The Renault 4 hatchback has been reinvented by Renault into the AIR4, a flying version of the cult classic. The French car brand has never shied away from nostalgia, with the Renault 5 reimagined as an electric vehicle expected to be launched soon.
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Renault teamed up with Miami design firm TheArsenale to create a human-sized drone with an updated version of the 4 sitting on top. The new concept celebrates the 60th anniversary of the iconic Renault 4; at the same time using the opportunity to show where the company may be in 60 years from now.
“AIR4 is a symbol of independence and freedom, born out of the realization that traffic is compounding, lives are grinding to a halt, and the world above us is unhampered,” Renault said in a statement.
In an attempt to keep the vehicle as slight and strong as possible, the entire chassis and body is made of carbon fibre. Housed below the ‘driver’ is a 22,000mAh battery that is capable of delivering about 90,000mAh of total power. The company says that it creates 95kg of thrust per propeller, which means it totals a lift capacity of about 380kg.
In typical sci-fi style, the entire body lifts to allow the passenger to enter – there is no traditional door – then sitting in an interior that Renault describes as “utilitarian.” It takes off at 50 km/h and can hit close to 100 km/h in top speed. This vehicle isn’t expected to enter production but is rather a test bed for the company to explore its future ambitions. The one working prototype will now go on display at the Atelier Renault museum in Paris and elsewhere around the world in 2022, including Miami, New York and Macau.
