Renault presents the 5 Diamant, a surprising electric show car that celebrates the 50th anniversary of the R5. A reinterpretation of the essential city car, the result of the collaboration between the diamond brand and the designer Pierre Gonalons. The argus reveals the details of this concept car.
The R5 is more than five million copies sold by the Régie Nationale des Factories Renault between 1972 and 1984. A true best-seller honored at events organized this year by the French brand, including the presentation of this Renault 5 Diamant. Mixing pop culture and art deco, this original and 100% electric creation is signed by the designer and interior architect Pierre Gonalons.
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Clean lines, unique color and refined details
The Renault 5 Diamant is immediately distinguished by its unique color obtained thanks to a three-layer paintwork made of golden pigments on a pink base. Covered with a frosted varnish, it distills changing effects with golden reflections in the sun and a bluer shade when the atmosphere darkens. The exterior appendages have been worked to highlight the lines of the R5 without distorting them. Attention that nostalgics of the original model will appreciate.
The shields, grille, headlights, lights, mirrors, wheels, everything has been redesigned by Pierre Gonalons. The latter did not fail to salute the freedom he enjoyed within the framework of the project: “ The brand gave me carte blanche to design the car of my dreams. With the Renault 5 Diamant, I wanted to pay tribute to its revolutionary design while translating my universe of shapes and colors into the automotive world. »
The result of this marriage between the codes of the automobile and those of interior decoration is astonishing. This very special R5 inspires both purity and sophistication, like the designer’s paradoxical creations which are between simplicity and spectacularity. Gilding made by the Bertin-Aubert workshop in Paris invites itself on all the elements on the periphery of the bodywork: bumpers, grille, sills, mirrors, door handles and even the trunk. All have been smoothed with the constant aim of simplifying the reading of the silhouette.
The brand emblems, also golden, have also been reworked. The designer’s initials are subtly integrated into the logo on the front, while the diamond forms the A of the Diamond on the trunk at the back.
The 13-inch wheels borrowed from the R5 Alpine, also smoothed, are generously shod with Michelin Pilot Exalto tires (175/65) and embellished with a golden sun in their center. Add to that gemstone facetted lights and headlights and you have one of the most original retro-design achievements of recent years.
The Renault 5 Diamant also has surprises in store inside, with a passenger compartment that matches its refined look.
A cabin crafted by the flagship of French craftsmanship
To carry out this project, the Renault Design team called on the Design et Solutions company, which specializes in the production of exceptional vehicles, as well as renowned craftsmen, some of whom usually work with Pierre Gonalons. François Farion, Renault’s Colors & Materials Director, relied on the know-how of the French designer and his team. “ The creative universe, but also the personality of Pierre Gonalons and his collaborators are part of the flagship of French craftsmen. The set gives an innovative result and elaborate in the details “, he enthuses.
The nobility of the materials used, as high-quality as they are original, bears witness to the care and expertise that went into creating the passenger compartment of this R5 Diamant. The steering wheel and the storage compartment were made of French “Grand Antique d’Aubert” marble, recycled by Mineral Expertise and cut into a tubular shape like the frame of certain armchairs designed by Pierre Gonalons.
We owe the fabric of the seats to the textile editor Métaphores and the horsehair fabric sheathing the dashboard to the company Le Crin, a craftsman specializing in the manual weaving of this very special raw material. The floor carpet in mohair wool, vintage as desired, is manufactured by Pinton, one of the last French manufacturers of art tapestry. The door handles, the window controls, as well as the gear lever are made from a truncated sphere in brass gilded with pale gold, a material that is both classic and durable.
This R5 show car clearly plays the card of modernity with its fingerprint reader to unlock the doors or its three round counters with digital display providing information on the essentials: the time, the speed and the level of charge of battery. No infotainment or GPS, just a dedicated dashboard slot for the driver’s smartphone. Modern and minimalist this 5 Diamond!
A 100% electric show car with well-kept characteristics
Renault has chosen an electric motor to move its artistic show car made in France. But the tricolor brand is rather stingy on the technical characteristics of this car. No information has yet been provided regarding the powertrain, batteries, range and weight of the vehicle, although the latter is announced a priori content according to the tire load index (80).
The 5 Diamant does not benefit from the engine of the current Zoé but from a kit developed by the R-Fit company. More details should reach us by the end of July. One thing is certain: the performance will surpass that of the authentic electric R5 from 1972, equipped with a 7.5 kW motor and a rudimentary battery which gave it a range of 60 km and a top speed of 60 km. /h only.
Auction and NFT on the program
The Renault 5 Diamant is a unique copy intended to be sold at auction in a few weeks with its “digital twin” NFT, digital representation of the model.
Difficult to predict the price at which it will be awarded as it is difficult to estimate its value. The sale of concept cars is indeed extremely rare. That of show cars inspired by the past with no industrial future is even more so. We still remember the auctions of prototypes and presentation vehicles of the Heuliez company, during 2012, during which many unique cars were sold to collectors. Among them, the Renault Fuego Cabriolet, the Peugeot 405 Coupé, the Porsche 914-6 Murène, the Renault Super Van Cinq and many more… But the artistic dimension of the 5 Diamant adds an element of exclusivity to this event sale which is one of a kind.
Half of the profits from the sale will be donated to Give Me 5, the brand’s new social responsibility project dedicated to young generations through sport and music. The French brand is expected to continue its partnership with Pierre Gonalons to create a collection of many NFTs inspired by the haute couture concept car.
See you next September for the presentation of these digital icons, true witnesses of the resolutely modern approach of this neo-seventies.
