Renault 8 Gordini, a modern electric with 'vintage' essence

Renault has done it again. After the commercial success of the electric Renault 5 and the electric revival of historical models of the brand such as the Twingo, the French have now presented the conceptual prototype of the legendary Renault 8 Gordini, one of the most popular vehicles in the history of France and a true myth for rally and competition lovers from all over the world.

Amedeo Gordini was an Italian entrepreneur with experience in Formula 1 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans who specialized in preparing Renault vehicles for competition, to the point that the diamond brand reached an agreement to mass-produce several models with the specific Gordini preparation. That is how the Renault 8 Gordini sedan appeared in 1964, a sports-style vehicle that Gordini boosted to 110 hp and which became a sales success. Shortly after, Renault acquired all of Gordini's commercial rights to become the sole owner of the sports division, and during the 80s of the last century, the Gordini name was associated with entry-level and competition vehicles in the world of rallying or endurance racing.

A retro electric vehicle

The new Renault 8 Gordini is a significantly larger car than the original model, but it perfectly maintains the essence of the original model's design. The new Renault 8 Gordini is 4.12 meters long, 1.88 meters wide and –attention!– only 1.27 meters high. Low, elongated and wide, the new Renault 8 Gordini stands out for its 19-inch wheels on the front and 20-inch wheels on the rear, as well as the body color, which maintains the legendary blue with two white stripes that run across the entire vehicle.

The bodywork of this electric prototype is dominated by geometric shapes and straight lines, where the almost square-shaped wheel arches, the almost vertical front cut, and the rounded optical groups stand out. Despite not being a coupe, the new Renault 8 Gordini only offers space for two people and presents a clear sporty vocation.

The interiors, for their part, opt for a stylistic line clearly inspired by the cars of the 70s and 80s of the last century, but with current materials and technologies. No large digital screen, circular instrument cluster and presence of various controls, levers and aluminum pedals. In fact, this Renault 8 Gordini is capable of transmitting its own style and personality, two elements that characterize other models of the brand, such as the Renault 5, and which are surely a good part of the basis of its success.

Renault assures that the new 8 Gordini will have a power of 270 hp, without specifying the presence of one or more electric motors, although it seems almost certain that the vehicle will be rear-wheel drive with one or two motors acting on the rear wheels.

To fully know all the details of this prototype, we will have to wait until the Paris Motor Show in mid-October, when the brand will formally present it. We will also have to wait to see if Renault decides to develop a production model collaboratively with its high-performance subsidiary, Alpine, or if it decides to readjust it to become the base of the new Renault sedan, which would occupy the vacant spot of the discontinued Laguna or Talisman.