Photo: Renault
It was with a heavy heart that we received news more than a year ago that the Twingo RS was going out of production. The pocket rocket really did deliver substantial levels of fun which you wouldn't expect from a simple 1.6-liter engine.
The main reason Renault had for killing the RS was the new generation of the car it's based on, the Twingo mini, but there were problems with sales and the engine's output which couldn't be increased. This has just been revealed in Geneva earlier this week and is widely considered to be a game-changer, rear-engined and rear-wheel drive, unlike any of its rivals. That sounds like the perfect recipe for a fun car, but sadly the RS badge won't stick.
Australian magazine CarAdivice talked to both Renault Sport Tehnologies CEO Patrice Ratti during the Twingo debut in Geneva. He revealed there's not enough room to fit a large-enough engine into the Twingo, saying the RS would need 150 hp or more to be relevant.
The only Renault engines we can think of that can deliver that much power are the 1.6 TCe offered on the Megane with 160 hp and the 1.4 TCe which if we're not mistaken is supposed to be replaced by the 1.2. By comparison, the actual engine offered with the third-gen Twingo is positively tiny, a 0.9-liter.
As cool as it was Renault won't be hurt by the departure of the small RS model. They were only selling a few thousands per year by the time it was canceled. The peppy 1.6-liter was lacking grunt compared to rivals like the Fiat 500 Abarth. But we just can't help thinking about the amazing V6-powered Twin'Run concept which previewed the Twingo. They can stuff a V6 in a concept, but they can't do the same with a 1.4 turbo in a production car?
Australian magazine CarAdivice talked to both Renault Sport Tehnologies CEO Patrice Ratti during the Twingo debut in Geneva. He revealed there's not enough room to fit a large-enough engine into the Twingo, saying the RS would need 150 hp or more to be relevant.
The only Renault engines we can think of that can deliver that much power are the 1.6 TCe offered on the Megane with 160 hp and the 1.4 TCe which if we're not mistaken is supposed to be replaced by the 1.2. By comparison, the actual engine offered with the third-gen Twingo is positively tiny, a 0.9-liter.
As cool as it was Renault won't be hurt by the departure of the small RS model. They were only selling a few thousands per year by the time it was canceled. The peppy 1.6-liter was lacking grunt compared to rivals like the Fiat 500 Abarth. But we just can't help thinking about the amazing V6-powered Twin'Run concept which previewed the Twingo. They can stuff a V6 in a concept, but they can't do the same with a 1.4 turbo in a production car?
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