Renault has unveiled the Renault 8 Gordini Concept as an all-electric version of its 1964 sports saloon. The concept links the company’s past designs with its future direction. Unlike the R17 show car made with designer Ora Ito, Renault developed this project entirely in-house.
The vehicle will eventually go on display at the Renault Collectionsmuseumin Flins, alongside archive materials and historicartworks, when the site opens to the public in about 15 months.
“With Renault 8 Gordini Concept, we wanted to spark emotion by drawing on both our heritage and modern times, bringing together the icons of yesterday and the future,”saidAlexandre Malval, VP Design, Renault.
Original 1964 saloon shaped French motorsport
The 1964 Renault 8 Gordini, nicknamed "la Gorde", featured a 95-hp rear engine and rear-wheel drive. Demanding real driving skill, it made advanced performance accessible a decade before the GTI boom and trained top drivers like Jean Ragnotti. It also introduced the hallmark double white stripes.
Designers merged two scale models into one
Renault designers submitted over 300 sketches spanning retro, futuristic, hybrid, and GT-inspired styling. The team selected two proposals and built them as 2:5 scale mock-ups. Designers compared both scale models, and they merged the best elements into a single final blueprint.
Modern coupé uses a powerful electric motor
The new two-door coupé measures 4.12m long, 1.88m wide, and 1.27m tall, sitting on 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels. It features an aggressive V-shaped prow and a wide, raked rear end. This rear styling evokes the original layout, but a 270-hp electric motor now provides power.
Minimalist exterior bodywork highlights functional aerodynamic vents
The design strips away excess trim to highlight raw materials. The one-piece bonnet eliminates shut lines, and the rectangular arches add muscle. The side moldings are integrated into the bodywork, while the waistline grooves funnel air into cooling vents.
Classic styling elements receive modern updates
The grille-free front carries six round headlights that integrate the rally version's auxiliary lamps. Updated badges include striated Gordini lettering, an eight-segment "8", and an interior heritage crest. The twin stripes align with the windscreen base and tail-lamp graphics, and they turn blue inside across the dashboard.
The minimalist cabin focuses strictly on the driver
The driver-focused cabin replaces plastics with brushed aluminum and Alcantara, leaving out the body's carbon fiber. A dashboard visor covers a horizontal aluminum strip with floating, circular digital gauges that echo the headlights. Indirect lighting glows below the dash, and a red dot on the stopwatch button is the only bright accent.
Modern bucket seats copy the original saloon's styling
Racetrack-kerb stitching accents the Alcantara door panels alongside deep bucket seats. The black seats feature blue corduroy upholstery on the cushions and backrests. This layout directly mirrors the flat, headrest-free seating from the 1964 production car.
