Much like designing an aircraft cabin for a national flag carrier airline, designing a vehicle interior for a national leader has particular requirements. Renault has designed special cars for the French Presidency since 1920, with the latest model being the Presidential Rafale, which serves as an office on wheels, tailored to the needs of president Macron, with comfort, connectivity and privacy. And a few special touches by French artisans…
The bodywork is finished in the exclusive shade of Bleu Présidence, incorporating a technology that limits heat absorption to 10°C, increasing climate comfort inside the vehicle. The paintwork also features a blue, white and red glitter effect, which is visible in the sunshineThe Presidential Rafale has several distinctive but discreet features, such as a grille in the colours of the French flag, removable flag holders, and blue, white and red badges on the front doorsThe contrasting stitching features threads in the Tricolore coloursThere is no mistaking the nation this car representsThe blue top-stitching on the seats was carefully selected to match the French Republic’s official colour chartThe headrests feature a finely worked laser engraving of the French coat of arms: a pelta with a lictor’s fasces and oak and olive branchesThis tricolore tab is similar to one found on Air France business-class seatsAlcantara features heavily in the Presidential Rafale cabinEven the seatbelt has been customised to reflect the important role of this carThe Alcantara is paired with leather sourced from selected off-cuts and reworked in specific coloursThe designers opted for a black marble with white veins to add an elegant mineral finish around the rear centre console. From the selection of the marble blocks quarried in the Pyrenees, to their integration, the entire process was overseen by Mineral Expertise, a Franco-Italian company and stonework specialist that adapted this premium material to meet the technical constraints of the automotive industryFrench marble was also applied on the dashboard… and on the central branch of the steering wheel of the Presidential Renault RafaleThe trim for the rear control panels is dark beech wood with a marquetry finish, a hand-crafted finish with natural warmth to balance the marble. Illustrating the excellence of French craftsmanship, this bespoke trim is a perfect fit with the aesthetic and functional requirements of the presidential cabin. The trim has been created by Ludovic Avenel, a graduate of the École Boulle school of fine arts who is trained in cabinet-making, product design and interior architecture
