The Renault TREZOR
Renault has finally released a “street version” of its track car, named the Renault TREZOR. Anticipation of a Renault Sport EV began building last year when Renault won the Formula E Championships. Does this new concept car from Renault meet expectations? Let’s explore the TREZOR.
Renault TREZOR Stats
The TREZOR comes with a 350HP engine with a torque of 380 Nm. It can go from 0-60 in less than 4 seconds. The batteries are distributed at the front and rear to balance the weight and Renault takes advantage of RESS (Rechargeable Energy Storage System) to recycle energy during braking. The vehicle has a wide wheel base and a low center of gravity, giving it exceptional aerodynamics. It is also very light, with the chassis consisting of carbon cell with tubular steel front and rear units as well as 100% carbon windows.
The TREZOR’s Cosmetic Features
The TREZOR styling is very chic, with a silver metallic exterior and red leather interior. The honeycomb design through out the exterior adds a subtle pleasing texture that highlights the curves of the vehicle. Rather than having doors, the roof automatically lifts to allow access to the two seater.
On the inside we find a rectangular steering wheel. An L shaped touch screen combines the dashboard and multimedia screen and uses OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) technology combined with Gorilla glass. Its thin and curved design seamlessly blends in with the interior. In keeping with forward thinking technology, the dash was designed to be customizable. You can drag applications to and from the main touch screen to the portion of the screen that sits behind the steering wheel.
Autonomous Driving
Renault calls its autonomous driving system MULTI SENSE. With this system you can have access to 3 driving modes: neutral, sport, and self drive. When self drive is engaged, the exterior lighting changes, alerting other drivers that the feature is on. This may prove to be useful, considering there has been some confusion among drivers using Tesla’s Autopilot. If you’re reading a book and suddenly you start hearing horns, perhaps your self driving mode was interrupted.
‘But I thought we weren’t actually supposed to read books while in self driving mode?’ That’s Tesla’s stance. We often hear reminders that drivers should stay alert while using Autopilot. Renault’s stance reads quite differently. The TREZOR page on Renault’s website says: “panoramic view of the dashboard, allowing you to make the most of your free time with your passenger, admiring the scenery, watching a film, playing or looking at photos…” However, the TREZOR is still in the concept phase. Perhaps by the time they produce these sports cars they plan to have autonomous driving perfectly dialed in.