Unveiled in Boulogne-Billancourt, Paris, on 31 January by the drivers of the ING Renault F1 Team, Twingo Renaultsport 133 is a high-performance, affordable entry point into the Renaultsport range.

Its compact proportions and sharp styling echo the Twingo Concept show car which was a star of the 2006 Paris Motor Show. Twingo’s distinctive looks have been made more incisive on the new flagship Renaultsport version thanks to wider front and rear wings, sculpted side skirts and an aerodynamic spoiler which all point to the car’s sporting character. Inside, the cabin has been tailored for focused sports driving, with a number of exclusive details: Renaultsport seats featuring enhanced lateral support, aluminium pedals, a leather steering wheel and a specific rev counter.

The enjoyable handling of Twingo Renaultsport 133 combines driving enjoyment, performance and impeccable safety. The two Renaultsport chassis settings available feature wider front and rear tracks than lesser models. The standard ESP can be manually deactivated, ensuring the car is easy to use on a day-to-day basis while maintaining its sporty credentials.

Twingo Renaultsport 133 is powered by a normally-aspirated 1.6-litre 16V engine developed by Renault Sport Technologies. The engine delivers 133hp at 6,750rpm with 160Nm of torque at 4,400rpm. The unit’s punchy character is reinforced by the deeper engine note, which has been the focus of specific development. The four-into-one exhaust is a technological feat, striking a perfect balance between acoustics, performance and emissions.

Sporting looks designed for performance
To round off the Renaultsport range alongside Clio and Mégane Renaultsport, Renault has designed an affordable, high-performance hot hatch with bags of character. Twingo Renaultsport’s compact proportions and sharp styling embody its fun-to-drive, sporty nature, and are reminiscent of the Twingo Concept show car. Additional cooling for the 133hp engine is provided by a wide Renaultsport air-intake grille in the front bumper. The sculpted side sills, coupled with wider front and rear wings, underline Twingo Renaultsport’s assertive character. At the rear, the chromed exhaust tail pipe emerges through a two-tone bumper. The foglamp surrounds, door mirrors and aerodynamic spoiler all sport the same shade of dark grey. As an option, Renaultsport decals can be added to the flanks or rear bumper. Inspired by the chequered flag, these designs conjure up images of the world of motor sport.

Twingo Renaultsport 133 is fitted with 195-section tyres mounted on aluminium alloy wheels. They house substantial brake discs and calipers which provide powerful, durable braking performance. The new Twingo range-topper also introduces a new colour to the Renaultsport range, with the new Mirage Grey echoing Twingo Concept. Three other metallic shades are available (Pearl Black, Extreme Blue and Mercury) in addition to Capsicum Red.

Sports styling inside
The ergonomic driving position boasts several motor sport features, centred around the driver: aluminium pedals, four-spoke perforated leather steering wheel with dark charcoal stitching and a stitched red marker at the straight ahead point. Not only does this design offer increased comfort, it allows the driver a perfect grip in the ‘ten-to-two’ position. The rev-counter is located directly behind the steering wheel, echoing racing car design. Employing a specific typeface, the numbers grow in size as the needle approaches the red line at 7,000rpm. Just like in the cockpit of the ING Renault F1 Team’s R28 Formula 1 car, the rev-counter features a gear change alert to warn the driver as the engine approaches maximum revs.

The dark charcoal interior trim neatly expresses sporting performance. Offering additional lateral support and with excellent levels of comfort, the specific Renaultsport seats allow the driver to feel at one with the car. The colour of the Blood Orange seat belts matches the contrasting stitching on the upholstery.

As with all cars developed by Renault Sport Technologies, the Renaultsport logo can be found inside the cabin, on the rev-counter, the door sills and the front seats. Outside, the badge features on the rear hatch and engine air filter.

Combining sports performance with everyday use
With Twingo Renaultsport, the experts at Renault Sport Technologies have conquered two challenges with one car: combining true sports performance with day-to-day driveability.

This little high-performance car offers genuine driving enjoyment in total safety. The responsive, balanced chassis uses the excellent Twingo platform, and has been tuned to offer precise, consistent sports handling. ESP is fitted as standard to allow the driver to retain control in slippery conditions. However, the system can be manually deactivated and, combined with the absence of emergency braking assist, this reinforces the car’s sporty character. The assistance of the electric power steering has been tuned to offer sharp, precise response to the driver’s instructions at the wheel. Twingo Renaultsport 133 guarantees powerful, durable braking thanks to ventilated discs and bearings inherited from Mégane II, while the calipers are inherited from the New Laguna.

A composed, balanced platform
Just like all other models in the Renaultsport range, the newcomer offers two chassis options. On both, the track has been widened by 60mm at the front and 59mm at the rear compared to Twingo GT. These modifications improve stability and lateral grip.

The front suspension is a pseudo-MacPherson type arrangement, with aluminium lower arms. The adoption of pushrods on the dampers improves the performance of the anti-roll bar for even better body control.

Twingo Renaultsport’s suspension is based on an H-type programmed deflection rear beam. To improve ride and comfort, the dampers are mounted vertically and coupled with variable rate coil springs. The 24mm diameter rear anti-roll bar (compared to 22.5mm on Twingo GT) brings a stiffness gain of 25%. The anti-roll performance has been calibrated to improve rear-end agility.

The set-up of the standard chassis was honed for the best and safest balance between driving enjoyment and performance. Compared to Twingo GT, the chassis features a lower centre of gravity, thanks to a 10mm lower ride height. Stiffer springs (+30% compared to Twingo GT) and up-rated dampers (also +30%) add to the car’s sporty handling, while firmer bushing has enhanced suspension performance front and rear. The Twingo Renaultsport 133 chassis is fitted with 195/45 tyres on 16” alloy wheels.

A performance-focused Cup chassis
Twingo Renaultsport 133 is also available with an optional Cup chassis for incisive handling and maximum driving enjoyment. In this configuration, Twingo Renaultsport offers handling to satisfy the demands of any enthusiast. This chassis offers optimum body control and its natural home is on the track, where flat cornering and improved corner speed demonstrate its effectiveness.

The Cup chassis rides a further 4mm lower than the standard setting, and its lower centre of gravity improves in-corner performance thanks to reduced weight transfer. Tuned damper settings and higher spring rates (10% stiffer front and rear) bring greater performance through better body control.

Outside, the Cup chassis stands out by its larger, anthracite-coloured 17-inch aluminium alloy wheels with 195/40 tyres.

A punchy, flexible engine
Twingo Renaultsport 133 is powered by a normally-aspirated 1.6-litre 16V engine (K4M RS) which delivers 133hp at 6,750rpm and 160Nm of torque at 4,400rpm. The free-revving engine offers flexible performance and instantaneous throttle response. At low revs and in the mid-range below 4,500 rpm, Twingo Renaultsport offers lively, easy performance for everyday use. Beyond 4,500rpm, Twingo Renaultsport gives full vent to its sporting character with true punchy performance.

The 133hp 1.6 litre 16V engine has been developed from the 1,598cc petrol engine. The improved power and torque are the result of a number of modifications and improvements to the mechanical components:

• The air filling rate has been improved thanks to a specific throttle valve unit and aluminium plenum chamber, plus revised diameters and lengths for the air-inlets.
• To improve air intake and facilitate gas flow, research was carried out on the aerodynamics of the valve seats. The calibration of the camshafts was revised to a longer opening of the valves and higher lift (11mm compared to an average of 9mm).
• The design of the combustion chamber and piston enables a high compression ratio of 11.0:1, leading to enhanced combustion and efficiency and reduced harmful emissions.
• The continuously-variable inlet camshaft improves performance right across the rev range. The actuator varies the timing setting to optimise valve opening and closing.

Sports performance and acoustic enjoyment
The experts at Renault Sport Technologies have worked hard to give the Twingo Renaultsport 133 an engine note in keeping with its sporting character. The engine noise is minimal at low revs, but builds mid-way through the rev range to become ‘fiery’ when pushed to its limits.

The four-into-one exhaust manifold, made from thin-walled steel, forms the object of a patent by Renault Sport Technologies. The technological feat is to have combined four long steel tubes in such a restricted space. This architecture offers an excellent trade-off between acoustics, performance and emissions. Indeed, the engine has been designed to be able to comply with Euro5 legislation.

Twingo Renaultsport 133 is fitted with a revised version of the five-speed manual gearbox (JR5). The closely-spaced ratios are linked to a fast and precise shift mechanism to favour crisp acceleration in all gears.

The Renault Sport Technologies entry-level model
Twingo Renaultsport 133 is the latest model in the Renault Sport Technologies range, and will reach market late in the third quarter of 2008 in Western Europe. This latest example of Renault’s hot hatch prowess rounds off the Renaultsport family alongside Clio and Mégane Renaultsport.

With nearly 13,000 registrations in 40 countries in 2007, the Renaultsport range registered an increase in volume of more than 50% compared to 2006. The arrival of the new Twingo Renaultsport 133 will help the Group expand its presence even further in the hot hatch market. Great Britain is the number one market for Renaultsport vehicles, and should account for a third of sales. France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Switzerland are expected to share approximately 55% of registrations.

Pricing, specification and technical information to be made available nearer to UK launch in October.

 22/07/2008 Ladies and Gentleman form an orderly que for the Megane Renaultsport R26.R

• New limited edition Mégane Renaultsport R26.R makes its worldwide debut at the British International Motor Show today, 22 July, 2008
• Developed from the Mégane Renaultsport 230 F1 Team R26, the R26.R retains the same engine, gearbox and limited slip differential but with a significant weight reduction of 123kg
• Achieves new lap record of the Nürburgring of 8m 17s, the fastest for a front-wheel-drive production car
• Features from the world of racing with a carbon bonnet,  polycarbonate windows, Sabelt race seats and six-point harnesses
• Optional roll cage and titanium exhaust
• Priced at £22,990
• Limited to 450 examples worldwide, 230 of which will come to the UK.  On sale from October

The Mégane Renaultsport 230 F1 Team R26 was launched in November 2006 and has enjoyed a great success.  Using this base, Renaultsport launch an extreme version, the Mégane Renaultsport R26.R.  Developed by Renault Sport Technologies, the Mégane R26.R joins the family that also comprises the Clio Renaultsport 197, Mégane Renaultsport 225, Mégane Renaultsport dCi 175 and, from September, the Twingo Renaultsport 133.  Since the launch in April 2004, the family of Mégane Renaultsport has sold more than 20,000 units in almost 30 countries.

The launch of this ultimate version underlines Renault Sport Technologies’ role as a leading manufacturer of high performance cars.

Mégane R26.R has been developed to:

-          offer customers who enjoy trackdays a car with an unrivalled performance per pound ratio

-          be an enthusiast’s icon

Radical looks

Renault Sport Technologies have given the Mégane R26.R visual differences that mark out the car at first glance.   The carbon fibre bonnet and new 18” alloy wheels in red are the main visual clues together with a new rear spoiler, plus R26.R decals and logos and tinted polycarbonate in place of glass in the tailgate and rear side windows.  The car is available in seven colours, two of which are new to the Mégane, Racing Blue and Renault i.d. Lunar Grey and one is brand new, Renault i.d. Pearlescent White.

Inside the R26.R the atmosphere is as radical as the outside.  Competition seats with a carbon fibre shell are supplied by Sabelt who also supply the six-point harnesses, the first time that this form of restraint has been homologated in a production car.  Conventional lap and diagonal seat belts can be fitted as an accessory.  No rear seat is fitted.  The steering wheel and gearlever gaiter are in leather and suede.  A plaque shows the production number for each country, 230 for the UK, 126 for France and the remainder split between Germany, Spain and Switzerland. 

Lightweight DNA

To improve the power to weight ratio, the Mégane R26.R has been on a strict diet, losing 123kg compared to the standard R26.   This has been achieved by the removal of:

-          Rear seats and seat belts

-          Passenger airbag and curtain airbags (the driver’s airbag remains)

-          Climate control (air conditioning remains as standard)

-          Rear wash/wipe and heated rear window

-          Front fog lamps

-          Headlamp washers

-          Radio/CD player

-          Most of the soundproofing

Other new elements are:

-          carbon fibre bonnet (saves 7.5kg)

-          tailgate and rear side windows in polycarbonate (saves 5.7kg)

-          Sabelt seats with carbon fibre shell and aluminium base (saves 25kg)

-          Six-point harnesses

-          Rear spoiler

-          Optional roll cage

-          Optional titanium exhaust

A chassis without compromise

The suspension and brakes have been optimised to make the most of the new, lighter weight and to provide maximum performance.   The front independent suspension is maintained but with the following new parts:

-          new front springs (14mm/100kg compared to 13.4mm/100kg)

-          new rear springs (16.2mm/100kg from 15.1mm/100kg)

-          the shock absorber settings are also re-calibrated

-          the brake discs are grooved, not drilled

-          new alloy wheels are fitted with a different offset increasing the track by 4mm

-          Toyo Proxes R888 225/40R18 tyres are available as an option in place of the standard Michelin Pilot Sport 2 235/40R18

-          Stiffer lower arm bushes

To guarantee the best possible traction, the R26.R retains the limited slip differential from the Mégane Renaultsport 230 F1 Team R26.  This is a mechanical differential with helical teeth and retains the same transfer rate of 33%.  The combination of this limited slip differential and independent steering-axis front suspension minimises torque steer and enables power to be applied earlier during cornering.

A performance car needs brakes that are both powerful and fade-resistant. The Mégane R26.R has large 312mm ventilated discs at the front with Brembo four-piston callipers that provide stopping power at the highest level.  To resist fade, the discs are grooved as opposed to drilled.

The R26.R takes its engine and gearbox from the Mégane Renaultsport 230 F1 Team R26.  This develops a peak power of 230hp and torque of 310Nm.  A characteristic of this engine is the wide power band, with 90% of the torque available from 2000 to 6000rpm.

However, to reduce the gear change time, a short-shift gear linkage is fitted.

The R26.R accelerates from zero to 62mph in 6 seconds and passes the 1000 metre mark in 25.9 seconds.  The combined fuel consumption is 33.2 mpg and emissions are 199g/km.

Nürburgring lap record

On 23 June, the Mégane R26.R established a new lap record for a front wheel drive production car of the Nürburgring circuit with a time of just 8 minutes 17 seconds.  To commemorate this exceptional level of performance, the circuit outline and lap time is etched into the rear side windows.

SEE THE VIDEO OF THIS BELOW, SEE THE VIDEO OF THIS BELOW, SEE THE VIDEO BELOW

The Mégane R26.R is unveiled today, 22 July,  in London at the British International Motor Show and goes on sale in October limited to just 450 examples in total.

Price and optional equipment

The Mégane R26.R is £22,990.  The pricing for the optional equipment is:  

• Roll cage and Toyo Proxes tyres                £700
• Titanium exhaust                                           £tbc
• Deletion of decals                                         No charge
• Black alloy wheels                                         £120
• Climate control                                              £460
• Metallic paint                                                 £375
• Renault i.d. Glacier White                            £150
• Renault i.d. Pearlescent Paint                     £1200