Renault 5 Diamant, a tribute to the original

Renault has teamed up with the French designer Pierre Gonalons to reinvent its iconic Renault 5. The result of this joint creation is the Renault 5 Diamant, an original electric show-car born from the meeting of the worlds of interior and automotive design. It is an electric car that shows the designer’s vision of the car of the future, merging the codes of the car with those of interior design.

“Renault’s invitation to reinvent the legendary Renault 5 on the occasion of its fiftieth anniversary is an honor for me. The brand has given me carte blanche to design the car of my dreams,” he says. Pierre Gonalons. “In my opinion, Renault 5 embodies a pop, optimistic and clearly contemporary lifestyle. With Renault 5 Diamant I wanted to pay tribute to its revolutionary design and transfer my world of shapes and colors to the world of the car.”

Renault 5 Diamant retains the characteristic lines and iconic shape of the original model that rolled off the Renault production line in 1972. However, under that familiar silhouette, a profound transformation has taken place. Under the hood, the car is equipped with a 100% electric motor, the first element that indicates its modernity. Visually, its design introduces high-quality details that invite you to discover this new and refined blend.

On the outside, the bodywork has been streamlined to better highlight the iconic lines of the Renault 5 and familiar components have been deliberately lifted from their surroundings and magnified in both form and finish. The headlights and lights are designed like precious stones and the wide wheels, inherited from the Alpine version, have been smoothed and bear the famous Pierre Gonalons sun at their center. The exterior color is a three-layer paint, made of gold pigments on a pink base. It is covered with a glossy varnish that provides a very changeable effect with golden reflections in the sun, and a more bluish tone in the shade.

Inside, purity prevails. Thanks to the joint experience of the Renault design team and the craftsmen involved in the project, Pierre Gonalons was able to simplify the car by keeping only the most essential elements. The door handles and window regulators, as well as the gear lever, are made from an unfinished dial, treated with very Parisian references in pale gold brass, stainless and very durable materials. The steering wheel, with a very particular but functional shape, is made of marble on carbon, and even the vehicle key receives a specific treatment. All this with Renault’s experience to give the whole a seamless automotive credibility and realism and without compromising the use of functional elements.

Renault 5 Diamant also brings technology. First of all, it is 100% electric and incorporates a fingerprint reader to unlock the doors. As an electric vehicle, Renault 5 Diamant has a gear lever with three positions (forward, neutral and reverse). Three round digital counters celebrate the world of watchmaking and display the essential information: speed, charge and time. The driver’s mobile phone provides everything needed in terms of navigation and infotainment and is specifically located in a slot in the center of the dashboard.

Likewise, the steering wheel and the interior holes are made of recycled marble by Minéral Expertise, using French marble worked in a tubular way, which makes it lighter and more malleable. The fabric for the seats is produced by the textile firm Métaphores, while the fabric for the dashboard is made by the century-old company Le Crin, an artisan who has mastered the art of weaving horsehair by hand. The mohair wool rug is made by Pinton, one of the last French tapestry manufacturers, from its historic headquarters in Aubusson. Lastly, both the gilding of the car’s trim and the monogram on the bonnet are carried out by the Bertin-Aubert workshop in Paris, which stands out for its know-how and precision in execution.