Geneva 2010: Renault Wind Flips It's Lid

Since the first ones came out more than a decade ago, folding hardtops have pretty much followed a set formula. There are usually two pieces (a roof bit and a back window bit) that fold on top of each other, then pivot back, and fold under a rear-hinging decklid.  Since those first 3000GT's and Mercedes SLK's it's been this way, with very few exceptions.  But sometimes it just takes some original thinking on an already-developed concept to come up with something brilliant.

Folding hardtops have taken off much more in Europe than they have in the US, primarily in the compact C-segment.  You can get a folding metal roof from pretty much all the mainstream manufacturers in Europe, based on their mid-sized hatchback offerings.  Ford, Renault, Peugeot, Citroen, Volvo, Nissan, etc - usually with tiny engines and front wheel drive.  Folding hardtops are cool - they offer some tangible benefits over a cloth top, such as better sound and weather insulation as well as increased security - you can't cut a metal roof open to steal stuff with a knife!  This is why they've become so popular in Europe, where such practical considerations actually enter into the mind of the car buyer.

But they have a downside.  They're heavy - obviously.  Think of all the pivots, struts, motors, servos, hydraulic lines, sensors, and god knows what else that's required.  They're complicated - which means more stuff to break.  And more importantly, almost no one (with the exception of Mazda and Volvo) have made one that doesn't look like crap.  It's really hard to make a small car that a roof can fit in the trunk without it having a huge butt.  Volvo gets around this by making their roof a folding three-piece origami display, which I figure is even more failure-prone, and lord knows how Mazda made the Miata PRHT look that good.  Black Magic?

Enter Renault, who is taken a fresh take on the whole folding hardtop theme.  They're debuting a new car called the Wind (which seems appropriate) at this year's Geneva show, and I have to say it's pretty cool.  First of all, this car is tiny - just shy of 5" longer overall than a Mini Cooper - so the origami roof wasn't really going to work anyway.  Instead, the Wind has an ingenious flip-top mechanism.  The roof is hinged behind the passenger's heads, and rotates 180°.  The rear decklid hinges up backwards, and the lid stows under it.  Total time from up-to-down?  12 seconds.

Now, that's way faster than any other foldy metal roof contraption out there - meaning you could flip it at a stoplight if you wanted to.  Just undo the latch, press the button, and presto - fresh air!  As for the rest of the car, the styling is pleasing from most angles - looking a whole lot like the new Twingo in the front, which in all probability is what it's based on - and they've done the best they can with the rear end given the unusual dimensions required for this setup.  It's way cuter (which is a valid criteria in this segment!) than the Cooper or other tiny convertibles, and the appeal of that flip-lid is undeniable.  Just check out the video!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oo7womqRcPk

Now, Renault hasn't released any mechanical details on the wind - just a lot of pictures of the roof folding - and while I'm curious, I realize that no one's going to care.  It could have a 1.3L diesel under the hood and they're still going to sell a million of them.  Hopefully they'll see fit to include the Twingo RS' frisky 133bhp motor, but it just doesn't seem like it's gonna matter.  I know what I'm renting the next time I go to Europe!