The one-off Renault R17 is a 270bhp carbonfibre restomod
A beloved 1970s coupe that’s not had its name exhumed for an anonymous crossover. Instead, the Renault R17 is a modernised electrified one-off
Renault has revealed the one-off R17 coupe all-electric restomod. Uncovered in Paris on 4 September at Maison5, it takes a fresh look at Renault’s historic 1970s coupe.
The car is a collaboration between Renault and French designer Ora Ïto and uses the monocoque structure of an original Renault 17. It also retains the original’s doors, glass and seals. The body however is 17cm wider, as fully expressed in those puffed-out wheel arches and the new wheels that fill them resemble waxy vinyl discs. The lighting as you’d expect is all new, with four rectangular items at the front and a sleek light strip at the rear.
On the inside the R17 one-off takes the same approach of keeping the classic style but with a thoroughly modernised execution. The four-dial driver’s binnacle for instance is very much an emulation of the original, albeit with crisp screens. There’s a decidedly un-70s infotainment screen on the centre console and while there were a few squirkle steering wheels in cars of the 1970s, the one in the R17 is much more modern. The seats keep their original petal structure but have been brought forward in time. The whole cabin has been refinished in Merino wool and lightweight wool bouclé, with alloy trimmings throughout. In all, inside and out, it treads a fine line between motorshow concept and Singer-style jewel.
Entirely alien to a standard, period-correct Renault 17, is the 270bhp electric powertrain now sat in the back, presumably feeding the rear wheels. Quite unlike the front-engined, front-wheel-drive original. The throbbing four-cylinder from a Renault Clio 172 Cup would have been more suited to evo sensibilities.
Also totally alien is the carbonfibre chassis and indeed, the new Galactic Brown hue this car is presented in. Part of the goal according to Ïto was to accentuate the details to the point that they’re not details, but still use a light enough touch that the character of the 17 is front and centre.
‘R17 was part of pop culture, an icon of the 1970s with its avant-garde design and bold personality,’ says Arnaud Belloni, Renault’s Chief Branding Officer & VP. ‘This project celebrates Renault's original iconic design while giving it a contemporary twist with new features to create an experience that transcends the generations. At Renault, we are proud to collaborate with bold talented designers such as Ora Ïto, to reinvent our iconic models while remaining true to the spirit of the brand.’
The original, launched in 1971, catered to a market for small affordable coupes that’s almost alien today, as an answer to the likes of the Vauxhall Firenza, Ford Capri and Fiat 128. Over 92,000 of this small, front-wheel-drive coupe were built throughout the 1970s, one of which forms the basis of this R17 restomod.
The R17 is every bit the contemporary restomod: retro but still shot through with modern style and tech sensibility, keeping the familiar cues and shape with modernity and added aggression shot through at every turn. Unfortunately, Renault has confirmed that it is to be a ‘unique model’ and ‘not the forerunner for a future production vehicle’.
