Renault unveiled the Renault 8 Gordini Concept on 24 September, a 270 hp electric coupé that reimagines one of the most memorable affordable sports cars of the 1960s. The one-off will go on show at the Paris Motor Show before joining the brand’s future museum in Flins.
Following the R17 restomod created with designer Ora Ïto and the Renault 5 Diamant conceived with Pierre Gonalons, Renault continues to mine its heritage. This time it is the Renault 8 Gordini that gets a modern reinterpretation. Like its predecessors, it is not a future production model but a one-off design exercise.
Launched in 1964, the “Gorde”, as it was nicknamed in France, left its mark on a whole generation. Its 95 hp rear-mounted engine and rear-wheel drive made it a demanding car to drive quickly, and it became a training ground for many young drivers, Jean Ragnotti among them. By turning a mass-market saloon into a sports car, Renault also brought performance within reach of ordinary buyers, around a decade before the hot hatch arrived.
Rally proportions
Born from an internal competition that produced more than 300 sketches, the concept keeps the rear-wheel-drive layout, but the petrol engine gives way to a 270 hp electric motor. The four-door saloon becomes a two-seat coupé measuring 4.12 m long, 1.88 m wide and just 1.27 m high, riding on 19-inch wheels at the front and 20-inch wheels at the rear. The six round headlamps echo the auxiliary lights of the rally version, while the double white stripe, once simply stuck on, now shapes the entire design.
Inside, brushed aluminium and Alcantara replace plastic, in the same café racer spirit Renault applied to the Renault 5 Turbo 3E. The original round dials have become digital displays.
“When I talk about emotion, I don’t mean nostalgia but pure passion for cars,” says Alexandre Malval, Renault’s design director. The concept will eventually join the future Renault collections museum in Flins, due to open to the public in around 15 months. Before then, visitors can see it on the Renault stand at the Paris Motor Show, from 12 to 18 October.
