Yahoo Autos Renault R5 Diamant EV concept gets artsy with Le Car
When automakers team up with non-car brands — fashion designers, artists, musicians and the like — the results can be a mixed bag. The finished product usually just gets slathered with some paint schemes and logos that could be applied to any car. If the creator had partnered with Audi instead of BMW, would the resulting car look all that different?
That is not the fate of the Renault R5 Diamant, a collab between the French company and Pierre Gonalons. Gonalons, an Italian-French product and interior designer, was given carte blanche to reimagine the Renault 5, a small hatchback built between 1972-84. During that time, the best-selling R5 was as popular in France as the original Fiat 500 was in Italy. It was so iconic, it was simply named "Le Car [The Car]" when it was marketed in the U.S. from 1976-83.
The Diamant, or French for "Diamond," was created to mark the 50th anniversary of the 5's debut. The internal combustion drivetrain was plucked out and replaced with an all-electric setup. Other modern technologies that would have seemed like science fiction in 1972 include a fingerprint reader to lock and unlock the doors.
However, the most significant changes to the R5 Diamant are in the design. The bodywork has been subtly modified to appear more aerodynamic. The front bumper becomes an attractive one-piece with just a hint of air dam, while still retaining a color-based contrast against the body. Speaking of which, the car has been painted in a fun purplish-pink frosted tri-coat while the formerly gray bumpers and rocker panels have been shifted to a fancy goldish-greige. The exterior is capped off by wider wheels from the Renault 5 Alpine hot hatch.
