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Laguna Coupe shown at Monaco GP

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Renault chose the most glamorous weekend of the European social calendar to showcase its new Laguna Coupe, making guest appearances at both Cannes and Monte Carlo.

With the international film festival at Cannes and Monaco Grand Prix falling on the same weekend, Renault could not pass up this gifted calendar opportunity to showcase the vehicle they hope will help them enter the premium market.

Arresting looks

When the original Laguna Coupe concept was shown at the Frankfurt motor show last year it drew adulation from all for its daring design and fluidity of design.

Those who saw the latest rendition of the car this weekend in Cannes, or motoring around the Monaco Grand Prix, will appreciate just how much of the original concept's design appeal still remains.

Despite a more production friendly front end treatment, with less flush lighting clusters and a larger grille, the overall design is still flowing and neatly proportioned.

The rear styling especially, with its very short overhand, is purposely powerful and rounded off with a deft LED embedded light arrangement.

Sophisticated engineering

Beneath the contemporary styling is a sophisticated chassis set-up carried over from the four-wheel steering enabled Laguna GT performance sedan.

At low speeds the active chassis system enables formidable manoeuvrability and seamless parking ability. This is contrasted with a reduced steering effort necessary at high speeds during dynamic driving thanks to the four-wheel steering system.

Befitting of a two-door coupe the Laguna is powered by performance orientated engines. The brand new turbodiesel 3-litre V6 unit produces 173kW and 450Nm of torque to ensure a sub seven second 0-100km/h sprint time.

For those predisposed to petrol power there is a 3.5-litre V6 producing 175kW and 330Nm. Both the petrol and diesel engines are designs from the joint Renault/Nissan engineering alliance and feature a six-speed automatic transmission.

  • A comprehensively detailed - and probably production ready - version of the Laguna Coupe will be on display at the Paris motor show in October.

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