The Renault 25 is an executive car produced by the French automaker Renault from 1983 to 1992. The 25 was Renault's flagship, the most expensive, prestigious, and the largest vehicle in the company's line up. It placed second in the 1985 European Car of the Year rankings. In total, 780,976 units were built from 1983 until 1992. All 25s were built in Sandouville, near Le Havre, France. Introduction Introduced at the end of 1983 for a March 1984 start of sales, the Renault 25 was a large step forward in nearly every aspect from the Renault 20 / Renault 30 range it was replacing. Its five-door liftback body was penned by designers Gaston Juchet and Robert Opron of Citroën SM fame, and the unconventional style (the wraparound rear window - one of Opron's signature design features was used on many of his earlier designs such as the SM, the Renault Fuego and Renault 11) was aimed at giving the car a notchback look in order to overcome customer preference outside France for formal sedans in the segment. The 25 was one of the first cars designed from the start for aerodynamic efficiency giving a drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.31, a key factor in improving fuel economy. The TS model briefly held the unofficial title of "world's most aerodynamic mass production car" with a Cd of 0.28, and at its launch, the 25 was easily the best in its class for fuel economy. All Renault 25 models were front-wheel drive, with four-cylinder (2 and 2.2 L petrol injection or 2.1 L diesel) and six-cylinder (2849 cc and 2458 cc turbo injection) engines mounted longitudinally forward of the front axle. The 25's performance was above average for its class, at least in the V6 Turbo specification. A turbodiesel version of the J8S engine was also available. The 25 was praised for its ride comfort and spirited handling (despite slight understeer, and torque steer on V6 Turbo models). A newly designed manual transmission drew unanimous praise for its precision and smoothness (although the detent spring on fifth gear could cause misselection of third gear). The futuristic interior was executed by Italian designer Marcello Gandini (of Lamborghini fame) and was somewhat controversial, but the 25's passenger compartment was considered quiet, spacious, and well lit. Equipment levels were high and set new standards for French cars, the 25 including among other features, an express up