What would the magnificent R17 of the 70s give in our time? Renault has tried the experiment with the French designer Ora-ïto for a new “restomod” which will be exhibited on its stand at the Mondial de l’Auto.
A month before the Paris Motor Show, Renault is pulling out all the stops: the diamond brand has just unveiled a show car that pays tribute to one of its legendary models, the R17. A four-seater coupé, a sporty version of the R15, with a design typical of the 70s. Both models were actually produced between 1971 and 1979.
A revised R17 “restomod”
But what would this model give in our time? This is the experiment attempted by Renault by proposing to the French designer Ora-ïto to revisit this R17.
A unique model unveiled this Wednesday, September 4 at House 5 in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, the temporary showroom where the brand is exhibiting different versions of its new Renault 5 until September 15.
This “restomod” R17 will only be present until September 11, because it will then participate in the Chantilly Concours d’Elegance from September 12 to 15. It should then be one of the stars of the Renault stand at the Mondial de l’Auto, from October 14 to 20.
A new tradition at Renault
But what is a “restomod” model?
“The term ‘restomod’ is a contraction of restoration, for the restoration of an old car, and modification, by bringing back modern codes,” explains Arnaud Belloni, marketing director of the Renault brand.
A small tradition now at the diamond brand, which has been offering a creation inspired by its historic models since 2021, giving carte blanche to a designer.
“We love this approach, launched three years ago with a restomod for the 60th anniversary of the R4 with Mathieu Lehanneur, who everyone now knows for the Olympic cauldron, then in 2022 for the 50th anniversary of the R5 with Pierre Gonalons and a very free interpretation of an automobile diamond and finally last year a Twingo with Sabine Marcelis”, continues Arnaud Belloni.
For this 2024 vintage, the R17 was not chosen by chance. “What is fantastic with the R17 is that it has the same designer as the Renault 5, Michel Boué: the R5 came out in 1972, the R17 a year earlier,” underlines Arnaud Belloni.
Unlike the R5, whose new 100% electric version will be marketed from this fall, or the new production R4, which will be unveiled as a world premiere at the Paris Motor Show, this “restomod” R17 is not intended for production.
“The idea is to use an iconic vehicle and project it into the present, or even into the future: it’s a 272 horsepower electric car that can actually drive, with a very modern interior but respecting the codes of the past,” notes Renault’s marketing director.
The four digital dials behind the steering wheel thus refer to the four counters of the original model.
A destiny for the Peugeot e-Legend?
There is no doubt that this revisited version of the R17 will attract many eyes at the next Mondial de l’Auto.
Which brings to mind another concept presented six years ago. At the 2018 Mondial, a certain Peugeot e-Legend, a retrofuturistic version of the 504, had clearly been one of the public’s favorites. Despite this strong public expectation for a production version, the lion brand had not, however, gone so far as to launch production, which had been considered for a time.
