"Kookanoodles" (Kookanoodles)
03/02/2014 at 10:59 • Filed to: Smart Roadster, Renault Wind, Renault Twingo
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"Kookanoodles" (Kookanoodles)
03/02/2014 at 10:59 • Filed to: Smart Roadster, Renault Wind, Renault Twingo | 1
| 8 |
As you may know, Renault will unveil at the Geneva motor show next week the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! of their Twingo city car. While the Twingo has always been an interesting car, the new one will be even more so : it's based on the same rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive platform at the new Smart ForTwo and ForFour.
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What better occasion than this for another joint sportscar project ? !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! are doing it, so are !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Renault and Smart could use that new shared RWD platform to bring back two of my favourite open-top cars of the last ten years : the Smart Roadster and the Renault Wind.
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The 2003 Smart Roadster, I believe, needs no introduction. You all know and love it : great looks, mid-engined, RWD, a targa top, and a terrible semi-auto gearbox (because every self-respecting small roadster needs a crippling flaw).
You may not have heard, however of the Renault Wind, introduced in 2010. Despite the rather unfortunate name (for anglophones, at least), it had !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! similar to the one you'd find on a Ferrari 575 Superamerica, a chassis tweaked by Renault Sport themselves, a choice of two punchy petrol engines, and a proper manual gearbox. Also, it looked super-weird. Unlike the Smart, however, it was FWD, being based on the second-gen Twingo.
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Both cars weren't particularly successful and were killed off only three years after being brought to the market. But wouldn't it be great to see Renault and Smart develop a new small, RWD, affordable, low on power but light sportscar on this new platform of theirs ? Bring back to life the Smart Roadster everyone loved and give the Renault Wind the proper sportscar layout it always deserved ? I have no idea if it'd make any business sense, but I'd love it.
JR1
> Kookanoodles
03/02/2014 at 11:50 |
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I would love to see some more small rwd roadsters, or even fwd. There needs to be more cheap convertibles than what is currently available in the market.
TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut
> Kookanoodles
03/02/2014 at 12:09 |
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Loved the Roadster. It was light, economical and mid-engined, with just enough power to put the wind in your hair. However, the two things the Roadster desperately deserved were:
- a better gearbox. A faster semi-auto would've been desirable, a manual even better.
- a lower price. At £14,000 new, it was hardly cheap for a plastic bodied car with the engine from a Moulinex Magimix.
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Kookanoodles
> TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut
03/02/2014 at 12:15 |
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Indeed. But you can pick up one for not that much nowadays.
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TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut
> Kookanoodles
03/02/2014 at 12:27 |
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True. You can even pick up the Brabus tuned (not the true Brabus Roadster mind you!) versions for around £5,000.
Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder
> Kookanoodles
03/02/2014 at 13:39 |
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The real crippling flaw of the Roadster was the tiny 0.9 engine..
gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
> Kookanoodles
03/02/2014 at 19:24 |
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I always thought the roadster was awesome but could never understand why they didn't put in a lighter, simpler, cheaper stick.
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TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut
> Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder
03/03/2014 at 04:14 |
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Really? The Roadster was pretty light, at just 790kg (1,742lbs). 80~bhp was pretty sufficient. It's just that gearbox was so awfully slow...
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Pabuuu, JDM car enthusiast & Italian parts hoarder
> TwinCharged - Is Now UK Opponaut
03/03/2014 at 16:06 |
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My uncle was looking at one to buy, but he found out that most of the engines give out or have to be repaired at around 120k.
I really like how they look though.. Wish my uncle got one..