Geneva 2008: Renault Megane Coupe concept (2008)

This concept previews a compact production coupé from Renault that would be a direct rival for the new VW Scirocco, so it was interesting to spot a couple of Renault designers looking closely at the VW, taking notes. Not that they need be too worried: if a couple of recent Renault concepts have been surprisingly disappointing, the Megane Coupé goes some way to establishing Renault Design back near the top of the pack in terms of concept cars, even if some of the ideas are developments of those seen on the previous Altica and Nepta concepts.

Renault has always been very active to explore new door hinge ideas on their concepts and the Megane Coupé takes things to a new level. Here, the upper door hinges up gullwing-style, while the lower bodyside dramatically hinges up on a massive cantilever from the rear seat headrests to reveal a bright Fire Red laquered inner sill that subsequently develops into the front and rear seat shells. The rear end is more characterful than the front and is notable for rear lamps comprising a pair of square tubes sitting within two air scoops in the rear fenders. The V-shaped rear window is fixed, while the trunk has a new action: it pulls open and then raises to minimize vertical lift, thus echoing the kinematics of the doors.

The interior is said to be influenced by contemporary furniture with instrumentation inspired by aviator-style watches. The IP can be divided into two sections: the red laquered main structure and black inserts which can store small items. The sides of the console feature a ribbed texture, echoing that of the headlamp modules. Seats are very deeply sculpted and finished in black nubuck leather, as are the door panels and the deeply-dished steering wheel. Carrying over from the interior, there are hints of red used on the exterior too, including the cantrails, foglamp surrounds and exhaust tailpipes, while the satin finish ‘Dragon Grey’ body color is said to compliment the dragonfly doors.