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Subaru Previews Fully Electric STI E-RA And Three More STI Performance Concepts For Tokyo Auto Salon

Subaru will join the Tokyo Auto Salon 2022 with a bunch of interesting concept cars that were previewed today in a press release. The most important launch will be the STI E-RA Concept signalling the electric era of the performance brand, but we are also going to see “STI Performance” variants of the WRX S4, Levorg, and BRZ in concept form.

The STI E-RA Concept is described as a “study model of motorsport vehicles for the carbon-neutral era,” so don’t get your hopes up for a production vehicle anytime soon since this is probably a racing car prototype. However, as suggested by the teaser, the model will introduce new design elements that could be used in future Subaru vehicles like the C-shaped LED headlights mounted on the fenders, the double vented bonnet, the red illuminated STI badge on the low nose, and the front bumper with a prominent splitter. Subaru didn’t give us details on the powertrain, other than it will be fully electric.

See Also: 2023 Subaru Solterra Arrives In America With 220+ Mile Range And Standard AWD

Besides the motorsport concept for the new era, Subaru will also showcase three “STI Performance” concepts of the WRX S4, the Levorg, and the BRZ. The first one was previewed in an official picture showing additional aero components, which will likely be the case with the other two as well.

Compared to the WRX S4 STI Sport R that is already on sale in Japan and served as a base for the concept, the new aero includes a splitter, side sills and rear bumper extensions painted in pink, matching mirror caps and STI emblem, plus a large carbon-fiber rear spoiler. The bumpers seem to be slightly redesigned for a sportier look while there is a new set of black rims shod in performance tires. We are not sure if there will be any mechanical upgrades over the production model but Subaru also mentioned a performance muffler.

See Also: Subaru Unveils WRX S4 In Japan With STI Sport R Flagship Trim Level

Similarly, the Levorg STI Performance concept will be based on the recently announced Levorg STI Sport R trim. It will feature cherry red accents on the additional aero components, a performance muffler, plus items “that will improve the usability” of the performance-oriented wagon. As for the BRZ STI Performance concept, it will add performance parts to the BRZ S grade painted in the same cherry red shade.

Lastly, the BRZ GT300 2021 racing car that won the class victory this year will be also exhibited at the Subaru booth, where the automaker will make announcements for the 2022 motorsport team. A lucky visitor of the Tokyo Auto Salon 2022 will drive away in a brand new WRX STI Sport R EX that will be this years’ questionnaire prize.

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China’s Geely Reportedly Forming New JV With Renault, Could Allow Duty-Free Cars Into The U.S.

Geely and Renault are rumored to be on the verge of announcing a new partnership. The two companies are reported to have been working on a joint venture since the beginning of the year, with the details finalized and an announcement imminent.

The venture will help create a new plug-in hybrid-focused automotive brand, reports Reuters. Chinese automaker, Geely, is expected to provide their CMA architecture that both Geely and Volvo currently use. Renault will focus its attention on design and marketing, focusing on the world’s largest car market — China.

A Chinese Re-entry For Renault, South Korean Lynk & Co For Geely  

The deal will allow Renault to re-enter China, which it exited a year ago when a JV with Dongfeng was dissolved. It may also be a way for the French company to expand its presence throughout Asia, with particular attention paid to its South Korean assembly plant that has manufactured vehicles under Renault Samsung Motors. Renault has held an 80% stake in Samsung Motors since 2000 and is South Korea’s third-largest automaker.

Geely may be able to gain access to any number of Renault’s production facilities, but it’s thought that the Busan plant in southeastern South Korea is of particular interest. According to the report’s unnamed sources, Lynk & Co, a brand under Geely, may produce its 01 SUV locally, with other hybrid offerings from the brand being considered. These could be sold under the Renault Samsung name.

Geely’s Ticket To The U.S.

In addition to propping up Renault Samsung (whose sales have been waning) and gaining access to the Korean market, there’s another significant benefit for Geely.

By producing vehicles in South Korea, the Chinese company could very well gain a form of duty-free “backdoor entry” into the U.S. market. Sino-U.S. tensions have hurt trade for Chinese automakers trying to break into the second-biggest car market in the world. But the deal with Renault could open up the possibility of utilizing South Korea’s free-trade agreement with the United States to export its Lynk & Co vehicles.

As of yet, there is no solid indication of a time frame for an announcement. It also isn’t quite clear where this arrangement will fit in with the Renault-Nissan alliance.

Renault 4 Van: All We Know About The Retro-Flavored Electric LCV

This article includes illustrations made by Jean Francois Hubert/SB-Medien for CarScoops based on teasers and information we’ve obtained. They are not related to or endorsed by Renault.

Renault’s ambitious electrification plan is already underway, and the Mégane E-Tech will soon be joined by the Renault 5 supermini, the 4ever SUV, and a commercial vehicle variant inspired by the Renault 4 Fourgonette (1965-1992). The latter has already been teased by Renault so we decided to dive deeper with renderings and all the available information up to this point.

The fully electric model will complement Renault’s commercial vehicle range sitting below the slightly larger Kangoo E-TECH. It is expected to share the CMF-BEV platform and many other components with its SUV sibling, most likely including several body panels and parts of the interior. The front end will be identical, with a covered grille housing retro-inspired LED lights and Renault’s new emblem.

See Also: Renault Marks 4’s 60th Anniversary With AIR4 Drone

The exclusive rendering created for Carscoops by Jean Francois Hubert/SB-Medien sheds more light on the design of the upcoming LCV, based on Renault’s official teaser of its silhouette.

Unlike modern light commercial vehicles which have integrated the rear cargo space in an aerodynamic outer shape, the Renault 4 Van will follow the lines of its distant ancestor. The bump on the roof had the advantage of increasing cargo space, even though it does create more drag, which is not ideal for efficiency. However, Renault designers seem to prioritize style and practicality over the maximum possible range in this specific model, since its use will be often limited within cities.

The old 4 Fourgonette had the unconventional “‘giraffon” rear hatch with the main door opening sideways and a small part opening upwards. We don’t know if this feature will be inherited by the new model, but it’s likely that Renault will opt for a set of “barn doors” which is the most common solution in panel vans nowadays. It is also likely that the R4 van will maintain the ground clearance and the plastic cladding of the SUV since those features come in handy for professionals and look like the perfect match for the commercial vehicle’s unpainted bumpers offering a purposeful look.

See Also: Renault 4L Electric Concept Inspired By Chic Hotels Celebrates The Model’s 60th Anniversary

Renault Group Design director, Laurence van den Acker, has admitted that the R5 and the mechanically related by slightly larger R4 in both SUV and Van forms will “tell stories from the past”, inheriting a separate design language from the rest of the French brand’s range, similar to what Ford is doing with the Mustang and Bronco nameplates.

In terms of underpinnings, Renault has confirmed that the panel van will be based on the CMF-BEV architecture. The flat floor of the electric platform will be ideal for the interior layout making use of all the available space behind the front seats for cargo.

The underfloor battery pack will feature nickel, manganese, and cobalt (NMW) technology, bringing the cost of the EV closer to ICE-powered vehicles. The batteries will be produced in France through Renault Group’s latest partnerships. The WLTP range of CMF-BEV based models will be up to 400 km (249 miles), although probably lower for the panel van. As for the powertrain, we expect front-mounted electric motors similar to the ones on the Renault 5 prototype.

The stylish van bearing the R4 name is rumored to debut in 2025, alongside its SUV sibling. By then, Renault will have a range of 10 new electric models, with the goal of achieving a 90 percent electric sales mix in Europe by 2030 across the entire Renault Group.

Read Also: What We Know So Far About 2024 Alpine A5 Electric Hot Hatch

Mazda3 And CX-30 Get Mild Updates In Japan Including New Special Editions

After the Mazda CX-3 Super Edgy, the automaker announced a series of special trim levels of the Mazda3 and the CX-30 in Japan, alongside small updates on the e-SkyActiv X motor.

Those include tweaking the intake port and exhaust silencer of the gasoline engine to produce a richer sound for spicing up the driving experience during acceleration. Additionally, engineers have updated the gas pedal feel for a greater “sense of unity with the car”. As a refresher, the e-SkyActiv X is a mild-hybrid 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 183 hp (137 kW / 186 PS) and 240 Nm (177 lb-ft) of torque.

Read Also: Mazda3 And CX-30 Updated In Australia With MX-30’s Mild-Hybrid Powertrain

In terms of the new trim levels, the Smart Edition is available for models equipped with the e-Skyactiv X engine. It brings more comfort and safety equipment including an active driving display, smart brake support, high beam control system, lane keep assist, and blind-spot monitoring.

Meanwhile the Black Tone Edition, which is available for all powertrain variants of both models, is visually differentiated by the black 18-inch aluminum wheels, the gloss-black mirrors, and the red stitching inside the cabin.

Read Also: We Drive The 2021 Mazda CX-30 Turbo, A Luxurious Performance Crossover For The Masses

The pictured Mazda CX-30 Black Tone Edition is fitted with optional aero components including the bumper and side-sill extensions.

Following the example of the more recent CX-30, all Mazda3 models get a new dimming turn signal which, according to Mazda, gives “a sense of life” in the car. Last but not least, the Platinum Quartz Metallic is a new color option for the Mazda3 and the CX-30, while the Polymetal Gray Metallic is added to the palette of the Mazda3 Sedan.

Orders for the mildly updated Mazda3 and CX-30 are open in Japan as of today, with vehicles arriving in dealerships in late November.

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Richard Hammond Drives His Jaguar XK150 For The First Time Since Restoring It

Richard Hammond is a very happy man. That’s because, for the first time since the body was taken off the frame, he can now drive his Jaguar XK150.

The car, part of a restoration that has been ongoing throughout the pandemic, was traded for a vintage Lagonda. Hammond reveals in his latest video, though, that when he got it, it was in a rotten state.

“It had been painted rather ugly dark red and underneath that dark red paint lurked, unbeknownst to me, a horror story,” explains Hammond. “It had had a hard, hard life. It had been crashed, bent, brutalized, and abused. And because, like a lot of these cars, it went through a phase of being worth two quid and a packet of crisps, it hadn’t been expensively repaired and restored. It had been bodged and lashed together.”

Read Also: Richard Hammond Gets His Own Car Restoration Show, Airs Later This Year

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Hammond and his team went through the process of painstakingly repairing it, which, since it’s an old Jaguar was hard. Millimetric precision wasn’t reality a priority for early postwar carmakers, not in the U.K., anyway. So, as Hammond puts it, there was as much building as restoration involved in this project.

With a completely rebuilt engine and hotter cam, a new diff, and better brakes the car drives brilliantly now, though. The only question is whether or not the decision to fit a slightly newer, but less precise transmission was a good idea.

To see him driving the car proudly really makes me wish I had a classic Jag of my own to toot around in, as well as some Amazon money kicking around to fund it and its restoration. Ah, to be a rich Brit.

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This Is How The 2023 Chevy Corvette Z06’s N/A V8 Delivers 670 HP

The 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 was unveiled earlier in the week and promises to be unlike any other ‘Vette before it, largely thanks to its engine.

We have known that the C8 Z06 would feature a 5.5-liter naturally-aspirated V8 ever since the Corvette C8.R race car was unveiled with this same basic engine in October 2019. Recent rumors suggested the engine would be tuned to around the 617 hp mark for the Z06, so you can imagine our surprise when the car was announced with no less than 670 hp and 460 lb-ft (623 Nm).

Read More: 2023 Corvette Z06 Is The Ultimate C8 With A Furious Sounding 670HP Flat-Plane Crank V8

That horsepower figure makes this 5.5-liter flat-plane crank engine the most powerful naturally-aspirated V8 ever used by a production car. It also gives the new car a 20 hp advantage over the 6.2-liter supercharged V8 used by the C7 Z06. Just how was Chevy able to extract so much power from this smaller-capacity engine without relying on forced induction?

To show how this was achieved, Engineering Explained has released an intriguing video that details all of the technology packed into this engine.

A key reason why the engine is so powerful is that it revs to 8,600 rpm and achieves peak power at 8,400 rpm, 2,000 rpm higher than the C7’s 6.2-liter V8. The car’s high-revving nature has been achieved through the use of a flat-plane crankshaft and the use of a short stroke.

Chevrolet has also engineered the engine with double-overhead cams and four valves per cylinder. It also featured dual valve springs, solid lifts, titanium intake valves, and sodium-filled steel exhaust valves. A complex intake manifold has also been designed with dual throttle bodies, dual plenums, three center valves, and four trumpets on each side.

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The 2022 Range Rover Starts At $104k, Here’s What You Can Get From Bentley, Cadillac, Jeep, Hummer And Mercedes For That Money

Land Rover has a brand new halo product in the form of the 2022 Range Rover. But it also has a serious problem on its hands because the luxury SUV market has never been tougher.

The original 1970 Range Rover wasn’t the first luxury SUV, but it went on to dominate the segment for the next 30 years. Today though, the Range Rover is under attack from all sides. Its position as the ultimate luxury SUV has been undermined by even more sumptuous and expensive SUVs from Bentley, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Maybach and Rolls Royce, and there are plenty of other off-roaders reaching up from the class below that are ready to have a pop at the $100k price point where the 2022 starts.

Your $100k buys you an entry-level SWB five-seat Range Rover SE powered by a 395 hp 3.0-liter inline six gas motor. That will get you to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds, and air suspension, active roll control, and a new 13.1-inch Pivo Pro touchscreen all come as part of the package.

Read: 2022 Range Rover Revealed With With BMW V8, PHEV And EV Coming 2023

Range Rover

› Price range: $104,000 to $200,000 (EST)
› Dimensions: 199″ L (LWB 207″) x 87″ W x 74″ H
› Power: 395-hp to 523-hp

At the other end of the scale you’ll find the $163,500 LWB First Edition equipped with a new BMW-sourced 523-hp 4.4 twin-turbo V8, and for more like $200k, Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations team will sell you a hand-finished SV flagship.

But is the 2022 Range Rover really the best place to sink your luxury SUV budget? Stick around while we take a look at the rivals.

Bentley Bentayga

› Price range: $198,890 to $273,300
› Dimensions: 202″ L x 79″ W x 67″ H
› Power: 443-hp to 626-hp

The Bentley Bentayga’s brash styling won’t suit fans of the classically elegant Range Rover, and vice versa, but it carries even more brand cachet and has been kicking the Land Rover’s ass in the luxury and power stakes for years.

The six-cylinder 443-hp PHEV and 542-hp V8 broadly line up with Range Rover’s offerings, but only the Bentayga offers a 626-hp 6.0-liter W12 that can hit 60 mph in less than 4 seconds. The Porsche Cayenne and Lamborghini Urus that share the Bentayga’s platform will lap a track more quickly, but they also top out at eight cylinders.

BMW X7

› Price range: $74,900 to $141,300
› Dimensions: 203″ L x 79″ W x 71″ H
› Power: 335-hp to 612-hp

The blue and white propeller is probably considered blue-collar by Range Rover’s marketing team, as are Audi’s Q7 and Q8 SUVs. But the $99,800 BMW X7 M50i is powered by the same 523-hp twin-turbo V8 that’ll cost you an extra $20k in the Brit SUV.

Related: Alpina Says Its Customers Aren’t Interested In EVs As Range Would Be An Issue

Interestingly, the Range Rover is a tenth quicker to 60 mph (4.4 seconds) than the M50i, but the X7 has an ace up its sleeve in the form of the 612-hp Alpina XB7 that’ll do the job in four dead.

Cadillac Escalade

› Price range: $76,295 to $111,255
› Dimensions: 212″ L (227″ L ESV) x 81″ W x 77″ H
› Power: 277-hp to 420-hp

The Cadillac Escalade was refreshed for 2021 and these days it features independent rear suspension, but it’s still an old fashioned body-on-frame SUV at heart.

Range Rover buyers might sneer at the Chevy Tahoe DNA, but the Cadillac isn’t short on luxury and tech features, including Super-Cruise semi-autonomous adaptive cruise control (when the chips are back in stock, at least) and a 38-inch triple screen gauge pack and infotainment screen combo.

And in extra-long ESV spec you’ll not want for space. Pace, though? That’s a different story. Don’t expect the 420-hp 6.2-liter V8 or gentle handling (all-wheel drive is optional) to come close to matching the Range Rover’s on-road performance, though the upcoming Blackwing-powered Escalade V might change things. Oh, there’s also a 277-hp 3.0-liter turbo diesel available too.

GMC Hummer EV SUV

› Price range: $79,995 to $105,595
› Dimensions: 197″ L x 87″ W x 81″ H
› Power: 625-hp to 830-hp

Thinking of hanging on for the 2024 Range Rover EV? Then you might want to consider the Thanos of SUVs, the reborn Hummer EV. The Edition 1 cars arriving in early 2023 are all sold out, but GMC will roll out the rest of the range over a 12-month period from spring of that year.

Triple motor versions will torture their crab-walking wheels with up to 830 hp and a scarcely believable 11,500 lb-ft of torque to send this monster truck made real to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. But fractionally more sensible dual-motor Hummers with 625 hp and up to 300 miles of range will likely be more than adequate for most buyers.

Jeep Grand Wagoneer

› Price range: $88,440 to $104,845
› Dimensions: 215″ L x 84″ W x 76″ H
› Power: 471-hp

History buffs will tell you the original Jeep Wagoneers were doing the luxury SUV thing long before the Range Rover was around, and after a 30-year layoff they’re back.

Related: Jeep Boss Feels “Sorry” For Buyers Of The Ford Explorer Timberline

Both the regular Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer share the same wheelbase, body design and seven-seat layout, but the Grand has more engine (a 471-hp 6.4 V8 instead of a 392-hp 5.7), more screens, and will cost you $30,000 more of you money. As far as we’re concerned, luxury American SUVs don’t get more desirable than this.

Lexus LX

› Price range: $90,000-$100,000 (EST)
› Dimensions: N/A
› Power: 409-hp

Toyota’s Land Cruiser isn’t coming to the U.S., but it’s upscale Lexus LX cousin is, and that badge makes it a much better match for the Range Rover when it comes to car park kudos.

It should be a good match in the dirt too, thanks to its new TNGA body-on-frame platform that helps reduce weight by 441 lbs (200 kg) versus last year’s model, and a huge list of gadgets that includes Toyota’s famous Crawl Control system.

You’ll have to settle for six cylinders, but since the new 409 hp twin-turbo 3.5 V6 makes 26 hp and 76 lb-ft (479 lb-ft) more than the old 5.7 V8, that shouldn’t be a problem.

Lincoln Navigator

› Price range: $78,865 to $105,570
› Dimensions: 210″ L x 80″ W x 76″ H
› Power: 440-hp

If you want to shop at a Lincoln dealer these days, you buy an SUV or go home empty handed. And the biggest and baddest of those SUVs is the Lincoln Navigator. Just as Caddy’s Escalade shares DNA with the Chevy Tahoe, so the Navigator can trace its roots to the Ford Expedition, but you’d never guess looking at the 13.2-inch touchscreen, or the beautiful open-pore wood featured on the more expensive trim levels.

The nearest this 440-hp whale gets to sporty is when hauling your hockey team around in its huge three-row cabin, so let the semi-autonomous Active Glide system take the strain, and the wheel, and do the navigating for you.

Mercedes-Benz GLS & Maybach GLS

› Price range: $77,050 to $161,500
› Dimensions: 205″ L x 77″ W (Maybach 80″) x 72″ H
› Power: 362-hp to 603-hp

You can get into a basic Mercedes GLS 450 for less than $80k, or a V8-powered GLS580 for around the same $104,000 that’d net you a six-cylinder Range Rover, but neither has the same cachet.

Related: 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV Spied With Huge Covered Grille And Aerodynamic Body

You might argue that the $132,100 Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 gets a little closer on curb appeal, and at 4.1-seconds to 60mph will put distance between itself and the Range Rover at the lights. But if you really want a GLS that’ll turn heads (and, potentially, stomachs), and are prepared to sacrifice some of the AMG’s pace for even more luxury, the $161,500 Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 is the one you want.

Rolls Royce Cullinan

› Price range: $384,750 to $455,725
› Dimensions: 210″ L x 85″ W x 72″ H
› Power: 563-hp

The Bugatti of SUVs, at least until Bugatti gets around to making one of its own, the Rolls Royce Cullinan is so outrageously expensive you could buy four Range Rovers for the price of one Black Label.

But none of those Range Rovers would come with a 592-hp, 6.7-liter twin-turbo V12 or a grille that looks like someone stole a gravestone from outside a Victorian church and had it chrome plated. There are luxury SUVs, and then there’s the Rolls Royce Cullinan.

Has Land Rover done enough to put the 2022 Range Rover ahead of these rivals? Let us know which luxury SUV you’d buy, and why.

Time To Vote For Your Favorite Large Luxury SUV

So all said and done, if you had the dough, which one would be your pick to park in your driveway?

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Mary Barra Says GM Can Catch Tesla In EV Sales By 2025

General Motors chief executive Mary Barra says the car manufacturer can catch Tesla in U.S. sales of electric vehicles by 2025.

GM intends on launching no less than 30 electric vehicles by 2025 and while recently speaking during CNBC’s Squawk Box, Barra expressed confidence in her belief that the company will establish itself as the EV leader.

Read Also: GM To Install Up To 40,000 New Chargers In The U.S. And Canada

“I am very comfortable, because when people get into these vehicles, they are just wowed,” she said. “So we will be rolling them out and we’re going to just keep working until we have No. 1 market share in EVs.”

Tesla currently dominates the electric vehicle space in the United States. In fact, the automaker accounted for 79 percent of all EVs sold in the U.S. throughout 2020. However, research and forecasting company HIS Markit says Tesla’s U.S. share of EV sales will drop to 56 percent throughout 2021 and fall to approximately 20 percent in 2025.

Speaking with CNBC, LMC Automotive added that sales of EVs, including plug-in hybrids, will account for less than 4 percent of vehicle sales across the country this year. The research firm suggests that EVs will make up 34.2 percent of new U.S. vehicle sales by 2030, with 4.1 percent of those sales being for plug-in hybrids.

A key pillar in GM’s EV expansion goals is their plans to install up to 40,000 Level 2 EV chargers across the United States and Canada as part of a $750 million investment.

Another Pagani Zonda Crashed, This Time In The Czech Republic

The Pagani Zonda may be getting a bit long in the tooth, but it’s still a very powerful supercar from the analog era and as such, demands the driver’s full attention – and skills. An owner from the Czech Republic learned it first hand when they crashed a Zonda C12 S on a twisty road near Prague. Thankfully no serious injuries were reported.

The circumstances of the accident are unknown but there is a video shot by tobiastrunc and shared on Instagram by supercar.fails, showing the yellow-painted Zonda resting in a ditch. We suspect that the driver lost control of the rear-wheel drive Italian supercar and went off the edge of the road, but since there’s no way of knowing for sure, that’s just a hypothesis.

While the profile and the rear end of the car do not show signs of damage, the front clamshell is broken and it is likely that there will be some underbody damage as well. Given that the road is surrounded by a deep ditch and many trees, the driver must feel lucky to avoid a more serious crash. Still, it will cost thousands of dollars to replace the damaged parts.

See Also: Wrecked Pagani Zonda C12 S Filmed On Flatbed On The Highway

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The car appears to be an early 2000 Pagani Zonda C12 S and not one of the countless special editions that followed. The C12 S was fitted with a naturally aspirated 7.0-liter AMG engine producing 542 hp (405 kW / 550 PS) and 750 Nm (553 lb-ft) of torque, mated exclusively to a six-speed manual transmission. The 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint was completed in 3.7 seconds and the top speed was 335 km/h (208 mph).

In any case, the Zonda will be likely sent to the factory for repairs since its value is too high to let go. After all, since 2017 Pagani is offering a restoration program dubbed Pagani Rinascimento, which could bring virtually any example of the supercar back to pristine condition – with the equivalent cost of course.

Watch Also: Restoring A Pagani Zonda To Its Original Condition Is A Fine Art

Renault 4L Electric Concept Inspired By Chic Hotels Celebrates The Model’s 60th Anniversary

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Renault 4, of which more than 8 million were sold over 30 years, the automaker turned to French designer Mathieu Lehanneur to reinterpret the car. And what he delivered is a fully electric concept inspired by chic hotels.

The Suite N°4 concept is based on the Renault 4L but trades in the rear body panels for polycarbonate windows to offer passengers plenty of light. The roof, meanwhile, is covered in transparent solar panels to help charge the fully electric drivetrain that replaces the standard engine.

To reflect the fact that it’s now electric, the model’s traditional grille has been replaced by a polished aluminum sheet to give the car a fluid appearance. The paint, on the other hand, is designed to look more solid. Coated in three layers, it’s supposed to look like concrete, a nod to the design trends in modern architecture.

Read Also: Renault Trafic SpaceNomad And Hippie Caviar Hotel Unveiled As Chic Camper Vans

Inside, fabrics have been used to make the interior feel warm. The front seats and dashboard are covered in yellow velvet, while the back seats are finished in a thick, ribbed, chenille fabric to make them feel more robust.

The trunk has also undergone a big transformation, as it features a natural fiber floor covering and a wooden drawer that can be removed to provide sheltered seating when the hatch is open. According to Renault, all the materials were provided by high-end Parisian furniture makers.

“I wanted to merge the worlds of cars and architecture to create an open-air hotel room,” says Lehanneur. “Even better than the finest palatial suite, the car is exactly where you want it to be, whether that’s by the sea, in the middle of a field, or driving around the city you’ve always dreamed of.”

Those interested in getting a glimpse of the oncept can check it out this weekend when it will be on display at the Maison & Objet exhibition in Paris. It will then join the automaker’s collection at Atelier Renault starting in November.

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