A recent announcement by the French car giant Renault has impressed car enthusiasts worldwide. Named as Filante Record 2025, the new model features a futuristic design, which, for some fans, seems like a hybrid of a fighter jet from the Star Wars movie and a Batmobile. For Renault, the Filante Record 2025 is more than just a concept or a demo car, and represents a truly “laboratory on wheels” created to set a new world record. Besides the announcement, there are still many things we want to know about this car, and its design is just the beginning.
A “laboratory on wheels” capable of breaking world records: meet the Filante Record 2025
The announcement made by the French automaker giant Renault was able to impress even the most skeptical enthusiast of concept cars. Developed to maximise energy efficiency and able to set a new record for power consumption, the Renault Filante Record 2025 has the same capacity as a Scenic E-Tech electric and has a stunning design.
With a single seat and a design made to improve the aerodynamic efficiency, this car is 5.12 meters long and 1.19 meters tall, all of this with just 1,000 kg. Due to its technology and innovative aesthetic, it was also known as a “laboratory on wheels”. The weight is most from the motor’s 600 kg battery, made with a light carbon fibre, while the chassis is made from aluminium, carbon, and steel alloys, with most of the body being carbon fibre.
Historical inspiration and the ultimate technology in the same vehicle
According to Renault, the Filante Record 2025 is equipped with the ultimate technology made to overcome even the most advanced engine. It has unique friction-reducing tyres, along with steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire technologies. The interior of the vehicle, inspired by the universe of aviation and space travel, is made to maximise performance with comfort and efficiency. Each component and system is made for the comfort and safety of the driver. A curious fact about this model is that it does not have pedals for the driver.
Besides the innovative components, Renault ensured that the inspiration for its design was the 40 CV des Records and the Étoile Filante, built in 1925 and 1956. Booth cars are responsible for setting new historic records for the brand.
According to Renault, this car is also a “sculpture in motion”
In a statement made by Sandeep Bhambra, the Director of Advanced Design for Renault, the Filante Record 2025 aesthetic was compared to a “sculpture in motion”. According to Bhambra, the inspiration came from fighter planes and the recordist’s cars. Also, the company ensured that the intention was to “create a monolithic sculpture of a motor that could be seen as organic”.
To achieve this goal, the car has LED headlights and a futuristic design that reminds one of a Sci-Fi movie. After the reveal, some fans said it was inspired by the podracers from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, but others claimed that the inspiration was clearly an old version of the Batmobile.
The technologies applied to Filante Record 2025 could be the basis for other vehicles
As stated by Renault, the Filante Record 2025 is an innovative car “down to its tyres”. Once it is used as a demo car to break records, the company also said that it may be a preview of what we will see on its future cars. Indeed, the new vehicle has a fuller driving experience with a reduced number of mechanical components that can be seen as a trend for sports cars, but it still has room for improvement and a long development before these technologies reach commercial vehicles. But in a future that aims for flying cars, it is possible they could come to pass?