Unless you live in France, or have a penchant for all things Gallic, it’s highly unlikely you’ve ever even heard of the Renault 17. But the model sold more than 92,000 units during its lifetime and it’s now back, looking more gloriously 1970s than it ever did.
That’s 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 Ïto, 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.
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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 there’s 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
Renault’s design collaborator Ora Ïto 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 wouldn’t look out of place in a modern remake of Logan’s 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 Renault’s 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.