the smooth gold bumpers.  Renault worked with one of France's and the world's most celebrated designers, Pierre Gonalons, to create the EV.  The vehicle is a showpiece for the future of cars. At the moment, it is not scheduled to go into production but will be auctioned off in the fall. 

One of the World's Most Popular Cars

The Renault 5 was a very popular mini-car and big seller for the company.  From 1972 to 1984 when it was in production, Renault sold 5 million of the vehicles in several countries.  It was so iconic that it became known as "Le Car".  The new Renault 5 Diamant represents Renault and the designer's vision of the future of cars.  It combines electric power with exterior and interior design breakthroughs.  The Diamant is remodeled to be far more aerodynamic than its predecessor.  There are many breakthrough designs like the steering wheel.  It's a work of art with marble on carbon and meant to symbolize the freedom of travel.  Another striking feature is the paint which is composed of 3 layers of golden pigments on a pink base with frosted varnish.  The headlights are gemlike and hang from the front edge of the hood.  The taillights are very similar.  And the interior of the 2-seat EV is minimalist with artistic touches of pure French design. 

New Technologies

The vehicle is all-electric, but Renault has not provided details on the electric powertrain.  There are new technologies like a fingerprint scanner to unlock the doors.  There's a sequential shift with forward, neutral and reverse functions. On the dash there are round, digital dials that display speed, battery charge and time.  There is also a dedicated cradle on the dash for a smartphone.  It is quite the artistic tribute to one of Renault's most popular vehicles.  Renault plans to put a different prototype version of the Renault 5 EV into production in 2023.   For more news stories like this, New Travel Vehicles Illustrated

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