Between the 1990s and 2010s, Peugeot built a number of luxury-focused, limited edition superminis inspired by the Roland Garros French Open tennis tournament. But Renault is the event’s automotive partner these days and this year it’s used the connection to whip up the first limited edition 5 E-Tech. The Renault 5 E-Tech Roland Garros goes on display at the 2024 French Open that takes place in May and June at the Stade de Roland Garros in Paris. Garros, by the way, wasn’t a legendary French tennis player, but a famous aviator who was shot down by the Germans in WWI and later had the stadium named in his honor.
The special run of 5s comes in a choice of
Pearl White, Midnight Blue, Starry Black and one extra color exclusive to the
series, Matt Slate Gray. Each of those paint schemes is set against a
textile-finished grained roof in Satin Black that’s edged with chrome
satin-finish trim, and the cars roll on 18-inch Ecrou diamond-cut black alloy
wheels with Matt Slate Gray center caps. There are Roland Garros logos on the
lower sections of the front doors set into a cross-hatch pattern which looks
like it’s meant to represent the strings of a tennis racket but is apparently a
reference to the Cross of Saint Andrew and inspired by the architecture of the
stadium.
More Roland Garros logos feature inside,
including on seats upholstered in a recycled textile weave Renault says was
inspired by technical fabrics used in sportswear, and on the end of the e-pop
gear selector whose lever is fashioned to look like the grip of a tennis
racket. Backlighting on the dashboard spells out the name ‘Roland Garros
Paris,’ and in a clever nod to the French Open’s clay court surface, the
carpets and console phone charger are finished on an orange-red color.
The 5 Roland Garros will be on display at
the tournament alongside various other E-Tech 5s. And they won’t be the only
Renaults on site. The automaker is providing 180 hybrid and electric cars and
SUVs to organizers for use during the event and is even offering shuttle rides
in four classic 5s from the 1970s, each retrofitted to run on electric power.