When given an early glimpse of the Renault 8 Gordini Concept recently, it reminded me of a Peugeot. Probably not what Renault’s designers had in mind, but I promise I mean that as a compliment.
Back in 2018, Peugeot released the e-Legend concept, a reimagining of the 504 coupé infused with some American muscle car DNA, which was largely a showcase for the firm’s autonomous technology.
At that preview event, I asked then-Peugeot design boss Gilles Vidal if the firm would ever consider a production version, and promised that if it did, I would be in the queue to buy one.
Eight years later, the e-Legend remains nothing more than a concept, but it certainly isn’t forgotten. In fact, having moved to Renault and then returned to Stellantis as group design boss, Vidal was still being asked about the e-Legend in 2026.
When Romain Gauvin, Renault's concept design boss, showed me the new 8 Gordini, I was similarly quick to ask if the firm would ever consider a production version, and similarly quick to promise that if it did, I would be in the queue to buy one.
In an age of ever-bigger SUVs or stupidly high-end hypercars, the 8 Gordini is what the world needs more of: a relatively small and low two-seater focused on fun.
Unlike the e-Legend, which stood in stark contrast the Peugeot’s design language at the time, the 8 Gordini is more in keeping with Renault’s recent push for retro-modern designs that draw on its past models.
The firm has had huge success with the revivals of the 5, 4 and Twingo, and Gauvin admitted that the firm is looking at where it can draw inspiration from next.
