Renault Sport Spider | PH Auction Block
Ever wondered what Renault's two-seater would look like as a Trophy-R? Wonder no more...
Look at what the current Renault range consists of today. The Clio (recently electrified), the Megane (now all-electric), the Zoe (EV again) and a smattering of SUVs with forgettable names. Now, you can’t blame Renault for jumping aboard the electric car hype train and, for what it’s worth, I think the Megane E-Tech is rather good. But the days of the blisteringly fast-yet-affordable Renault look to be long gone.
What about Alpine? Well, on paper at least, it is Renault’s new performance division and still operates out of the old Dieppe facility that both the current and original A110 have called home. There are some exciting new models in the works, too, with the Renault 5-based A290_β due in the not-too-distant future, along with a hot new SUV of some sort. The former certainly suggests that some of the old Renaultsport magic is still present, even if combustion power and (very likely) an affordable price tag are not.
The last time Renault tried to show the world it knew how to build a more exclusive performance car, it put out this: the bonkers Renault Sport Spider. In fact, the Spider’s designer, Patrick Le Quément, saw the sports car as a means of reviving the Alpine name before Renault realised it’d do wonders for its own street cred. That's because the Spider was unlike anything the company had produced, while its lightweight aluminium chassis and plastic bodywork were music to the ears of car enthusiasts and Renault’s bean counters. With 150hp on tap from the 2.0-litre 16-valve engine from the Clio Williams, Renault looked set to become the new kingpins in the lightweight sports car scene.
Only, it didn’t. The Lotus Elise arrived about a week later and while it wasn’t quite as powerful, it was some 200kg lighter. Still, the Spider comes in at less than a tonne, even with the optional windscreen, and is powered by a revvy engine that sends all of its power to the rear wheels. And anyway, the Spider was never intended to sell in the same numbers as the Elise. Production was capped at 1,800 cars to ensure exclusivity, or 15 per cent of the Series 1’s run, with only 100 examples built in right-hand drive for the UK (although some claim 40 of those were converted for the German market). This makes the Spider a superb collector proposition and you’ll need to act fast when one becomes available. Luckily, this 1997 example stars in the first round of PH auctions.
As you might have guessed, this is no ordinary Renault Sport Spider. Headlining an extensive list of upgrades is the addition of a T28 Garrett turbocharger strapped to the original Clio Williams engine, alongside uprated cams and pistons, a fully ported cylinder head, plus a customer intercooler and exhaust system. This lifts power up to a whopping 315hp, though you can adjust how that’s delivered to the rear axle thanks to a new ECU with switchable engine maps. The brakes have been given some attention as a result, with the Renault Alpine Owners Club supplying its own custom kit that’s specially designed for the Spider.
The previous owner has even made a few quality of life improvements, such as USB charging and Bluetooth connectivity, just don’t expect to hear much over the induction and wind noise. And that’s just scratching the surface of a Spider that’s clearly been pieced together in meticulous detail, all recorded with a wealth of documents and invoices. This isn't just a modded Renault Sport Spider - it’s the Trophy-R that never was...
SPECIFICATION | RENAULT SPORT SPIDER
Engine: 1,998cc four-cylinder
Transmission: five-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 315@N/A (modified)
Torque (lb ft): N/A
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
Year registered: 1997
Recorded mileage: 15,825
But i do wonder what the non paying bidder protection is on ph auctions? If its like ebay - fee refund and relist - then its painful - if its ph pay the seller, and then take the idiots to court to settle the payment due to PH and then hang them from the nearest lampost then I am all in!!
Ie there has to be a way to stop the evening armchair buyers who have had their second bottle of wine or full injection of the latest chemical and thinking they can afford something when they haven't got a pot to p155 in.
maybe the solution is any bidder has to deposit cleared funds into a ph a count and they can bid upto that amount?
Happy to answer any questions about the car (not the auction terms - they are printed in black & white and I am sure those that are struggling with them can ask their parents to explain
).Its still a mental car and I look back at the the late 90's / early 2000's and some of the outrageous but nearly affordable cars like this and the V6 Clio and wonder where this segment of cars, the mad, will kill you, laugh out loud has gone? Killed by regulations and the finance department?
In about 1999 I imported one for a customer. The car arrived in Harwich and I was given a lift to the port to collect it. Except the guy who gave me a lift saw his mate going the other way about half a mile from the port gate, so threw me out and gave chase. I had a set of trade plates and a can of petrol. It was getting dark and raining. I was not wearing sunglasses
By the time I arrived at the compound I was pretty wet. The car had, of course, no roof but did have a sort of tonneau cover which kept out a percentage of the rain (a small percentage, as it turns out).
Keys retrieved from the office, I eagerly approached my steed. Flat battery - great. Jump leads blagged, I set about finding the battery and located a nearby Yaris that someone had left the keys in to jump it from. No petrol, of course, so I empty my can into the tank.
From the nearby site loos I grab as much paper towel as I can to dry the seat. Next problem - where's reverse? Memory is a little hazy after 25-odd years, but I seem to recall having to twist the gearlever to go backwards.
Eventually I'm under way, and massively impressed by this weird little car and its ability to entertain. Closer inspection back at base the next morning, once dried, revealed the joy in the detail of the visible honeycomb construction and solidity of the rollbar.
Like I said, I shouldn't like 'em. But I do. This should be a right giggle with all that power.
Good luck to the seller, and best wishes to whoever buys it.
Happy to answer any questions about the car (not the auction terms - they are printed in black & white and I am sure those that are struggling with them can ask their parents to explain
).
It’s a great car (and not the only one in your collection!) I’m sure it’ll generate a lot of interest 
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