Renault 8 Gordini reinvented as EV concept
Rear-drive, 270hp design study 'shows how Renault is keeping its heritage alive'
It’s been a while since we’ve seen anything Gordini-badged from Renault. Once upon a time, it was an entire range of (admittedly quite half-baked) special editions, from Wind to Clio 200, paying homage to Amédée Gordini’s achievements tuning various Renaults. Mainly with stripes. Now, with Renault enjoying considerable success with its retro reboots - and the Gordini name marking 50 years in Renault’s ownership next year - we have this, the Renault 8 Gordini Concept.
Back in the '60s, the R8 Gordini was the Renaultsport four-door of its day, with 90hp (when a standard 8 Major had 50hp), improved suspension and, of course, the blue paint with the white stripes. The collaboration between Renault and Gordini made for a successful rally car, and the road machine one of the original homologation heroes. The only surprise about a modern tribute to the ‘Gorde’ is that it hasn’t happened sooner.
The look will be familiar to anyone who knows the original thanks to the twin front lights; bolder and brighter than anything from the 20th century, but they ensure something akin to a Renault 8 face for a 270hp EV. The colour and the stripes were obviously non-negotiables, only this time the latter are “structural components that coordinate the design”, so says exterior designer Kevin Gonclaves. Furthermore, while the wheels are larger, the ride height punchier and the arch treatment more aggressive than anything truly classic, the notchback look ensures the appropriate retro vibes.
This just isn’t the sort of shape you see anymore, a nice nod to the original R8, more modern and sportier, without slavishly copying what went before. As Renault has achieved with quite a lot of its retro EVs, in fact. Renault’s VP Design Alexandre Malval puts it thus: “We updated the distinctive styling of the original Renault 8, which was virtually symmetrical from front to rear, to give it a more dynamic look. With the flowing cabin lines, wide track, prominent wings and wheels of 19 inches at the front and 20 inches at the rear, it appears to hug the road. The decision to make the rear wheels larger creates a visual sense of momentum: a nod to the rear layout that was the hallmark of the hugely enjoyable ride delivered by the original.”
As a design concept, there isn’t very much focus on the powertrain. That being said, 270hp is confirmed, as are modest dimensions: the 8 Gordini is 4.12m long, 1.27m tall and 1.88m wide. While not announced for production (or even hinted at), something compact, modestly powerful and rear-drive sounds like a much more promising performance EV than another thousand-horsepower monster.
Attention has instead been paid instead to a ‘cafe racer’ design approach, particularly inside. Even if an 8 Gordini wasn’t all that to drive, an interior like this one would get attention, all blue corduroy, brushed aluminium and ambient lighting. Carbon used for the bodywork has, thank goodness, not made an appearance inside. Renault says ‘the focus is clearly on driving’, with only a stopwatch like an old rally car to provide much meaningful distraction. Make space for a phone and this sort of interior, with that beautiful steering wheel and trio of dials - plus the door pulls and etched ‘8’ in the centre - would surely be another Renault success story. Or just the thing for an electric A110 perhaps…
Moreover, while this might not be coming to a Renault retailer anytime soon, the 8 Gordini Concept isn’t going to disappear. It’ll be unveiled at the Renault Carwalk today, ahead of being seen at the Paris motor show next month. There’s also the Renault Collections museum in Flins opening in 2028 - what a treat it would be to see this alongside an original in there.
Malval concluded: “With the Renault 8 Gordini Concept, we wanted to spark emotion by drawing on both our heritage and modern times, bringing together the icons of yesterday and the future. This exercise in style sets out to reinvent the Renault 8 Gordini for the modern day. The aim of this coupé is to inspire emotion and capture the imagination of all car enthusiasts. And when I talk about emotion, I’m not talking about nostalgia, but real passion for cars.” If it means more creations like this, long may it continue at Renault.
Love the screen free, button heavy interior. Love the styling, just possibly change the rear lights for something a bit more retro.
Why does it need all that power and massive wheels & tyres? The article states that the original 8 Gordini had 90bhp. This has 270: 3 times as much. Does it weigh 3 times what the original did? No. So why the need for all that power? Bearing in mind the instant torque of an EV powertrain, surely a bit less, say 150-180bhp, would be enough for an engaging real-world drive, with the trade-off of greater range.
Regardless of that - come on Renault, get it made!
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