A new type of car door? – the dragonfly wing

The common car door has seen many designs in the century-long history of the automobile, with distinctive looks such as the gullwing, scissor, suicide and butterfly each conjuring a landmark car. Now Renault has a new variation and perhaps a new landmark car - its Mégane Coupé Concept showcar released in Geneva last night, has twin, two-part “dragonfly wing” doors. The quite beautiful design will form the basis of an upcoming model.

The car sports a wide array of technological features, including mobile-phone operated ignition and door locks, plus four-zone climate control, touch-screen multi-media players and ‘stop and start’ system.

The dragonfly wing doors open to reveal futuristic, sleek and stylish interior with four independent seats, Fire Red lacquer seat structures and black leather/nubuck upholstery

Like its larger sister, Laguna Coupé Concept, which wowed the crowds in Frankfurt last September, it points to an evolution of more fluid, sportier styling from Renault.

Mégane Coupé Concept's generous bumper, wide, low grille and alveolar air-intake point to the presence of a high-performance powerplant under the bonnet. Indeed, Mégane Coupé Concept is powered by a 200hp, two-litre turbocharged petrol engine which delivers maximum torque of 280Nm at 2,600rpm and peak power of 200hp at 5,800rpm, to ensure response and flexibility at all engine speeds for everyday motoring pleasure.

Mated to a manual six-speed gearbox, the 2.0 Turbo unit accelerates Mégane Coupé Concept from zero to 62 mph in just 7.2 seconds, yet it returns economical fuel consumption of just 6.5 litres/100km (154g of CO2/km). In order to exploit this engine to the full, Mégane Coupé Concept features a sport chassis, plus suspension and steering engineered to guarantee precise, responsive handling.

This promise is pronounced by its 21-inch aluminum alloy, seven-spoke, satin-finish Dragon Grey wheels equipped with Michelin Pilot Sport tyres (245/35) which provide outstanding grip for even greater driving pleasure. Mégane Coupé Concept is a compact, stylish, dynamic coupé which delivers undeniable driving pleasure, while its sporty calling is also expressed by its modern, elegant cabin.

The latest concept previews a future compact production coupé and Renault’s more fluid, sportier styling, following widespread acclaim for the stunning Laguna Coupé Concept at last year’s Frankfurt motor show,

The sleek and aggressive-looking Mégane Coupé Concept targets drivers who are not only drawn by the notion of driving pleasure but who also seek to express their personality through their car. Mégane Coupé Concept symbolises Renault's vision of what a genuine compact sports coupé should deliver, namely character and dynamism, two traits epitomised by the opening and closing movement of its spectacular doors.

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