The "all-show, no-go" Gordini nameplate adds a Malta Blue metallic finish with twin white racing stripes and unique 17-inch alloy wheels. Furthermore, the front and rear bumpers are enhanced by gloss black centre sections, while the fog light surrounds, door mirrors housing and rear spoiler are all highlighted in a contrasting white finish.
Renault says that the novel roof system ensures that the Wind's boot space remains the same at 270 liters regardless of whether the roof is up or down. A boot cover protects the roof from dust and water when in the open position.
At launch, the pint-sized French roadster will be offered with a choice of two gasoline engines, the Twingo GT's 1.2-liter TCe turbo producing 100 horsepower and the Twingo RS's 1.6-liter unit delivering 133 horsepower.
Known as the Twingo CC from the spy shots over the past couple of years, the Wind will go up against the likes of the Peugeot 207CC and Opel Tigra in Europe when sales start later in the year.
The strictly two-seater model shares its platform and mechanical hardware with the Twingo, though at 3.830mm long, it's 230mm longer than the hatchback.
Despite the fact that Renault pitches the car as a coupe-roadster, unlike other CC models with retractable hardtops, the Wind uses an electric roof that rotates 180 degrees into the trunk.
If true, we expect to see Renault releasing teaser images of the so-called Twingo CC within the next couple of weeks.
As you can see in our updated spy gallery after the jump, the small French sports car that's based on the same underpinnings as the Twingo is still under heavy camouflage.
However, a pair of leaked photos from diecast model manufacturer Norev, gave us our fist look at the convertible model last week.
Unfortunately though, Norev kindly asked us if we could (and did) remove the photos that had been circulating on the net as the maker told us that the model was an early prototype that had been stolen from the French firm's factory. Still, the pictures are available on numerous sites around the web for those that missed out...
From what we know up until now, the small sports car will be a standalone model in Renault's vehicle range and it will be equipped with a unique rotating central-piece rooftop that will stow away inside the boot.
Being based on the Twingo, the sporty convertible will keep the small hatchback's front-wheel drive layout and most likely, its range of four-cylinder gasoline engines that include a 1.2-liter turbo with 100HP and a naturally aspirated 1.6-liter unit with 133HP.
Mind you that this is not the first time we've seen future production models previewed through a diecast - the same thing happened with the Citroen C4 Picasso back in 2006 and more recently with the latest-generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class Estate last summer.
Meaning, it's not out of the ordinary for automakers to share their designs with scale model makers. Only thing is that the diecasts shouldn't be shown before the actual product...
Now, back to the Renault Twingo CC, the styling of the scale model seems pretty much consistent with what we've seen in the spy photos up until now- see below.
Based on the popular Twingo hatchback, the two-seater CC is said to feature a rotating central-piece rooftop that stows away inside the boot.
It will keep the hatchback model's front-wheel drive as well as the range of small-displacement petrol engines that include a 1.2-liter turbo and a naturally aspirated 1.6-liter unit.
Even though most anticipated that Renault's small cabrio would be unwrapped at last year's Frankfurt Show, obviously that didn't happen. Chances are that we'll see the car making its debut either at the Geneva Salon in March or at the Paris Show in autumn.
Via: Blogautomobile
Two new entry level rally cars based on the Twingo RS are joining Renault's range of competition cars that also includes the Clio Renaultsport R3 Access and Maxi. Aimed at budget conscious buyers, the Twingo R1 and R2 come in the form of a motorsport kit featuring all the required parts aside from tires. Renault said that customers who buy the kit will be able to purchase a Twingo Renaultsport 133 at a special price.First up is the Twingo RenaultSport R1, which can participate in all regional, national and international rallies. In essence, the R1 is a production car fitted with some essential safety equipment such as a welded roll cage.
The R1's 133HP 1.6-liter engine and gearbox are identical to the production model though Renault said that an ECU setting giving torque at lower engine speeds will be homologated to improve mid-range performance.
Along with the safety equipment, the Twingo RenaultSport R2 package adds an array of performance upgrades including a more powerful 1.6-liter unit with 160HP at 7,200 rpm and a peak torque of 160Nm at 5,500rpm. The four-cylinder unit is coupled to a five-speed 'dog' sequential gearbox and steering column mounted shift lever while there's also a ZF limited slip differential.
In addition, the Twingo Renaultsport R2 is fitted with bump- and rebound-adjustable shock absorbers, motorsport brake pads and one-piece aluminium wheel rims that are available in 6.5x16" (tarmac) and 6x15" (gravel) sizes and can be fitted with 195/50 R 16 (tarmac) or 195/65 R 15 (gravel) tires.
Inside, the R2 features the same dashboard and central console as on the road car, but comes with two Sabelt Renaultsport seats and harnesses as well as an LED instrumental panel that displays all the necessary information.
Renault said that both kits go on sale in early April, 2010, with the R2 package (not including the price of the car) starting at €27,990 without tax. The French automaker did not release pricing for the basic R1 kit.
Boasting one of the longest names in the auto biz, the Renault Twingo Gordini RenaultSport marks the revival of the Gordini badge that will soon find its place on all RenaultSport products. Despite the sporty heritage of Gordini, these models will not carry any engine or chassis upgrades with improvements limited to the cars' styling. Now, what's the French word for 'lame'?The first Gordini product is based on the Renault's pocket-rocket, the Twingo RenaultSport 133 that's powered by a 1.6-liter four-pot with 133 horsepower.
On the outside, the upmarket Gordini is distinguished by the traditional blue metallic finish with two white racing stripes. A closer look reveals that the bumpers are enhanced by gloss black centre sections, while the fog lamp surrounds, exterior door mirror housings and rear tailgate spoiler are trimmed in a contrasting white finish.
A set of 17-inch alloy wheels with a polished face and a choice of the inner rim finished in either blue or black complete the exterior package.
Moving on into the cabin, Renault says that the sport seats are now trimmed in blue and black leather with the same colors making their appearance on the door panel inserts, leather steering wheel and instrument panel..
Furthermore, there's a blue gearlever gaiter and Gordini-badged gearlever knob and a leather trimmed dashboard cowl.
Along with the styling additions, the Renault Twingo Gordini RenaultSport gains extra standard equipment including automatic climate-control, automatic headlamp activation, automatic wiper activation, cruise control, fully disconnectable ESP and an upgraded MP3 audio system.
The first Gordini model will make its physical debut on January 10 at the Atelier Renault on the Champs-Elysées, with sales set to begin across Europe in March.
While not as insanely extreme as the Citroen 2CV - Ferrari F355 hybrid that we showed you back in May, this special creation from French custom car and motorcycle builder Lazareth is one helluva creation. Evidently inspired by the competition Renault Megane Trophy and the Clio V6 Renault Sport, the Twingo Trophy is one of those cars that you'd be tempted to take for a spin even though it doesn't make much sense.The French tuner took a base first-generation Twingo mini and turned it into a track-racer by throwing out the puny, front-mounted stock engine and installing a Range-Rover-sourced 3.5-liter V8 with 180 horsepower behind the front seats. Power is transferred to the rear wheels through a 5-speed manual gearbox.
Of course, transforming a city car into a mid-engined sports car isn't that simple as Lazareth had to modify the Twingo's chassis by adding a rear tubular subframe, replacing the suspension and brakes and widening the front and rear tracks just to mention a few of the changes. It also rides on 18-inch Toora alloy wheels wrapped in Yokohama slick tires size 230 up front and... 320 at the back.
Other highlights include the matte gray exterior paint finish and the 'sported-up' interior that boasts a pair of MOMO bucket seats, sport steering wheel and new digital gauges. And the price for all this? Well, according to Lazareth's site, the Twingo Trophy V8 could be yours for €70,000 or about $105,000 US. Who said that grown mens toys come cheap...
Thanks for the tip Timo! Via: Maxituning , Source: Lazareth
