Renault has discontinued production of the Renaultsport Twingo 133 hot-hatch, the last remaining RS model fitted with a naturally aspirated engine. According to a report from Car Magazine, this could mark both the end of naturally aspirated Renaultsport models and of the Twingo RS, which may not get a direct successor.
But why would Renault choose not to build a second-generation Twingo RS? Well, that’s because the upcoming Twingo will be rear-engined and rear-wheel drive, as the Twin’Z and Twin’Run (pictured here) concept cars have previewed. Jointly developed with the next-generation Smart family, the new Twingo’s layout has benefits in terms of space but not so much in terms of handling. Apparently, Renault bosses believe a RWD Twingo RS will be too much of a handful for novice customers.
No decision has been taken yet, but if the second-generation Twingo RS gets the green light it will most likely be powered by a turbocharged unit instead of a naturally aspirated one in order to comply with future EU emissions legislation. The report says Renault’s 90hp 0.9-liter three-cylinder engine is the most likely candidate for the job.
Since the all-new Twingo is tipped to be available only as a five-door, a future Twingo RS would have to be a five-door as well. So it looks like Renault’s next hot city car will be a completely different beast to the current model – provided that the French carmaker decides to build it.
This means about the only feature the next Twingo RS may retain from its predecessor is the manual gearbox, as a dual-clutch EDC transmission would be to big, heavy and expensive for a hot Twingo.
By Dan Mihalascu
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