Renault is basically making very strong claims on three fronts with its TREZOR concept car. On the one hand, it solidifies the French automaker's presence in the electric vehicle market; secondly, it reiterates its desire to offer autonomous driving cars as soon as the regulations allow it (the company says "beyond 2020"); finally, it reminds everybody that Renault can make stunningly beautiful cars.
The TREZOR is slated as a spiritual successor of the 2010 DeZir concept, but unlike the red sports car that was supposed to represent that stage in our lives when all we can think of is falling in love, the TREZOR GT reflects a more mature state: that of commitment.
Just like DeZir's design offered some hints on what we should expect from future Renault production models back in 2010, the TREZOR is doing the same thing now. And just by looking at it, you can already see some similarities with the new Megane - those L-shaped light strips under the headlights, for example.
Other than that, it would be at least farfetched to compare the TREZOR to any car currently in production, Renault or otherwise. As advertised in the teaser, the TREZOR has indeed some very rarely seen proportions. It is 4,700 millimeters long (185"), 2,180 millimeters wide (86"), and just 1,080 millimeters tall (42.5"), with a 58 millimeters (2.3") wider rear track and a wheelbase of 2,776 millimeters (109"). To sum it up in one word: it's sexy.
It also has a drag coefficient of just 0.22, which should help with its yet undisclosed maximum range. To achieve this extremely low silhouette, Renault chose to split the battery pack in two, each with its own dedicated cooling system. It also allowed the engineers to obtain an optimal weight distribution, as well as something we've come to expect from all electric cars, sporty or not: a low center of gravity.
Renault doesn't talk too much about TREZOR's performances, but it does say it uses a motor derived from that in the company's two-time Formula E winning car. It has 260 kW (350 hp) and a maximum torque of 380 Nm (280 lb-ft), pushing the rear-wheel-driven concept car to the benchmark 100 km/h speed (62 mph) in under four seconds. The 1,600 kilograms (3,527 lb) weight - pretty low for an EV - makes up for the limited (by Tesla standards) power of the motor.
You might have noticed by now the fact that TREZOR doesn't have any doors. Instead, its hood and canopy are pushed up and forward to make room for the two occupants to slide in their red seats. The crimson color is present everywhere, most notably in the vehicle's windows which should prompt a visit to the ophthalmologist after only a few hours of use.
The GT has three driving modes: neutral, sport, and autonomous. It's a concept, so Renault can say it does whatever it wants it to, but the Frenchies have put a little thought into this. The exterior lighting signature of the car changes when it enters self-driving mode to let everyone outside know the AI is in control. The hexagonal steering wheel also expands, giving the driver a panoramic view of the entire dashboard.
OK, so the TREZOR ticks pretty much all the crazy concept boxes: outrageous looks, totally impractical interior, and, most of all, bold, unsustainable (at the moment) claims. But, after all, this is why we love concepts. And if Renault can find a way to squeeze some of this stuff into its series models, then we'll be a bunch of happy campers.
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