Tuesday 28th May 2013

Renault Twin'Run

Up close and personal with an exclusive first-hand look at Renault's mad mid-engined Twingo

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Renault is preparing to build the most interesting city car we’ve seen in a long time, and certainly the most PH-worthy

Rear-engined, rear-drive Twingo inspires mischief

The new Twingo, due later next year, will be rear-engined, rear-driven and powered by a three-cylinder turbo engine designed in consultation with Ford, makers of the excellent 1.0-litre EcoBoost turbo.

That latter fact was confirmed to us a couple of weeks ago by Mercedes parent Daimler, who is partnering with Renault on the Twingo and creating two Smart versions of the same car.

The rear-engined, rear-drive layout has long been rumoured, but was officially announced to PistonHeads by designer Laurens van den Acker at the launch of the Twingo concept car last week in Monaco.

“The new rear-engined layout gave us opportunity to reinvent the small car,” he told us.

Renault is serious about the fun element of the production Twingo, and to prove it the Twin’Run was a fully functioning rally car built from a mid-engined Megane Trophy platform complete with that car’s 3.5-litre V6. Renault boss Carlos Tavares proved its mettle with three noisy laps of the Monaco GP track hotly pursued by famed French rally ace Jean Ragnotti in a Renault 5 Turbo.

Production car may differ from this concept...

We couldn’t get Tavares to say whether he’d actually build  a production mid-engined Twingo and pass on the mental mantle from the Clio V6, but he did say he could “imagine” an RS version.

As for how the new Twingo will look, Tavares said the production car will be “50 to 70 per cent” of the Twin’Run car. The weight saving glass hatch will remain, but probably not the bumper-mounted exhausts.

In the flesh the concept looked a squarer, beefier mutation of the Fiat 500 and Renault is very aware of the debt to the phenomenally successful Italian in this sector. “Frankly if the car has half the appeal of the 500 I’d be quite happy,” van den Acker told journalists. Such comparisons are inevitable in the job, he reckons: “The Dezir [sports concept] was an R8, the Clio was a Seat Ibizia. But once the cars are seen side by side they gain their own life.”

It could even be argued the Twingo is far more the spiritual successor of the original 500 because the engine is the right place…

Glass hatch nods to classic Renault 5 Turbo

Despite the Twingo’s upcoming switch from cheap utility to town toy, one difference will be a move from two doors to four (or five with the hatch). This is a first in the three generation of Twingos and won’t be welcomed by all, of course (shades of the new Clio Renaultsport).

If you’re not sold on it, there’s always the Renaultsport 133 version of the current Twingo, which is now as cheap as £4,495 for this Cup-specced 2008 car with 61,000 miles.

The UK never officially imported the strangely appealing original Twingo, but Francophiles with a yearning for the monobox Mk1 could plonk down £2,000 on this left-hand drive car. Market stall not included.

[Quhet]

Exciting!
Not a fan of those square spotlights or the wheels though

[Technomatt]

Come on Renault, give the buyers something decent to buy in the showroom rather than blowing loads of cash on these irrelevant concepts and stuff like the Twizy. Priorities.

[Blayney]

I have a Twingo 2 atm. RR layout is interesting. As is the triple. If they do one with 130bhp again it could be a giggle.

[405dogvan]

A rare spyshot from the garage where Postman Pat's van is serviced...

[paranoid airbag]

What are the square things? Other than that, stirling work, I'd definitely be interested

[the_hood]

paranoid airbag said:

What are the square things?

Parking sensors

[zerovira]

Where is the gear shifter?

Is it that ENORMOUS thing between the seats? strange

[TheRoadWarrior]

Perhaps I'm a little slow on the uptake today (Or not had enough coffee) but I'm left slightly confused...

So renault are building a new rear-engined, rwd twingo.. correct? What about a mid-engined one mentioned, is that something else?

This concept, other than the badge bears little relation to said twingo that will actually be built? Or 50-70% according to Tavares? Quite how that's possible I don't know, given one is a megane trophy racer in a frock and the other is a proposed production city-car?

PH said:

This is a first in the three generation of Twingos and won’t be welcomed by all, of course

Hows that? I know the clio got knocked for being 5 door only.. but it'd take a pretty jaded petrol head not to welcome a rear engined RWD turbo twingo with open arms.. even if it had 15 doors.

Also if it is rear engined.. how exactly will they package it with 5-doors? So you open the boot and there is the engine? Ok for keeping your baguette warm I guess. I love the boot on the old clio V6- comically small.

[Lewisp12]

I read sometime ago on Autocar magazine, news that Renault would be bringing back the Renault 5!

I haven't heard much of it since, other than this concept with the big number '5' on its side... Would I be correct in thinking that, erm... this is it? Or is it not at all linked?! Or have those plans been dropped? Or is there something else I'm missing?

[bagseye]

They HAVE to make a RS version of this. They would be utterly mad not to.

I don't see a V6 ever making production but a turbo 4. Thats what my current RS Twingo misses, the ease of tuning. I'd place an order today if they announced a Cup version.

[stephen300o]

I really like the square spot lights and wheel design, but not likely to make it to road car.

[k-ink]

Shame it is not called a 5! Great if they make it though. Makes Pug look even more dull!

[gofasterrosssco]

Thats a VQ35DE in the back there..

[Hellbound]

Looks as if Renault may actually redeem themselves.

[Amirhussain]

I do like this, except for those square things at the front.

[DanielSan]

zerovira said:

Where is the gear shifter?

Is it that ENORMOUS thing between the seats? strange

Have you ever seen a car fitted with a sequential box before?

[roystinho]

No video in the article?

http://t.co/dEUBWpXglp

Would love it to be made. Maybe Witt the Clio engine in.

And another video

http://youtu.be/_c2hOhpeOCE

[DonkeyApple]

"As for how the new Twingo will look, Tavares said the production car will be “50 to 70 per cent” of the Twin’Run car."

So, seeing as a chimp is 97% human, then a 50% deviation in this car means it could look nothing like the one above at all.

[menoy]

PH said:

Despite the Twingo’s upcoming switch from cheap utility to town toy, one difference will be a move from two doors to four (or five with the hatch).

There. All the excitement gone. FFS...

[Technomatt]

DonkeyApple said:

"As for how the new Twingo will look, Tavares said the production car will be “50 to 70 per cent” of the Twin’Run car."

So, seeing as a chimp is 97% human, then a 50% deviation in this car means it could look nothing like the one above at all.

What surprises me are the 97% humans who think this sort of contraption will actually hit the showroom.