Renaultsport Twingo 133: Spotted

The previous generation Twingo is the kind of cheap thrill car companies no longer build

By Sam Sheehan / Tuesday, 31 July 2018 / Loading comments

Drive modes, adjustable suspension and exhaust valves: the Renaultsport Twingo had none of them. This was a car that had only one setting: on. And one temperament: thrash me. It was about as honest as modern hatchbacks get, and barely five years after production ended, it deserves your rose tinted attention.

Based on the exceedingly humble Twingo, the Renault Sport model had much in common with pepped-up superminis of yesteryear because it was small and light. The space between it and the base model was considerable. The standard Twingo was, to be frank, basic, lacking the quirky charms of its predecessor, which despite not having been sold in the UK, was familiar to many Brits as the hire car they thrashed around the Mediterranean back in 1998. The Mk2 was safer, more practical and far more modern, but it didn't attract much attention in the congested supermini segment.

"No longer enough for cars like the Renault Twingo to merely offer a good-value, solid dynamic package, when even rivals from Korea, such as the Kia Picanto, are starting to have greater visual appeal to the more fashion conscious motorist," our colleagues at Autocar said back upon a first drive in the non-RS hatchback. They said that the Twingo had "initially failed to match the cheeky charms of its simple, chic predecessor".

When Renault Sport's engineer's got their hands on the car, however, things couldn't have been more different. Having just produced an impressive but not outstanding hot hatch in the Clio 197, a car which suffered from a substantial weight gain over the Clio 182 (although it was later improved with updates), the Twingo presented Renault's performance engineers with an opportunity work on something pleasingly close to a metric ton again.

A light car (it was 1049kg) doesn't need a particularly potent powertrain to feel quick, so when Renault Sport extracted 133hp and 118lb ft of torque from a naturally aspirated 1.6-litre engine taken from the Clio range, it was enough to accelerate the RS version of the Twingo from 0-62mph in a respectable 8.7sec and onto a top speed of 125mph. This placed the model just ahead of the contemporary Suzuki Swift Sport.

But Renault Sport's chassis know-how meant that the Twingo was by far the sharper steer. Even in standard, non-Cup form, the car was agile and with a firmer ride than its rival. Its short wheelbase made cocking an inside wheel easy, while the peppy, rev-hungry engine rewarded frenetic driving. But this was more than just a giggle-enducing puppy, it was also a fine driver's machine that could be threaded along a B-road with surprising pace. It maintained momentum like no other in the class.

As a result, Twingo Renaultsports have often lived hard lives. Our Spotted, a 2013 facelift model with 25,000 miles on the clock, that's described as being "in excellent condition inside and out" and having been owned by "a family member in her 50s" is therefore worth a closer look. Unless this family member happens to have Schmitz as her surname, we assume the reference is to emphasise that the car has had a relatively easy time of it over the last half decade.

Admittedly, at £5,250, this is not the cheapest car on the market. But its been so well maintained that it even comes with a spare set of brake pads and discs, despite those fitted to the car being "as new". With the possible exception of the Clio 172, there is no more virtuous or low cost way for a Renault Sport aficionado to enjoy themselves.

SPECIFICATION - RENAULTSPORT TWINGO 133
Engine: 1,598cc four-cylinder
Power (hp): 133hp@6750rpm
Torque (lb ft): 118lb ft@4,400rpm
MPG: 43.5
CO2: 150g/km
First registered: 2013
Recorded mileage: 25,000
Price then: £13,165
Price now: £5,250

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