Renault Must Build this Open-Top 4 Beach Car Immediately

In the ’60s and ’70s, there was a niche but hugely fun sub-genre of cars around that could best be described as ‘beach cars’. Think things like the Mini Moke, the Citroen Mehari – simple underpinnings, minimal bodywork, perfect for puttering around chic seaside towns from Biarritz to Byron Bay to, erm, Bridlington. Renault was in on the act too, offering seaside-friendly versions of the original 4 including the Plein Air and JP4.

Now, with a reimagined, all-electric Renault 4 in town, the company has revisited the idea – but only as a concept for now. It’s called the Renault 4 JP4x4  (that’s a lot of fours), and revives the spirit of those original beachfront 4s in brilliant fashion.

It’s based on last year’s 4 Savane concept, which saw ground clearance upped by 15mm and a small second electric motor added to the rear axle for full-time all-wheel drive. That car is rumoured for production, but the JP4x4 feels like it has less of a shout of reaching showrooms.

It loses the regular 4’s greenhouse for an open-roof arrangement, albeit one that incorporates proper rollover protection and an X-frame arrangement for stiffness. It’s now a two-door rather than a four, and said doors are little more than flaps designed to stop occupants falling out on corners. Oh, and Renault's whacked a surfboard on top, because of course it has. The whole thing’s finished off in a new shade, Emerald Green, that nods to a colour available on the original 4.

Inside, the back seats are gone, and the fronts are a new bucket design trimmed in a mixture of mesh and crepe fabric. Several other bits of the interior get a new textile covering, too.

Frankly, with so few new cars in existence for the sole purpose of having fun, we really hope Renault finds a way to offer a limited run of JP4x4s. The company’s already shown its willingness to give niche products like the 5 Turbo 3E the green light, so maybe there’s a chance that in a couple of years, you might spot one of these on your holiday to the Med, silently whizzing around some people who are inevitably far more glamorous than you.

Until then, the JP4X4 concept is making its public debut later this week at the Roland-Garros French Open tennis tournament, which seems a bit weird until you learn that Renault is a major sponsor and is also launching a Roland-Garros Edition of the regular 4 there.