Paris-based Renault isn’t done rummaging through its past models. After reviving the 5, pledging to bring back the 4, and hinting at what a modern version of the first-generation Twingo could look like, it put a modern spin on an obscure coupe called 17 that it built until 1979.
We say “obscure” because the 17 (shown at the end of our gallery) was hardly a success. Renault built merely 94,969 units between 1971 and 1979. For context, the 17 was twinned with the 15, which logged 209,887 sales during the same time period. Bringing the 17 to the United States didn’t help the coupe’s career; have you ever seen one? Odds are you haven’t. Even in France, the 17 is relatively rare today.
Back to the road: Renault enlisted designer Ora Ïto to bring the 17 into the modern era. The angular silhouette remains but styling cues such as the four round headlights and the chrome bumpers are gone. Up front, the 21st-century 17 gets a redesigned grille, four rectangular headlights (yellow, to keep the style period-correct), and a deeper bumper. Out back, there’s a light bar instead of two individual lights.
Renault started the project with a donor 17, it didn’t build the concept from scratch, so the doors, the windows, and the seals are carried over. The body is over half a foot wider thanks in part to flared wheel arches, however, and we’re told the wider track improves handling.
In what can be considered a stunning display of historical amnesia, the modern 17 is powered by a 270-horsepower electric motor mounted over the rear axle to zap the back wheels into motion. While it’s hard to argue against rear-wheel-drive, the original model was only offered with front-wheel-drive, which explains the long front overhang. Renault hasn’t released performance specifications such as horsepower and driving range, but it notes that carbon fiber partially offsets the mass of the electric drivetrain. Weight checks in at roughly 3,100 pounds.
Everything inside has been updated as well. There’s a new version of the emblematic Petal seats for the front passengers, cloth upholstery inspired by current interior design trends, an instrument cluster made up of four screens, and a touchscreen-based infotainment system.
Nothing suggests the modern-day 17 will see the light that awaits at the end of a production line.
