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Over the past few decades French carmaker Renault has refused to shy away from the performance end of the market. From its very beginning, over a century ago, the manufacturer has been involved in racing and this is reflected in the sporting incarnations of its road cars.
Cars like the 5 Gordini, 12 Gordini, 5 Turbo 2 and the Alpine A310 all have their roots in competition and Renault continued through the eighties with cars like the fire-breathing 5 GT Turbo and 21 Turbo.
The French company has been involved in Formula 1 for many years and this was reflected in the Williams Clio, although the association with the F1 car that used its engine was in the name only. The Williams was in fact the work of the firm's own motorsport division, Renaultsport, and this would mark the start of a series of cars carrying this particular badge on their boot lid.
First up was the Clio Renaultsport 172, a 2.0-litre 16v shopping trolley that redefined people's perception of a hot hatch. The Cup version of the 172 featured a wider track and even lower suspension and proved to be devastatingly quick across country. Then there was Clio Renaultsport 182 - a near-140mph lightweight hatchback that could take on cars double its price.
The Cup and Trophy versions of the 182 followed and Renault also created the notorious mid-engined V6, along with faster and faster Megane Renaultsport models. The original Renaultsport Clio was replaced by the 197, a larger and more sophisticated car, and that left a gap at the lower end of the market for some of the company's motorsport-inspired magic.
Enter the Twingo Renaultsport 133. Renault's new baby has chunky looks to match its sporting credentials and comes with the option of a Cup pack, which adds 17" alloys and stiffer springs and dampers. It's a tempting package and at £11,550 (£12,200 with the Cup package) it makes the Renaultsport brand accessible to a whole new breed of enthusiast.
To find out if the Twingo lives up to the Renaultsport name PH invited 10 readers to sample the car at a test facility just outside of London. They were given unlimited access to three Twingo Renaultsports, all fitted with the Cup chassis, and asked to rate the car's performance and handling. Some had owned a string of hot Renaults, while others were new to the brand, and after eight hours of testing they told us exactly what they thought of Renault's new arrival...
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