Photo: abimelecdesign/instagram
With the new EV technology leveling the playfield, big names in the industry still have an ace up their sleeves when compared to younger companies: retro-inspired styling. Earlier today, Renault showed just how well that card can be played when introducing a prototype of the Renault 5 electric.
Known in the U.S. as "Le Car," the supermini we're talking about was built between 1972 and 1996. And its battery-powered revival will be one of the seven such vehicles the French automaker is set to launch by 2025. Its prototype form (as opposed to a concept), which is an approach partner company Nissan also used for the stunning 400Z showcased last year, means the design we see here should be pretty close to the production one.
While paying homage to multiple styling cues of the original R5, the newcomer also shows a connection to the ludicrous Renault 5 Turbo built in the 1980s, with that red stripe being an example as good as any. As such, while the carmaker has stated this will be an affordable EV (we're expecting the machine to replace the highly successful Renault ZOE), we could also see a performance version arriving.
Well, digital artist Abimelec Arellano has come up with a pumped-up incarnation of the Renault 5 electric, which is portrayed in the rendering we have here.
Back in the late 70s, Renault already had a spicy version of the car, dubbed 5 Alpine/Gordini (hey, this went on sale two months before the original Golf GTI). However, with the desire for motorsport domination showing up, racing homologation rules saw the company turning this into the mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive monster that was the 5 Turbo. And with the latter receiving two editions that were simply named "1" and "2", the proposal we have here is naturally called Turbo 3; we've already become accustomed to this forced induction moniker being used on EVs, haven't we?
The main digital upgrades include the widebody, with the rear fenders sporting air intakes that connect the fresh arrival to its predecessors, as well as the unmistakable wheels.
Oh, and red has gone from accent color to the dominant hue, as you can easily notice by using the swipe feature of the Instagram post below.
While paying homage to multiple styling cues of the original R5, the newcomer also shows a connection to the ludicrous Renault 5 Turbo built in the 1980s, with that red stripe being an example as good as any. As such, while the carmaker has stated this will be an affordable EV (we're expecting the machine to replace the highly successful Renault ZOE), we could also see a performance version arriving.
Well, digital artist Abimelec Arellano has come up with a pumped-up incarnation of the Renault 5 electric, which is portrayed in the rendering we have here.
Back in the late 70s, Renault already had a spicy version of the car, dubbed 5 Alpine/Gordini (hey, this went on sale two months before the original Golf GTI). However, with the desire for motorsport domination showing up, racing homologation rules saw the company turning this into the mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive monster that was the 5 Turbo. And with the latter receiving two editions that were simply named "1" and "2", the proposal we have here is naturally called Turbo 3; we've already become accustomed to this forced induction moniker being used on EVs, haven't we?
The main digital upgrades include the widebody, with the rear fenders sporting air intakes that connect the fresh arrival to its predecessors, as well as the unmistakable wheels.
Oh, and red has gone from accent color to the dominant hue, as you can easily notice by using the swipe feature of the Instagram post below.
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