Tuesday 11th Sept 2007 – In the midst of its largest-ever product offensive, Renault will take this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show by storm by taking the covers off of an unprecedented six new production cars and two concepts, as well as a whole host of new technical and engineering innovations.

Designed to be Renault’s vision of a top-of-the-range grand tourer coupe, the Laguna Coupe Concept is intended for the discerning motorist who appreciates performance, driving pleasure and refinement, while marrying high-tech innovation with the essence of cool. Underpinned by the four-wheel-steer Active Drive chassis, its boasts a brand new V6 dCi engine developed as part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance.

Built on the same platform as New Laguna, Laguna Coupe Concept is a powerful, elegant affirmation of the long tradition of classic coupes. Rooted in its grand tourer heritage, Laguna Coupe Concept embodies Renault’s vision of the sports Coupe.

The look and lines of Laguna Coupe Concept share a common bond with the Fluence concept car (2004). It measures 4.685m in length and is distinguished by its flowing, thoroughbred profile, emphasised by a long nose and very short rear overhang. Its aerodynamic crease lines rise from below the grille then powerfully up on to the car’s flanks, elegantly underlining the wings. The lines sweep on to the rear of the car, where they come together over the boot, underscoring the muscularity of its haunches. The glazed area is highlighted by the pure arc of its rim.

Laguna Coupe Concept’s interior is exactly how the cabin of a high-end Coupe should be. The dash draws on the principal stylistic features of New Laguna, albeit in a more exclusive manner. With its soft, pure lines, it appears weightless and airy. The wave-shape of the central strip is the guiding theme, while two side vents close off a long air-conditioning strip that runs the entire width of the windscreen.

The interior exudes sophistication. A large screen in the centre of the dashboard stretches out towards the lateral vents, which are styled to resemble jet plane nozzles. Apart from journey information displays (navigation, radio, music players, video, and Bluetooth phone kit), the screen also displays ambient images inspired by the science of light therapy. The air-conditioning controls are located in the centre of the dashboard, in an easily identifiable dedicated section framed by vents. Designed for intuitive ease of use and reach, they are set like crystal gems in a chrome display case.

In a nod to the design cues of high-end sports coupes, the spokes of the steering wheel splay out like flower petals, guiding the driver’s gaze to the binnacles on the dashboard. The delicate steering column runs into a heavy aluminium shell that houses controls which resemble high-precision micrometers.

Instrumentation is made up of two analogue and digital binnacles in the driver’s line of sight, the fruit of high-precision technology and mechanics comparable to that used in quality clockmaking. The binnacles are capped by a translucent cowling that lets the light pass through it and contributes to the way in which the binnacles juxtaposition depth and texture. With their matt-finish aluminium surrounds, they have been designed like headlamps.

Driver and passenger can nestle comfortably into the roomy asymmetrical front seats, whose airy architecture provides firm, balanced support. The seats are at one with the chassis and wrap snuggly around their occupants. Their backrests, whose colour echoes the Aluminium White of the car’s bodywork, swivel to afford easy access to the back seats, with the front seat cushion sliding automatically forward. The two rear seats are also asymmetrical and separate, but the hugging sweep of the car’s waistline gathers them into its U-shape, creating a sense of security. Between the two seats is a ski flap. Both rear passengers can sit back and watch what’s showing on the Samsung multimedia players housed in the back of the front seats. The long central tunnel, which houses the slim-style gear lever, the Start/Stop button, and the backlit navigation controls, acts as a link joining the front and rear of the cabin.

A Coupe of this class just had to have a powerful, responsive engine to match its elegance and passionate feel. Renault has therefore chosen Laguna Coupe Concept to premiere its brand-new V6 dCi. The result of close collaboration with Nissan as part of the Alliance, this new 2,993cc V6 dCi delivers a peak output of 265hp and maximum torque of 550Nm. Good for 0-62mph in only seven seconds, the engine responds immediately to the open throttle. It drives through a six-speed automatic transmission, offering outstanding driving pleasure, well-controlled fuel-consumption, and CO2 emissions of less than 200 grams per kilometre.

Developed from the same platform as New Laguna, Laguna Coupe Concept is the first car to feature the new four-wheel-steer Active Drive chassis. This high-tech underpinning, developed by expert engineers at Renault Sport Technologies, guarantees the ultimate in sheer sporting sensation and dynamic driving pleasure. It allies agility with stability to set new standards in safe handling. At low speeds the chassis offers greater manoeuvrability, while its road-holding is so true that it sticks to the road as surely as a train on rails. The car guarantees high-quality ride comfort and peace of mind for occupants, who can feel the benefit of unparalleled standards of active safety.

Story by Renault, edited by Supercars.net