Mathieu Lehanneur’s new Renault concept car is ‘mobile hotel room’
Mathieu Lehanneur has collaborated on a new Renault concept car, Suite N°4 – a radical reinterpretation of the classic Renault 4L that is a modernist room on wheels

The ‘room on wheels’ is a popular conceptual trope in automotive design, spurred on by the promise of autonomous driving and the sad recognition that we spend way too much time in our cars. Renault has approached the idea of cars as architecture from a slightly different tack, teaming up with French designer Mathieu Lehanneur to create new Renault concept car Suite N°4, a radical reinterpretation of one of the brand’s most iconic designs of all time, the Renault 4L.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the original Renault 4L, eight million of which were sold between 1961 and 1994. Known as the ‘Quatrelle’, it was Renault’s people’s car, one of the first ever hatchback designs, with a boxy, spacious interior and simple, low-maintenance mechanicals.
Renault concept car Suite N°4 reimagines an icon
Lehanneur has taken this functional shape and transformed it into a ‘mobile hotel room’. Based on an original 4L, Suite N°4 has been converted into an EV, with half the bodywork stripped back and replaced by polycarbonate windows, preserving the 4L’s silhouette and creating a light and airy interior.
Yellow velvet fabric covers the seats and dashboard, with a thick, ribbed chenille fabric in the rear, along with cushions and bolsters to create a space in which to lounge. There’s also a bench table that slides out from beneath the tailgate to provide a covered seating area. All this is juxtaposed with matte, cement-inspired paintwork, transforming the little car into a mobile but modest modernist structure. The polished aluminium grille is a nod to Lehanneur’s sculptural pieces.
‘I wanted to merge the worlds of cars and architecture to create an open-air hotel room,’ says Lehanneur. ‘Even better than the finest palatial suite, the car is exactly where you want it to be, whether that’s by the sea, in the middle of a field or driving around the city you’ve always dreamed of.’ The multidisciplinary designer has worked on everything from boats to chairs, technology, art, branding and interiors.
The Suite N°4 effectively blends everything together into a total work of art, one that speaks directly to the modern obsession with off-grid and extraordinary escapes, wild camping, and van life romanticism. Lehanneur’s Renault concept car design also has strong overtones of the fictional Altra camping car in Jacques Tati’s celebrated 1971 comedy Trafic. For the film, a Renault 4L was outfitted with a number of outlandish gadgets that turned it into a compact home from home.
The original Renault 4L, launched in 1961
Renault’s design chief Gilles Vidal is currently doubling down on the brand’s history, emphasising qualities that will help carry Renault’s electrification plans to fruition. Forthcoming EVs will be underpinned by the revival of a familiar nameplate, strongly implying that the French company will have a much-needed focus on smaller, more city-friendly vehicles. First up is the Renault 5 Electric, a modern interpretation of the company’s classic supermini, which debuted in 1972 and was built in two generations until 1996. That’s set to hit the streets in 2024, with a bold concept preview currently doing the rounds (and seen in our round-up of outstanding concept cars).
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
The Suite N°4 concept, which was recently revealed at Christie’s in Paris and will be on show at Maison & Objet in January 2022, might not end up in the showrooms, but it’s a playful and coherent design vision that deserves a closer look.
The original 1972 Renault 5 alongside this year’s Renault 5 Prototype Concept
INFORMATION
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
Puiforcat brings something new to the table with a wooden cutlery set
Jasper Morrison's collection for Puiforcat features cherry wood cutlery finished with fuki-urushi lacquering, a first foray into wood for the silverware company
-
A clifftop Rethymno house tells a story, framing views as far as the Libyan Sea
This house in Rethymno on the Greek island of Crete, designed by architects Gkotsis Serafimidou, is rich in local and natural materials – an oasis at which to disconnect
-
Waldorf Astoria Maldives rolls out a rare Ferrari joyride for guests
Waldorf Astoria Maldives, in partnership with Hedley Studios, allows guests to test-drive a scaled-down, all-electric version of Ferrari’s 250 Testa Rossa
-
A mighty concept coupé from Mercedes-AMG rewrites the electric performance car rulebook
The Mercedes-AMG Concept AMG GT XX is a four-door coupé that explores new approaches to battery tech, brake cooling and aerodynamics. As a sign of things to come, it can’t be ignored
-
Waymo brings more self-driving cars to California – with sights set on New York
If you live on the eastside of LA, you can now catch a Waymo to work
-
Slate is an ultra-simple EV truck intended as an affordable and customisable workhorse
Slate designer Tisha Johnson discusses her role at the US electric truck start-up, a company that wants its customers to have complete freedom of expression
-
We drive the World and UK Car of the Year, the all-electric Kia EV3
The new Kia EV3 is an EV for the masses that doesn’t skimp on design detail, features and overall functional elegance
-
The Peugeot E-5008 is an adept but ostentatious take on the all-electric SUV
Peugeot has swapped its seductive design language for something shoutier and less discrete as it attempts to conquer the electric SUV segment with the new E-5008
-
The Micra (finally) goes electric as Nissan ramps up its range of EVs
The compact Nissan Micra was once a global bestseller. After getting an early head start on electric mobility, the Japanese giant is looking to a new version of its small car to recharge its status
-
Mika Cars wants to build the Mino, a sporty, ultra-compact electric two-seater for the open road
An evolution of Mika’s Meon electric beach buggy, the little Mino is an ultra-light EV with big-car aspirations
-
Our pick of the reveals at the 2025 New York Auto Show, from concept SUVs to new EVs
Interest in overseas brands remained strong at this year’s NY Auto Show despite the threat of tariffs designed to boost American-owned brands