renault 5 diamant is a pop culture icon revival by pierre gonalons

Renault x Pierre Gonalons to revive an iconic model

‘Renault 5 Diamant’ brings together the worlds of interior design and the automobile. To mark the model’s 50th anniversary, the French manufacturer has collaborated with designer Pierre Gonalons. The result of this cooperation sees an unparalleled electric show car that revitalizes a true pop culture icon.

To bring to life this new version of the mythical car with the diamond, Gonalons was inspired by decorative arts, particularly fine jewelry, which is reflected in many details. According to the designer, the French automaker gave him complete freedom to ‘design the car of his dreams’. ‘In my eyes, the R5 embodies a pop, optimistic, resolutely contemporary life. With Renault 5 Diamant I wanted to pay tribute to its revolutionary design while translating my universe of shapes and colors into the automotive world,’ he added.all images by Renault Group

maintaining its timeless design

The automobile company has teamed up with the French designer, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the iconic Renault 5. The resulting model takes shape as an electric car and reflects the artist’s vision of the future car. The design keeps parts of the original which was released in 1972, celebrating its timeless aesthetics. However, major changes under the familiar silhouette have been made, bearing Gonalons’ design identity.

Gonalons deliberately removed important components and adjusted them like a jewel. Faceted like precious stones, the headlights are no longer integrated into the front end, but take form in front of them. The same logic was applied to the taillights as well. The wide wheels came originally from the sporty Alpine version, and have been smoothed and adorned with a sun over the center of the rim. The exterior tint adopts a tri-coat paint, made with gold paintwork on a pink background. The body is covered with a matte varnish, creating changing effects depending on the light conditions. Golden flashes are visible under the sunlight, while bluer splashes are seen in darker sceneries.

an extremely minimal interior

The cabin is defined by minimalistic and refined aesthetics provided by renowned French artisans. The interior features a spiral steering wheel made from recycled French marble. Despite its intricate shape, it does not compromise functionality, as its tubular body makes it lighter and malleable. Inside, one also sees a dashboard wrapped in woven horsehair fabric, a floor clad in mohair wool carpeting, and accents made of brass and gold. Even the vehicle key has undergone a special treatment that testifies to the designer’s fondness for detail.

Besides meticulous craft, the final production incorporates modern high-tech solutions. The doors are unlocked through an external fingerprint reader, while the vehicle offers a gear lever with three sequential positions to shift forward, neutral, and reverse. Speed, load, and time are displayed on three-round digital dials. As for navigation and infotainment, everything can be easily provided by the owner’s smartphone, which finds its place in a dedicated location in the middle of the dashboard.

the interior maintains a balance between pure design and vintage accents

After gathering some public appearances, the Renault 5 Diamant will enter the world of NFTs. Thus, Renault and Pierre Gonalons will also develop a collection of numerous NFTs inspired by the Renault 5 Diamant, which will be unveiled in September.