RE: Renault Wind: Spotted

[Limpet]

My mum has one, but it has the little 1.2 TCE engine with about 100 bhp.

Replaced a StreetKa which she'd kept way too long, and cost a fortune to get through its last few MOTs.

She likes tiny 2 seat convertibles, and doesn't drive enthusiastically. The little Renault is perfect, as well as being lively enough, and dirt cheap to run.

I personally like the relative rarity of them. In the 9 months or so she's had this one, I've seen one other on the road. Reactions from people are generally positive as well.

Not my cup of tea personally, but I don't think they deserve some of the hate they get on here.

[GTEYE]

I think the article may be wrong - the chassis was from the Clio Mk2 - which may have been the same as the Twingo (I'm not sure).

So with 172, 182 and Trophy DNA it should have driven well.

But the styling was a joke to anyone blessed with sight.

How they managed to make a convertible look claustrophobic with the roof down is a bit of a mystery!!

Edited by GTEYE on Thursday 16th November 12:22

[hothead50]

I was quite surprised to see that the asking price is about right...

[itidiot]

Max Adams - You've gotten yourself into a classified wormhole.

[carinaman]

I have seen one of these on the road. I was stuck behind it in traffic. That such a car was made and branded 'wind' could brighten an otherwise dull journey.

[Arsecati]

There are some cars out there, that though they looked disturbingly ugly when first released, eventually softened over time and evolved in to something 'interesting', 'handsome' or 'characterful'.

But not this thing though.

This looks as disturbingly ugly now as it did when it was first released: horrible, horrible, horrible!!!

[Atomic12C]

Tragic it most definitely is.

I think its tragic in a way only the french can master - as they've done with so many of their cars.

[avenger286]

GTEYE said:

I think the article may be wrong - the chassis was from the Clio Mk2 - which may have been the same as the Twingo (I'm not sure).

So with 172, 182 and Trophy DNA it should have driven well.

But the styling was a joke to anyone blessed with sight.

How they managed to make a convertible look claustrophobic with the roof down is a bit of a mystery!!

Edited by GTEYE on Thursday 16th November 12:22

The twingo was on the clio platform and a 133 also handles better than a 172/182 so the wind should be a hoot to drive.
Yes there not the best looking car out there but there different and not common.

[jakesmith]

I briefly considered one of these as I was looking at a 3rd car small cheap to run convertible
Could not get past the name and very plasticky interior
Bought a Smart Brabus Roadster instead which is great really - reliability not up there but Renault not really known for reliability either
You have to think, if this was badged an Audi and marketed as a sub-TT type car I bet it would sell tons

[anonymous-user]

The Crack Fox said:

Look at the side proportions of it, it's all slab-sides, massive a pillars and HUGE windscreen area. Could have been so good. Got it so wrong. And I'll bet build quality is "typical Renault", too.

Exactly this. There's so much bulk for a small car the roofless part is barely larger than a letterbox. A very unappealling car that suggests the driver is clueless and/or tasteless.

The very handsome and slightly more practical 306 Cabrio could be bought for less money.

[Frimley111R]

I'd say the name was the main cause of its downfall.

[Barchettaman]

There's a strong argument to be made for debadging that. Noone will know what it is anyway, might as well not give them a cheap laugh at your expense.

[YankeePorker]

Frimley111R said:

I'd say the name was the main cause of its downfall.

As well as the Wind, they produced another car that I used to see in France called the Fluence. For some reason I always misread the name as Flatulence. Am waiting for the Renault Chuff to make an apprearance.

Generally their naming department have dropped a few bks. Do you remember the Renault Koleos, which was already being sold before someone pointed out that it means testicles in Greek?

[KTF]

The advertising they had for it was 'interesting'.

[HTP99]

YankeePorker said:

Frimley111R said:

I'd say the name was the main cause of its downfall.

As well as the Wind, they produced another car that I used to see in France called the Fluence. For some reason I always misread the name as Flatulence. Am waiting for the Renault Chuff to make an apprearance.

Generally their naming department have dropped a few bks. Do you remember the Renault Koleos, which was already being sold before someone pointed out that it means testicles in Greek?

There is also the special edition, Clio Taurus!

[WJNB]

Actually quite clever just a shame that it was not clothed in something more shapely. Even then with 'that' badge few would take it seriously & it was always going to just be a motorised toy that would appeal to the pretty people.

[hammo19]

HTP99 said:

There is also the special edition, Clio Taurus!

My wife thought that was brilliant.....

[mybrainhurts]

chazwozza said:

Is this pistonheads or mumsnet?

It's a windup....

[JMF894]

S.H.A.D.O. said:

Surprised no one has commented on the poor verging on dangerous lack of visibility, but then you would have to drive one to notice!

Sorry but that's nonsense and just jumping on the bandwagon. Even if the visibility is poor how is it any worse than any van/truck/bus that has no rear view mirror etc etc?

And for the record I don't like these either.

[sosidge]

I'll wager that if Renault had invested a couple of grand in an alternative name for the UK they would have sold several times as many as they did.

Nobody can get beyond the idea of driving a fart.

It was also the wrong product for the market at the time - mini-psuedo-sportscars had died off 5 years earlier. The MX-5 has a unique place in the market - and I don't think they sell many of those in the UK any more either. The market that used to buy "hairdresser's" open-tops now buys small premium hatches instead.