Don't Expect A Faster Renault Twingo Any Time Soon
One car we’re really looking forward to driving this year is the Renault Twingo GT. With 108bhp propelling not a lot of weight, it should be brilliant fun. But even with the Twingo’s sub-tonne weight figure, 108bhp still isn’t much to write home about.
“Ah,” you might say; “But there’ll be a Renaultsport version eventually, right?” Wrong: speaking to Autocar, RS big cheese Patrice Ratti had the following to say about the possibility of a hotter Twingo:
“An RS would need around 150bhp, which presents all sorts of challenges. There’s not much room for a four-cylinder engine - which would be the cheapest way to get 150bhp. To get a three-cylinder engine to 150bhp would mean redesigning the engine, and at that point the project becomes very expensive - probably too much for an A-segment hot hatch.”
In fact, Ratti went so far as to label the prospect of an RS Twingo as “almost impossible.” The ‘almost’ bit does give a little wiggle room for hope, but it certainly sounds very, very unlikely thanks to the car’s rear-mounted, underfloor engine position.
I’m sure you’ll all joining us in saying: boo.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
The Happy Twingo will not be happy anymore
Looking for a fast twingo? There is no, but at least you can buy a Abarth 595
Sure, they are the exact same price…
Or a 695 Biposto
oh hey, cool, another news from… Autocar…
And im just here in America like
“Can i have a twingo?”
I don’t know what is more frustrating: If you that you won’t see all the brand or here in Latin America that Renault only sell the 2nd Gen clio with an ugly facelift and some rebadged Dacias… No hope here either :(
WE NEED MORE BOOST
Well Ford got 120 horsepower and fit it through airport security…
http://jalopnik.com/5961187/ford-built-an-engine-so-small-they-were-able-to-send-it-through-airport-security
And that engine also comes in a 140hp variant ;-)
I don’t think a new twingo rs would be as fun as the old one. 150bhp in a very short wheel based rear wheel drive car could have quirky handling to say the least… I have a feeling it would be very snappy and could end with owners/journalists going backwards through hedges wondering what happened. They could solve that with an esp system that can’t be turned off.. but does anyone really want a hothatch/warmhatch that they can’t push to, and occasionally past, it’s limits
Or the drivers limits^ whichever comes first
Don’t get me wrong, but wasn’t that article on a few months ago?
Probably because people would turn it into dragsters - or 911s
it’s not really a matter of how do able it is , it’s a lack of funds to do it , it’s not like they couldn’t get some 3 cylinders engines from the minis and upgrade the power , bmw did it with their i8 , they could easily make it but they lack the ressources to do it