Renault unveils the fantastic R17 as the ultimate antidote to SUV mania

Sometimes it seems like the pot of car design is ’empty’. Either cars are indescribably ugly or they are based on an existing model. But that is not always bad, because look at this Renault R17 Ora Ito. Renault took the design of the old Renault 17, but gives it a modern jacket and modern techniques. As far as we are concerned, it can go into production right away.

Renault is definitely going retro. The new Renault 5 with its rock-solid retro design will soon be in the showroom (as will the faster Alpine A290). It seems that Renault enjoyed breathing new life into an old design. This Renault 17 was designed by design house Ora Ito, which designs almost everything; from trams to headphones.

Technology of the Renault R17 Ora Ito

At first we thought Renault had taken a random R17 and fitted it with some new parts, such as the Opel Manta Elektromod. But that is not entirely correct, because this R17 is on a new carbon fiber chassis. Also, there is no 1.6 liter petrol engine in it, but an electric motor. The drive is even better, because it does not go to the front, but to the rear wheels.

The electric motor is positioned on the rear axle and delivers 270 hp. With the arrival of the EV, we are dealing with hp inflation, with every car having a lot of power. Fortunately, Renault did not try to distinguish itself in terms of a lot of power, but by the low weight. Renault has managed to limit the weight of the R17 to 1,400 kilos.

And yes, it is heavier than the original, but for an electric car of this size and power, it is very reasonable. We are also very happy that the Renault R17 EV does not have a huge hip line. Cars these days are often very high to hide the battery.

Just look at how high the door is on a BMW i5. Instead of height, Renault has gone for width: the R17 is 17 centimeters wider than the original. The interior, on the other hand, is largely taken from the original, but re-dressed. It looks great, retro yet timeless. This is probably because large modern screens are missing.

Renault is definitely on the retro path. In addition to the R5, the R4 (a tough crossover) and even a revival of the Twingo are also on the program. As far as we are concerned, a compact coupe can be added to that. We know that this market is not immense, but anything is better than another run-of-the-mill medium crossover. Japanese brands are also working on reincarnations of well-known names: Honda has unveiled the Prelude and Toyota is working on a new Celica.

Is this Renault 17 coming to the Netherlands?

Renault talks about a ‘unique prototype’, but doesn’t say anything about production plans. We secretly assume that there is no market for a full carbon fibre coupe: the car would probably cost a small fortune. There will probably be no production model and it will remain with this one example. You can see the car at various shows and exhibitions.