« GM will recall more than 300,000 cars worldwide | Home Page | No markup for American dealers on the GT-R »
Spyshots: Renault Twingo RS
By Yoann Besnard on 22 December 2007 | 
(0) Comments | Permalink
The current Renault Twingo range is topped by the GT version which is powered by a 99bhp 1.2-litr petrol engine, but Renault engineers are working hard to finish the future RS version set to compete with the Fiat 500 Abarth and the Suzuki Swift Sport. The car has been spotted in Italy.
Like the small Fiat, the Twingo RS version will feature enlarged wheel arches and adopt 17'wheels in an attempt to make the model more appealing to look at. Renault hopes these changes will be enough to fight with the eagerly-awaited Fiat Abarth.
The power will come from a 1.6-litre petrol engine associated with a five-speed manual gearbox. Secrecy surrounds the exact spec of the small car although it is rumoured that the engine will pump out roughly 140bhp. It would be 15 bhp less than the future Fiat 500 Abarth, but 15bhp more than the Suzuki Swift Sport. With a weight limited to 1050kg, the Twingo RS will be lighter than the two other cars and will offer a weight/power ratio similar to the former Clio 16s' sold in the '90s.
This is good news for Renault but with the Fiat 500 as a competitor, the Twingo appears to be too serious, almost dull, and while the RS promises to be sexier than the normal version, the Fiat Abarth has already appeared to be ten times more appealing to look at. The die is cast.
Click here to see all the pictures
