Renault Twingo

NEW CAR ROAD TEST
RENAULT TWINGO RENAULTSPORT 133
TWINGO WINGS
By Andy Enright
When the cutesy Renault Twingo first appeared, few thought it could be morphed into something quite as lairy as the Renaultsport Twingo 133. With a perky engine, beefed up suspension and a whole heap of attitude, this hot Twingo shows that Renault hasn't forgotten its younger customers.

We thought the Twingo's sporty seam had been mined with the 100bhp Twingo GT, but the Renaultsport model is the real deal. As its name suggests, it packs a 133bhp punch which is quite a hit in a car this small. The engine, a 1.6-litre unit, delivers its peak power at 6,750rpm, so you'll need to be quite aggressive with the throttle if you want to extract optimum performance. You'll be rewarded with a decidedly rude exhaust note from the four-into-one system and a deep-chested timbre from the induction system up front. This is not your average warmed over shopping trolley.
Many manufacturers juice the engine up, add a few sports trimmings inside and leave it at that. Renault distinguishes itself by sweating the details. That's why this Twingo Renaulsport 133 features bigger brake discs and callipers, and a track width that has been increased by 60mm at the front and 59mm at the back over the Twingo GT. There's even an optional Cup chassis available with even more focused springs and dampers, bigger alloy wheels and a lowered ride height. This is designed largely for track use although it's easy to imagine this Twingo getting rather dwarfed by the wide open expanses of many circuits. Coming to a go kart track near you maybe.

When the concept of a Renaultsport version of the Twingo was first mooted, I groaned inwardly, thinking the end result would sully the Renaultsport badge and look a bit, well, dorky. The results are anything but and the Twingo actually looks more aggressive than the Clio and the Megane. It's said that little dogs are more likely to bite and this Twingo isn't shy of baring its teeth. The exterior highlights would take some time to cover in detail but include 16-inch alloy wheels, a wide air intake in the front bumper, side sills, front and rear wings, a chrome tail pipe, dark grey detailing for many body parts and the no-cost option of Renaultsport chequered flag details. Twee it is most certainly not.

The car's interior gets the treatment as well. Sports seats, a perforated leather-trimmed steering wheels and a rev counter located in the straight ahead position are all integral to the experience. Some of the boy-racer accoutrements are a little OTT but the Twingo Renaultsport is too likeable to get sniffy about. How many other cars combine a rev counter with a number font that gets bigger as you approach 7,000rpm, Blood Orange seat belts, a stitched marker on the steering wheel to indicate the straight ahead position and gearshift up warning lights?
What Renaultsport has done with this car is just turn the volume up to 11 on all the controls. It's brash, it's overdone almost to the point of self parody, but above all else the Twingo Renaultsport 133 is a car that puts a smile on your face. That's a criterion forgotten by so many manufacturers and a key reason why Renault remains the best in the business when it comes to hot hatches.

FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Twingo Renaultsport 133
PRICE: £12,995 [est] - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 12 [est]
CO2 EMISSIONS: 160g/km [est]
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 124mph / 0-60mph 7.8s [est]
FUEL CONSUMPTION (combined) 42mpg [est]
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: ABS with EBD, Driver and passenger airbags, front lateral airbags.
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/heightmm 3601/1640/1472
WHO TO SEE:
April 16th 2008