Description Of The Car

Paris Show Preview Renault Nepta

This big, open-top, four-seater Renault concept, called the Nepta, may not have a production future, but its front-end styling and rear-drive platform are pointers to what the French firm has waiting in the wings.








The Paris show car’s nose hints at the look of the next-generation Laguna, due out next year, while the rear-wheel-drive chassis – a novelty for any non-two-seater Renault – suggests that Renault is investigating platform-sharing with Nissan’s Infiniti range. Infiniti is Nissan’s upmarket American division and its mechanical and dynamics know-how could help Renault finally break into the elusive executive-car sector.

The Renault Nepta concept four-seat sport convertible promises to be one of the shows stars. It showcases one of the benefits the French automaker got from its alliance with Nissan -- the ability to meld French design flair with a big powerful engine and a rear-wheel-drive platform from Nissans parts bin.

The refined and sporty Nepta features a twin-turbo, direct-injection version of Nissans topflight 3.5-liter V6 that produces a whopping 420 horsepower. Mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission, the engine propels the Nepta to 60 m.p.h. in less than 7 seconds.

Renault also will show the replacement for its 13-year-old Twingo city car. The tiny and inexpensive Twingo sparked Europes infatuation with chic minicars when it debuted, but new models like the Smart ForTwo have overshadowed it in recent years.

Inside, the seats are fixed and the steering wheel and pedals can be adjusted. Rear passengers are cosseted from turbulence by transparent air deflectors positioned between the front and rear seats.

The LED headlamps are made up of three assemblies: daytime running lights, dipped and main beam headlamps and cornering lights. The motor-driven gull wing doors open to reveal both the interior and the engine and the centrally positioned door hinges are covered by a polished aluminium panel representing a shooting star that runs the full length of the bonnet.

The dashboard appears to be suspended and theres a centrally-mounted, rotary gear shift, while the stalk switches and steering wheel-mounted control paddles are designed to match the form of the drivers hands. The two bench seats are fixed, but the position of the steering wheel and pedals can be adjusted by a motor-driven mechanism to adapt it to the drivers physique.

Access to the cabin is via huge doors which are driven by electric motors. Inside, the model features soft leather, DVD screens and a floating central dial stack. Despite its massive girth, the Nepta is no slouch - the turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 is said to propel the big drop-top from 0-60mph in less than five seconds.