This Is Called The Renault 5 Diamant
It’s a one-off electric show-car built to celebrate the marque’s 50th anniversary.
If you know how the original Renault 5 looked, you’d probably say the specimen in this post seems a bit unusual. That’s because it is. But there’s a good reason why. What you see here is a work of art resulting from the amalgamation of Renault’s Design team and French designer Pierre Gonalons. And the finished product is a one-off electric show-car called the Renault 5 Diamant. That last word is German for Diamond.
Before getting to the different-looking part, let’s answer a more obvious question – Why? Well, the Renault 5, which was in production from 1972 to 1984, completes its 50th anniversary this year. Over 5 million units were sold while it was being built. And to celebrate this success story, Renault wanted to create a unique iteration. To do that, it partnered with Pierre Gonalons, a renowned name in the world of French arts and crafts.
The Renault 5 Diamant keeps its original silhouette. However, a closer inspection reveals the mountain of changes inside and out. On the outside, the wheels, taken from the Alpine version, are wider with a sun at the centre. Then there are the slim bumpers, a sleek meshed grille, light enclosures that look like gemstones, and a retractable roof. Even the paint scheme is unique. It’s made from three layers of paint, resulting in various effects ranging from golden dashes in the sunshine to bluer tones during the darker hours.
Complementing the neat exterior is a lean interior ambience. The steering wheel, for instance, is marble on carbon. Then there are the seats, which look elegant and simple simultaneously. Adding style to the package are truncated spheres on the door handles, window winders and the shift lever. The embellishments are made from different stuff, such as brass gilded with pale gold and stainless materials.
Features? Of course, there are a few. The Renault 5 Diamant packs a fingerprint scanner to unlock doors, a three-position sequential shift lever and a mobile holder at the dashboard’s centre. And yes, the three round digital dials provide information such as speed, battery charge and time.
Do you like it? Well, there’s more you need to know. Renault and Pierre Gonalons will develop a collection of NFTs inspired by Renault 5 Diamant. That will be unveiled in September this year. And as for this version, it will be auctioned a few weeks later with its NFT digital twin. Whatever money they generate will be donated to Give Me 5 – Renault’s new CSR project.
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