French designer Mathieu Lehanneur has transformed the Renault 4L car, an icon of the 1960s, into a luxury-travel vehicle with a lounge space in the transparent boot.
In honour of the vehicle's 60th anniversary, Renault had tasked Lehanneur with devising a concept car that showcased his vision for the 4L.
The Suite No.4 reimagines Renault's 4L for travelling in minimalist luxury
Lehanneur's response was the Suite No.4, which reflects on the contemporary hunger for escape and the view that journeys are more about the experience than the destination.
The car has the same lines and exterior dimensions as the classic 4L, but the rear panelling is replaced with panoramic windows that cover the sides and roof of the car. According to Lehanneur, they look like architectural glass but are made of transparent polycarbonate. Panelling is replaced with panoramic windows, providing enveloping views
He hopes that for someone reclining in the boot, which has been turned into a lounge space, the cockpit will "dematerialise" and the view will be enveloping.
"I wanted to create a room with a view but whose view could be endlessly recreated," said Lehanneur, "Like the missing link between mobility and immobility, between travel and refuge."
Domestic materials are used in the interior, such as in the bright yellow velvet of the dashboard
He said he thinks of the Suite No.4 as more a work of architecture than an automobile, and one that embodies the concept of &quo...