Renault reveals rear-wheel-drive electric coupe that won't go on sale

Renault has brought back the Gordini name on a rear-wheel-drive electric coupe based on the classic R8, but the car exists only as a concept and will not be sold to the public. According to multiple reports, the project is a design exercise that draws heavily on the original R8 Gordini's proportions and spirit, reimagined as a battery-powered two-door.

The original Renault 8 Gordini was a small, rear-engined sports saloon that became a cult figure in France during the 1960s and 1970s, particularly in circuit and rally competition. The new concept carries forward the low roofline, compact body and Gordini badging that made the original car recognisable, while replacing the petrol engine with an electric drivetrain sending power to the rear wheels, which is an unusual configuration for a modern EV.

Rear-wheel drive tends to give a car a more traditional, driver-focused feel, because the front wheels handle steering while the rear wheels manage acceleration. Most modern electric cars, including many smaller European models, use front-wheel or all-wheel drive because it is mechanically simpler and more efficient in everyday use. A rear-wheel-drive layout on a compact EV is a deliberate stylistic and dynamic choice rather than a practical one, which underlines the concept nature of the project.

For everyday drivers, the car serves as a signal of where Renault's design thinking is heading rather than something to put on an order list. Renault has made a habit in recent years of revisiting its heritage with modern interpretations, and according to multiple reports this latest project continues that pattern. Whether any of its ideas feed into a future production model remains to be seen.