DeZir Is De Future Of Renault Design

Although the Renault DeZir — pronounced "Desire" — is just a concept the French automaker's unveiling at this year's Paris Motor Show, it could actually make it to production. Well, except for those reverse gullwing doors.

The Renault DeZir is set to be unveiled later this year at the Paris Motor Show. The concept's main purpose is pretty standard — to showcase the French automaker's future design language. What makes this concept different is that while normally an automaker takes its new wrapping paper and ties it up with a little bow around the magical and mythical powertrain du jour, Renault doesn't.

The DeZir's (yeah, we know "the DeZir" looks weird, and it sounds even more silly, rest assured, it's grammatically correct) electric drive system isn't magic pixie dust. It's almost identical to the unit used in Renault's production electric cars — albeit with a magical evolutionary leap in power and torque. Be that as it may, the fundamental technology of the DeZir (yup, still looks weird — like it says "the the Zir") is the same geekery Renault's already making. That includes an energy efficiency package with an F1 KERS-like kinetic energy recovery system for a power boost the driver can employ at the push of a button. That's the kind of techno-wizardry we can get behind.

On the inside we're told the dashboard visually mirrors the sensations felt at the wheel with a graphic display of data received from the accelerometer and speed sensors. We don't really understand what that means but we bet it looks cool in practice — if it were real. We also bet that part won't be making it into production vehicles anytime soon.

But the outside? The powertrain — complete with KERS-like system? Sure, those could both happen. But like we said originally — probably not with those reverse gullwing doors.

And that'd make for one damn DeZir-ous car.