RE: Renault Sport Spider: Spotted

RE: Renault Sport Spider: Spotted

Tuesday 23rd July 2013

Renault Sport Spider: Spotted

We've finally found one, and this Sport Spider comes with an intriguing aftermarket accessory



With such an illustrious back catalogue of FWD heroes, it's often easy to forget that Renaultsport's first car sold in Britain was the Sport Spider. And it's probably fair to say the diminutive roadster didn't enjoy quite the success of the later hot hatches.

Let's call it distinctive, shall we?
Let's call it distinctive, shall we?
As has been well-documented, the Spider's success was curtailed by the Lotus Elise; faster, lighter, cheaper and prettier, the Elise comprehensively outscored the Renault where it mattered to British buyers.

15 years later though, and time has been far kinder to the Sport Spider than its contemporary reception would have suggested.

The Sport Spider used the engine from the Clio Williams, producing 150hp and 136lb ft. It's a significant car in Renaultsport's history too; with the Alpine-Caterham sports car project in progress, the Sport Spider assumes a role as (almost) direct antecedent.

Interior befits the Sport Spider tag
Interior befits the Sport Spider tag
From an apathetic and objective business point of view, the Sport Spider's rarity makes it look a great investment too. This private car is easily the least expensive example on PH at £17,500, nearly £10,000 less than this barely-used example. Given only 96 RHD cars came to Britain, surely they can't drop much further?

From a subjective and emotional point of view, the Sport Spider is just damn good fun as well. It won't quite match the Elise, but the stance gives it plenty of grip and the lack of PAS (the brake servo was deleted too) ensures the driver plays an integral role. The communication, feel and excitement we crave from roadsters is most definitely present with the Sport Spider.

This roof is apparently safe at any speed...
This roof is apparently safe at any speed...
However, this particular car is actually without one of the compromises normally associated with roadsters; a fiddly roof. Sport Spiders were supplied without a very flimsy, speed-restricted roof, limiting its usability in Britain. This vendor has made (and sold) some of the canvas tops seen in the pictures, and it's reputedly safe at any speed. It won't rival Magna Steyer for engineering integrity, but it should prove a useful accessory nonetheless. To have it fitted 'in about two minutes' may take some practice though...

The rest of the advert is very confidence-inspiring, with the seller being the owner from new, a recent service in its history, good pictures and a detailed description.

Yes, the Elise remains the sharper, more incisive car that's still cheaper, but the Sport Spider deserves more credit than it receives. Renault's sports car resurgence has the potential to do so


RENAULT SPORT SPIDER
Engine:
1,998cc 4-cyl
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Power (hp): 150@6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 136@4,500rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
First registered: 1997
Recorded mileage: 35,000
Price new: £25,950
Yours for: £17,500

See the original advert here

Author
Discussion

hondansx

Original Poster:

4,562 posts

224 months

Tuesday 23rd July 2013
quotequote all
Bloody love these! Think i've only ever seen once on the road, would love to know what they drive like.

AlexIT

1,482 posts

137 months

Tuesday 23rd July 2013
quotequote all
Sorry to be pedantic, but IIRC the spider was fitted with the F7R engine as found on the Clio Williams, not the the F4R of the Clio2 and 3 and Megane.

Great car to be in wink

kambites

67,461 posts

220 months

Tuesday 23rd July 2013
quotequote all
hondansx said:
Bloody love these! Think i've only ever seen once on the road, would love to know what they drive like.
Not as well as the Elise which was released around the same time, which is why you don't see many of them on the road. hehe

Wonderful car, unfortunate timing.

HustleRussell

24,602 posts

159 months

Tuesday 23rd July 2013
quotequote all
How does the weight compare to the Elise?

I remember seeing one of these when I was about 10, I thought it was awesome. Even now I'd have to drive one if I was in the market for a car like this.

LouD86

3,278 posts

152 months

Tuesday 23rd July 2013
quotequote all
I remember going for a drive in one at the launch! I was a passenger mind, I was a kid! That was a fun drive with the old man, times ill always rememeber

kambites

67,461 posts

220 months

Tuesday 23rd July 2013
quotequote all
HustleRussell said:
How does the weight compare to the Elise?
It was quoted at 930kg, so something of the order of 200kg heavier than an early S1 Elise. It was a fair bit more powerful, though so the power to weight ratio wasn't hugely different.

Similar proposition in terms of stats to the N/A VX220 but without the practicality of a roof or indeed, in basic form, a windscreen.

Edited by kambites on Tuesday 23 July 16:58

HustleRussell

24,602 posts

159 months

Tuesday 23rd July 2013
quotequote all
kambites said:
It was quoted at 930kg, so something of the order of 200kg heavier than an early S1 Elise
Somewhat disappointing! It looks more rakish that the elise, it's hard to see where it's carrying that 200kg.

kambites

67,461 posts

220 months

Tuesday 23rd July 2013
quotequote all
HustleRussell said:
kambites said:
It was quoted at 930kg, so something of the order of 200kg heavier than an early S1 Elise
Somewhat disappointing! It looks more rakish that the elise, it's hard to see where it's carrying that 200kg.
Good question. It's about the same weight as a current supercharged Elise which obviously has all sorts of "luxuries" that the early Elise and Sport Spider lack.

AlexIT

1,482 posts

137 months

Tuesday 23rd July 2013
quotequote all
Well considering that it comes from the same company who made the Clio V6 at nearly 1.400 Kgs... rolleyes

j90gta

563 posts

133 months

Tuesday 23rd July 2013
quotequote all
How can you say it's not as pretty as an Elise?

Contigo

3,113 posts

208 months

Tuesday 23rd July 2013
quotequote all
Future classic I'd say. Been thinking about storing some cars as classics recently and think I have a decent list of ones to buy over the next few years.



MissChief

7,095 posts

167 months

Tuesday 23rd July 2013
quotequote all
I think these look awesome and would certainly turn more heads than an Elisè.

bagseye

111 posts

176 months

Tuesday 23rd July 2013
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Not my kinda thing but it seems to have held its value very well.

I don't think it's worth that personally.

LARK F1 GTR

3,186 posts

145 months

Tuesday 23rd July 2013
quotequote all
The first Renault to wear the Renault Sport badge.

I love them, but prefer then with no screen.

pthelazyjourno

1,848 posts

168 months

Tuesday 23rd July 2013
quotequote all
HustleRussell said:
Somewhat disappointing! It looks more rakish that the elise, it's hard to see where it's carrying that 200kg.
The chassis was welded rather than bonded, so the aluminium is considerably thicker to account for that.

That's where the majority of weight is. Add in an engine that was also a good bit heavier...

kambites

67,461 posts

220 months

Tuesday 23rd July 2013
quotequote all
MissChief said:
I think these look awesome and would certainly turn more heads than an Elisè.
True, especially the ones without windscreens.

kambites

67,461 posts

220 months

Tuesday 23rd July 2013
quotequote all
pthelazyjourno said:
The chassis was welded rather than bonded, so the aluminium is considerably thicker to account for that.

That's where the majority of weight is. Add in an engine that was also a good bit heavier...
It looks like the engine and gearbox is about 50kg of the difference. If the rest of the difference is the chassis, that would make it over three times the weight of the Elise one!

LaurasOtherHalf

21,429 posts

195 months

Tuesday 23rd July 2013
quotequote all
Love it, however this one was originally up for sale on PH for £23.5k, then up for auction & now back up privately.

Looks like the love isn't translating into sales frown

A Scotsman

1,000 posts

198 months

Tuesday 23rd July 2013
quotequote all
In 99 as a guest of Elf at the Pau Grand Prix I had a few laps in the passenger seat of a race prepared LPG version of one of these driven by a French rally driver whose name I can't remember.

It was a very spirited little car..lots of grip and made a lovely noise..

Oddball RS

1,757 posts

217 months

Tuesday 23rd July 2013
quotequote all
It didn't have any real power advantage over the 111S.