Renault mulls building 8 Gordini as follow-up to 5 Turbo 3E

"It’s about how we position ourselves against sports car brands: for us, it’s the fun factor. We’re not here to design a car that’s going to shave half a second off a lap time at the Nürburgring; it’s fun, small, agile and nimble.”

Read more – The Gordini story: How legendary fast Renaults paved way for Alpine

While the original 8 was a four-seat saloon with its engine at the rear, the new concept is a two-seat coupé that measures 4120mm long - slightly more than the Clio.

It sits on 19in wheels at the front and 20s at the rear, and while this is strictly a show car, Renault claims power comes from a 270bhp electric motor.

Asked about the decision to revive the for the concept, Gauvin said: "This car is less well known than other that we have, but it's very relevant. The Renault 8 was very honest: it wasn't trying to be the most powerful or expensive car in its segment, but it has approachable values that not many brands can tap into."

Styling-wise, the concept retains the original’s distinctive round headlights, while Renault’s design team has also added lower spotlights that nod to the Gordini version’s rallying heritage.

It's also finished in the historic performance brand’s traditional blue and white paint scheme, complete with racing stripes.

At the back, the lights are integrated into the bodywork and become invisible when the car is turned off – a technology that Renault claims could be used on future production cars.

The concept has a motorsport-inspired interior, complete with bucket seats and an aluminium dash featuring round digital dials. Soft fabrics are used on the dashboard; the aluminium centre console feetures a number of toggles; and there are a few other physical button controls and even a rally-style footplate in the passenger footwell.

Asked which elements could reach production cars, Gauvin said: “I think we’ve found the balance between looking dynamic but not aggressive, and that’s something I’m very interested in using for future Renault cars. That’s something very Renault.”

Gauvin highlighted the 'disappearing' rear lights as being one technology that could have particular relevance to future models, adding: "I will try to work with the engineering team on the solution to those. It's possible [to put into production], but we need to go all the way to feasiblity. But the fun part of my job is to come up with problems to solve.

"An engineer needs something to fix. As concept car creators, we are useful in coming up with crazy ideas with problems, and then they have something to work on."