Engin Principal de Combat,the "avant-garde" Leclerc.

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The failure in the early 1980s of a joint German-French program to develop a new MBT led French engineers to draw up several concepts for the future Leclerc.
Here are a few of the designs.
The emphasis is on low visibility and compact size.

The TC2 concept is the closest to the Leclerc we know, although it features a "split" turret.

The TC3 concept remains very classic.

The AS12 concept is the most low-profile of them all, relying on a cassette-type automatic loading system (where ammunition is usually stored at the rear of the turret and conveyed by a mechanical system) that is fairly visible and located on the outside of the armored vehicle.

The AS22 uses the same principle, but divides the ammunition into two separate blocks located at the rear of the vehicle, for automatic reloading underneath the armor and therefore less exposed to enemy fire.

The AS31 is more mysterious, and would seem to bet on an automatic recharging system located inside the vehicle, rather than outside.