Behold: the one-off, 270bhp Renault R17 electric restomod

Don’t call it a comeback, because it’s been here for years. Though you might not recognise it. This is the one-off, rather stunning Renault R17 electric restomod concept, a show car that references an old Renault biffer from the 1970s you might not be enormously familiar with.

You should be, because Renault shifted more than 92,000 of these 17s between 1971 and 1979. Considering it’s been having a jolly old time of late mining its rich heritage for electro-kicks – like the R4 and the R5 – this looks like yet another good bit of fun.

Despite its looks, this is indeed a proper restomod – based on the original car’s monocoque structure, the R17 concept features the same underbody, doors, windows, glazing, cabin and even seals as the old car. There’s a new carbon fibre chassis, mind.

New body, too, as keen 17 enthusiasts will have spotted. Where the Seventies classic looks a little… weedy, a little too eager, this new version looks way more pleased with itself. Much more ‘confident’, as designers like to say. Speaking of whom, the design was done in collaboration with Frenchman Ora Ïto, “a child of the 1970s”.

So yes, it follows that original car’s stubby, coupe lines to a tee, but adds 17cm of width, slightly squarer, bigger arches to allow the fitment of slightly bigger, slightly better wheels rather than the sofa castors of the original.

But the biggest difference is up front, where the original circular headlights give way to a slightly more suspicious-looking rectangular setup. There’s more lower grille this time out, giving it a bit more meat, while at the back there’s a single taillight strip. Rear three-quarter vent panels are a nice touch to the old-timer.

Though this’ll obviously dust the old-timer. Where that front-engined car featured a ponderous, tiny engine, this one gets a much healthier 270bhp powertrain, sited at the back of the car. Renault hasn’t given any performance metrics, but we do know the car weighs just 1.4 tonnes so expect a small battery.

We also know what it’s like inside, and it’s like… if the 1970s had access to 21st Century tech. Lots of brown. Four geometric screens behind the very period steering wheel. Red fascias. A giant clock and a feeling that there should be a lingering cigarette haze. The seats were redesigned “around the original petal structure”, are said to be comfortable, and finished to a ‘meticulous’ standard. Can’t deny that, not least from these pics.

“We teleported Renault 17 into the future, making a few subtle changes that give it a whole new look,” said Ïto. “Our key phrase was: ‘a detail is not a detail’. There is a certain ambivalence in that it is not intended to be taken entirely at face value. We were also aiming for a light-hearted touch.

“Renault has a strong identity and I like that. You recognise a Renault when you see one, and this restomod is no exception to the rule.”

Recognise it now? It’s not a “forerunner for a future production vehicle”, which is a shame because this looks like a good bit of fun.