Renault’s extreme, motorsport-inspired Twin’Run concept, unveiled on the eve of the Monaco GP, offers a further glimpse of how the Twingo city car’s successor will look.
The two-seater is the sister concept to the electric Twin’Z revealed in April. But while the Twin’Z emphasised the urban attributes of Renault’s future city car, the Twin’Run highlights its dynamism and draws inspiration from classic racing Renaults such as the Renault 5 Turbo and Clio V6.
The 155mph, rear-drive, mid-engined racer is powered by a 3.5-litre V6 taken from a Mégane Trophy racer. Mounted longitudinally ahead of the rear axle, the 3498cc power plant delivers 316bhp at 6800rpm and 280lb ft at 4850rpm. The engine is mated to a SADEV six-speed sequential gearbox with a limited-slip differential, and the car can hit 62mph from a standstill in 4.5sec.
Weight is kept down to 950kg thanks to a tubular chassis clad in glassfibre body panels. Carbonfibre is used for the front splitter, roof, rear vent and wheel arches, while downforce-generating underfloor venting and a fixed aerofoil counteract the effect of lift at high speeds.
The Twin’Run’s silhouette hints at the styling of the next-generation Twingo, which is due late next year, but it uses a three-door body style whereas the new city car is expected to be a five-door design.
The concept’s cabin is mid-way between a stripped-out race car and a sports car. Sparco seats are fitted with race-spec harnesses, and the door panels and dashboard are upholstered in black and red Alcantara-effect suede.
The sequential gearstick and handbrake levers are mounted close to the steering wheel. The instrument cluster features a 5.5in LCD screen, which can display vehicle speed, engine speed and gear speed, as well as fuel, clutch and oil pressures.
Renault chief operating officer Carlos Tavares lapped the Monaco circuit in the Twin’Run last Friday, accompanied by a Renault Maxi 5 Turbo driven by rally legend Jean Ragnotti, who was involved in the Twin’Run’s chassis tuning.
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Coming back to have a second look at this car...
...the front 'lights' look like the electro magnetic anti theft stickers used by supermarkets on high value items.
Other than that I'm still loving it.
500 + up!
Shouldn't this have been based on the new Clio? This suggests that the next Twingo will (as others have pointed out) be very 500-like, with a nod to up! at the back. I'd have the VW - at least it looks contemporary.
Fab
Well, Renault certainly have form when it comes to bonkers mid-engined minis.
Judging by the interior shots though this seems to bear almost no relation to the basic production car, which surely counts against it being built. It's basically just a silhouette racer.
I wouldn't be opposed to a smaller turbo engine in the middle if it made it more likely to reach production.