By now, you’ve probably heard of the latest scandal circulating around the F1 paddocks these days.
If you haven’t, here’s a brief refresher course. Recently sacked Renault driver, Nelson Piquet Jr. released a statement saying that he was instructed to intentionally crash his car at last year’s Singapore Grand Prix in order for teammate Fernando Alonso to move ahead of the pack and win the race.
Now, a hearing is scheduled to take place on September 21 to determine whether or not Piquet Jr’s statement really did happen. For their part, Renault team bosses Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds have vehemently denied any wrongdoing and attributed their former drivers attempt to smear their team as a sign of retaliation after being unceremoniously fired last month.
In a day filled with super car unveilings, Renault took an entirely different approaching by unveiling a car of their own: the cute and adorable Twizy Z.E. (Zero Emission) Concept. It’s far from a super car, that much we can tell you. The car actually looks like more like a highly advanced Lego on four wheels as opposed to a traditional smart car.
The pearlescent color scheme of the car comes in a sky blue and sunflower yellow shade and the interior looks like something you’ll see in an arcade. Nevertheless, the Twizy Z.E. is more than just eye candy; it comes with state-of-the art features including a luminous matrix-like display that serve the dual purpose of headlights and taillights, full wheel covers, and that unmistakable flower ‘ornament’ sitting oh-so-happily on the dash.
For a smart car, the Twizy Z.E. does have room for four people, although we strongly advise tall people from sitting at the back. As far as its electrical power is concerned, the car takes it from an electric motor that has a grand total of 20 horsepower and 70Nm of torque and maximum speed of 75 kmh. While it certainly lacks in unbridled speed, the Twizy is as efficient as they come with a range of up to 100 kilometers.
Renault wants to prove that electric cars don’t have to be boring at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The automaker’s range of four electric concepts revealed today provide a preview of what we can expect from the French car builder to release starting in 2011.
The Fluence Z.E. Concept is a four-door electric sedan that can travel up to 160 kilometers on a single charge. Renault has incorporated a few interesting charging methods including a 20 minute recharge and the very fast 3 minute quick charge options that will allow you to travel from 4 to 8 hours depending on the power outlet’s voltage.
Fluence ZE Concept is powered exclusively by an electric motor located near the front axle that is powered by a lithium-ion battery positioned between the rear seats and the trunk. The concept rides on 21 inch wheels and the interior features video screens and a triple-zone climate control while LED lights on both the front and rear of the vehicle add to the concept’s Atmosphere Blue body color.
At first glance, those four objects on the photo seem to look like new-age mobile phones, and while we can’t fault you for thinking that way – they do look like mobiles from a distance – those are actually four concept vehicles Renault is planning to unveil at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
Say what?
Of course, the bird’s eye view of the cars doesn’t really help in deciphering what they really are, but take our word for it, those are Renault’s new electric concepts.
It’s an odd way to show images of the car really because it leaves room for a lot of speculation as to what these cars really look like. But maybe that’s exactly what Renault is aiming for.
The French automaker Renault has just unveiled a new special edition Koleos SUV. Called White Edition, the new edition is based on the Dynamique equipment level and prices range from €29,350 (dCi 150 DPF) to €32,850 (dCi 150 DPF 4x4 automatic).
The Koleos White Edition is based on the Dynamique equipment level, this special run features two-tone leather upholstery as standard, as well as Carminat Bluetooth® DVD navigation, the Bose® Sound System, new aluminium alloy 18-inch wheels and a specific Mineral Beige body colour, plus chrome skid plates, extra-tinted rear glass and a rear lip spoiler.
The interior features two-tone upholstery and gloss black dashboard trimming details, while the chrome air-vent controls and instrument surrounds add a further touch of elegance to the already chic, refined ambiance.
Renault announced today the addition of a new sedan to the current line-up: Fluence - a model that will replace the current Megane sedan. The car was first revealed as a concept back in 2004, and will become reality for markets like: Turkey, Russia and Romania.
Depending on the market, the Renault Fluence will be available with a wide range of thrifty engines. Petrol range will include a 1.6-litre 16V engine with 81kW (110hp) and a 2.0-litre petrol making 103kW (140hp), while diesel line-up will include five variants of the 1.5 dCi diesel block: 85hp, 90 hp, 105hp and 110hp. All the engines will be mated to either manual or automatic transmission.
This new, four-door saloon is 4.62 metres long and its size and generous levels of standard equipment place it halfway between the C segment, for compact family cars, and the segment immediately above. Streamlined headlights herald the start of an elegant waist line which sweeps harmoniously along Fluence’s sides to the boot. The surround and chromed grille of the upper air intake embellish the car’s front-end looks with a sporting flourish, while Renault Fluence’s status-enhancing appeal is heightened by its sculptured wheel arches and long bonnet. At the rear, the horizontal, two-part lights allow a generous boot aperture and reinforce the car’s thoroughly modern styling.
The French automaker Renault is preparing a few surprises for us for the Frankfurt Motor Show. One of them is a factory tuned 275 HP version of the 2.0 Liter TCe gas burning engine that will add a very healthy dose of sport to the automobile manufacturers lineup. The only problem is that Renault still hasn’t confirmed which model will be lucky enough to be motivated by the hot rod power plant.
Current speculation suggests that there are two possible models that will benefit from the turbocharged four cylinder engine. One of them is the special edition Renault Megane 3RS and the other is a Gordini version for the Megane. Either way it would be very nice to see a Megane with the potent power plant under the hood no matter which label accompanied it.
Aside from the boosted Megane, Renault is planning on unveiling a special edition five door version of the Megane RS at the upcoming Paris Auto Show. Following their official debuts both the three and fiver door models will go into production in November.
Top Speed first reported back in March that the French automaker Renault will relaunch the Gordini brand sometime in 2010. The first model to be badged as a Gordini will be the compact Twingo, but after the city car, the company will also launch a Gordini version of the Clio and Megane Coupe. According to Thomas Clavet the future Clio Gordini might look like something like this.
The exterior is emphasized by a rally inspired front end with enlarged air intakes and oversized fog lights. The roof adds a bit of style with a roof scoop that resembles the intake from a Formula 1 car. At the rear, the little Gordini has an understated rear wing atop the hatch and a bold rear diffuser. Finishing off the design is a centraly located inverted triangle exhaust tip. The compact factory tuner is painted in Blue with signature Gordini double white racing stripes.
It is radically fun designs like these that keep consumers enthusiastic about the future of the automobile.
Renault has unveiled today two new special editions for the UK market: the Renault Clio World Series and the Renault Megane World Series. Both models will debut at Silverstone on 4th and 5th July.
Clio World Series by adds an extended front spoiler, side skirts, a sports rear bumper plus WSR badging. Customers can choose from the 1.2 16V 75, the highly efficient TCe 100 or the frugal dCi 86 engines. Prices for this special edition start from £12,170.
Megane Hatch World Series adds an extended front spoiler, Coupe-style bumper inserts, side skirts, a sports rear bumper, rear spoiler, WSR badging and 17” alloy wheels. Customers can choose from the 1.6 16V 110 or the dCi 106, both with a six-speed gearbox. Prices for this special edition start from £16,595.
In a recent interview with Automotive News Europe, Renault’s CEO, Patrick Pelata announced that the French automaker is preparing a new compact city car to compete head to head with vehicles like the Smart ForTwo, Toyota iQ, Fiat Topolino and future Volkswagen Up!
There is no concrete information about the future petite Renault, but rumors say that it will be built on the same platform as the company’s current Twingo model. There is also a possibility that Renault will produce an electric version inspired by the Kangoo BeBopZ.E. An electrified city car would be all the more feasible due to the European automaker’s ties to the Nissan-NEC next generation lithium ion battery pack.
You can expect to see something along the lines of a concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. A production version should follow shortly after.
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