Renault's Corbusier concept car was inspired by houses, 'cause it's the French

The Coupe Corbusier pays tribute to the famous French architect Le Corbusier.
IMAGE: RENAULT
BY NICK JAYNES

Car designers draws inspiration from many places. This Renault concept, dubbed the Coupe Corbusier, takes a few design lines not only from French cars circa the 1930s, but also from the famous architect Le Corbusier.

I can't recall another car inspired by the lines of houses. But this is the French we're talking about; they play by their own rules.

Long and low, the Coupe Corbusier almost looks like a Mercedes-Benz concept.


IMAGE: RENAULT

The Coupe Corbusier is quite a looker with a long, low hood; thin LED headlights; and a large hexagonal grille topped with a blocky hood ornament. These are features clearly inspired by French cars from the '30s, though the roof is all Le Corbusier. It's constructed of several frameless pieces of glass attached to metal beams, which gives the minimalist cabin fit for two a very airy and modernist feel.

Wheels that somehow look both futuristic and vintage at the same time.
IMAGE: RENAULT

While I don't quite understand what's going on with the wheel arches, they draw the eyes to perhaps my favorite feature: the finned wheels. Mostly black with a shock of chrome, the wheels lie perfectly between the new world and the old.

Renault hasn't revealed what powers the car or whether it will inform future designs from the French firm. Since it is a huge departure from the brand's current looks, it likely won't. But I could see a modified version of this — powered by an all-electric powertrain — giving Tesla a run for its money in the streets of Paris.

After all, why would the French elite buy one of Musk's EVs when they can buy domestic while also bolstering a long and storied lineage of stunning design?

Taillights running the width of the rear break up the swoopy tail-end.

IMAGE: RENAULT