Renault: R4 as the vertical Air4 🎥
QUADROCOPTER The Renault 4 has crossed deserts, climbed mountains and at the same time made classless mobility possible for the bourgeoisie and hippies. Now, on its 60th birthday, the cult car is also taking to the skies.
Renault's quadrocopter can climb to an altitude of 700 meters after all.
With the Air4, Renault and The Arsenale design center have created a spectacular show car that relies on four twin propellers instead of tires. Like a quadrocopter, the Air4 leaves the road for the sky with electric power.
Arnaud Belloni, Global Marketing Director at Renault: "To close the anniversary year, we wanted to create something unconventional to properly celebrate the 60th birthday of the R4."
Body stiffness is a prerequisite
The reinterpretation of the Renault 4 leaves the classic car design behind. Nevertheless, the model retains the car's characteristic lines and proportions. Maximum body rigidity was the prerequisite for withstanding thrust and climbing forces.
Drawing on generative design techniques and artificial intelligence, the developers needed several terabytes of data for simulations to refine the concept.
Cabin with typical four double propeller on the vehicle corners
The four twin propellers at the vehicle corners enclose the centrally positioned cabin with the typical R4 silhouette. For propulsion, the Air4 relies on lithium polymer batteries. It achieves a top horizontal speed of 26 meters per second at an inclination of 45 degrees during flight. This corresponds to just under 94 km/h. The take-off speed is limited to 4 m/s for safety reasons.
