The news that car manufacturers are interested in taking their products to the skies is constantly being worked on by Hyundai Uber in the development of an S-A1 air taxi already planned for 2023, in which Boeing or Bell are also involved. The same goes for the Mercedes-funded Volocopter project, a giant drone behind Geely; or the Porsche VTOL, which aims to fly a luxury taxi with Boeing partners. Toyota wanted to see its SkyDrive model fly to the Tokyo Olympics. It could be one of the smallest quadcopters in the world and will be launched in 2023.

Also, there are brands like Aston Martin and Rolls Royce on their list of those who have their own drone flying project and now on the list that Renault is making. He is working with Air4, thanks to his Arsenale design work, as part of a marketing project that celebrates the 60th anniversary of Renault 4.

The result is a half-drone and half-car, which aims to pave the way for future mobility. Made of carbon fiber, it has the same lines as the original 4L, but with new dynamic capabilities.

The four two-bladed propellers, on each corner of this large drone and each with a thrust capacity of 95 pounds, allow the Air4 to lift and move in the air, whose passenger cabin opens by lifting the Renault 4 housing with the hinges located in the front area. They are powered by Air4’s lithium batteries.

Its maximum speed is 94 km / h and it can fly at 700 m, with a take-off speed of 50 km / h, although it is 14 km / h for safety reasons. Landing takes place at 11 km / h.
This vehicle is the first product of The Arsenale’s Road To Air division, which predicts that the future transport network will be in the sky. AIR4 is the brainchild of Patrice Meignan, CEO and founder of TheArsenale.

The legendary Renault 4 flies

2021 marks the sixth anniversary of the launch of the legendary Renault 4L, known in Spain as 4 Lata. Over the course of this year, the French company has launched a number of initiatives to celebrate such an important anniversary. Beyond commemorative events or events, the brand has introduced several show cars inspired by this iconic model, of which more than eight million copies were sold in 100 countries in its commercial life (1961-1992).

After showing Suite N ° 4 created by designer Mathieu Lehanneur, Air4 has now shown an amazing look. Both copies, along with other historical versions of the model, can be seen in the brand's Atelier on the Champs Elysees in Paris. In early 2022, Air4 will travel to the United States (Miami and New York) and then to China (Macao).

This prototype, developed by The Arsenale, is a unique futuristic reinterpretation of the vehicle, as it no longer needs wheels to move. Thus, the French manufacturer is in line with the trend of adapting flying cars to decongest land roads. As I said, it’s a concept car, so it won’t be mass-produced. In any case, it can lay the foundations for the next creation. And more and more, car companies are announcing their intention to develop copies to cross the sky. This is the case with Audi, Hyundai or Rolls Royce.

At first glance, it looks like a giant drone, crowned by the unmistakable cabins of the R4. To reduce the weight of the lift, the chassis is made of carbon fiber, a lightweight material with a high resistance to torsion. Design techniques and artificial intelligence technology allowed engineers to perform virtual tests of the vehicle before building and testing the actual prototype.