A very original sculpture from Renault. It is wonderfully bulbous, yet a balanced shape of convex and concave surfaces. The design blurs the distinction between sheet metal and grille, with the cheese grater-like piercings above the headlights and in the chrome side inlet.

The stance is lithe, agile, and predatory but not domineering. The chrome side strip is clearly a play on the Audi R8 ‘blade’, but rendered in a fresh and original manner. I’m especially impressed by the bone pushing out from the hollow in the bodyside. And it all finishes with an impressive flourish, in the dark and ominous chasm between the tail lights and the underbody.

It’s been a long time since an exotic car concept has arrived with an aesthetic this fresh, complete and compelling. I’ve no doubt the DeZir (pronounced ‘desire’), will be a major star of the 2010 Paris Auto Show, where it is to debut.