The original Mini, Fiat Panda and VW Beetle all started life as utilitarian transport for the masses, and quickly became cultural icons, inseparably linked to the celebrities, artists, and rockstars of their respective heydays. Now, it seems that the Renault Twingo is set to join the city car hall of fame as it turns 30 this year. To celebrate, the French marque have teamed up with designer and contemporary artist Sabine Marcelis to give the original 1993 Twingo a new lease of life. 

Known for her work with pure, elegant forms, her particular affinity with light, and her use of advanced materials, the Dutch designer wanted to emphasise the Twingo’s core characteristics, namely its iconic single-volume silhouette, its characteristic headlights, its light and spacious modular interior.

The result is a car that looks like it could have been built by Apple at the turn of the millennium, with definite shades of the iMac G3 and original iPod in the use of translucent plastic on the exterior and the contrasting vibrant interior. A clear highlight (excuse the pun) has to be that transparent orange steering wheel, which makes a great sequel to the marble mobius strip steering wheel used in the Renault 5 Diamant we showed you last year. Other awesome details include the illuminated doorhandles and air vents and white leather-bound wheels which, although stylish, probably sacrifice some of the Twingo’s zippy handling. 

"The collaboration with Renault began with an invitation to rethink Twingo as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations. It was a fantastic opportunity, and a new field of exploration for me, as I'd never designed a car before. Working on such an iconic and popular car was a real challenge, especially given the scale of the project. It was an opportunity to create something truly innovative and memorable," Sabine reflects on the project. As far as first attempts go, then, this is an easy win in our books. Now we’re wondering: which other cars should get the transparent treatment?