Renault WindIf you were a manufacturer hunting for an apposite moniker for your new convertible, you could take the easy route and name it after what gets in your hair, which is what Renault have done. The Wind is a 2-seat convertible, based on the Clio II Renaultsport platform, and with prices starting at £15,000 it will give buyers heading for one of the more expensive coupé cabriolets something else to think about.With a roadster, styling is, if not all, then certainly 90%. The Wind styling is certainly distinctive with a rounded egg-shaped profile and plenty of bodywork when viewed side on. Whether the result is a good or bad thing depends on your point of view, but what the Wind has going for it is that it’s not simply a derivation of one of Renault’s hatchbacks; this is no roofless Clio. The first Renault to bear the ‘Wind’ name was actually a 2+1 roadster concept car presented at the Geneva show in 2004, but this one shares nothing more than the name.Wind power consists of a 1.2 or 1.6 petrol engine, the first of these being the TCe, the more powerful of Renault’s 1.2 engines. Power of either engine is fed through a 5-speed manual box. My drive was in the 1.6, which is shared with the Twingo Renaultsport, and that felt just right for the car. It’s not wildly sporting, but with 0-60 in 9.2 seconds and a top speed of 125mph (where, as they say, it’s allowed) you’ll be able to enjoy the drive as well as the fresh air. The amount of that air has been maximised by a windscreen header rail that’s positioned further forward than its rivals.The Wind roof is novel and quick to operate. To achieve that speed Renault went for a rotating mechanism, not the multi-part, intensely complex folding arrangements of many competitors. Renault publicists are fond of saying that the Wind shares the rotating roof principle with the Ferrari Superamerica, but at less than a tenth of the price! All the driver has to do is turn the internal handle to release the roof lock, then press the electric switch for the roof to pivot on its axis between the quarter panels before silently coming to rest upside down on top of the boot. If you want a poetic description it’s like turning a page in the Book of Simplicity. The roof is then covered by an extra panel thereby protecting it from the elements, and the whole process takes around 12 seconds.In contrast to the majority of folding-roof autos this one doesn’t suffer a dilution of luggage capacity when the roof is folded down. That dilution can be a real problem for owners who set off for the weekend in the cold of a morning with a bootful of bags and shirts and dresses, only to find that when the sun comes out and they want to fold down the hood, roof or whatever, they’ve then got to take out half the clobber and sit amongst it, or the roof will steadfastly refuse to fold. Luggage capacity of the Wind with roof up or down is 270 litres, which is not far short of what a Clio can swallow.Standard are ESP, emergency brake assist, alloys, air con, sports seats, auto headlights and windscreen wipers, and cruise control with speed limiter. Passive safety should always be a major concern to open-top buyers, and the Wind has a fixed rollover hoop, which incorporates the rear window. Head/chest lateral airbags are built into the seats.Two specs are offered – Dynamique S and GT Line, which is a completely different set-up to that with which they started in July 2010. Most importantly, the base price has actually declined £500 to £15,000, and you still get that lot itemised above. A choice of exterior accessories is also available, allowing owners to customise their car further. These include chrome-effect door mirrors and double roof cover cowls, a rear diffuser and front fog light surrounds.The Wind is manufactured at Renault’s Novo Mesto plant in Slovenia, sharing the same production line as the Twingo, so build quality is likely to be on a par with that car, and Renault offers warranties of 3 years for the mechanical bits, and 12 years for anti-corrosion. Size: 3.83m x 1.91m (inc mirrors)Engines: Petrol: 1.2 & 1.6 litres – 100 & 133PSGearbox: 5-speed FWDBest Consumption: 1.2 engine – 44.8mpgPrice at Jan ’11: from £15,000Full details of the Wind are available on the manufacturer’s website: www.renault.co.ukPeter Cracknell – Jan 2011
Renault Wind
If you were a manufacturer hunting for an apposite
moniker for your new convertible, you could take the
easy route and name it after what gets in your hair,
which is what Renault have done. The Wind is a 2-
seat convertible, based on the Clio II Renaultsport
platform, and with prices starting at £15,000 it will give
buyers heading for one of the more expensive coupé
cabriolets something else to think about.
With a roadster,
styling is, if not all,
then certainly 90%.
The Wind styling is
certainly distinctive
with a rounded egg-
shaped profile and
plenty of bodywork
when viewed side on.
Whether the result is
a good or bad thing
depends on your point
of view, but what the
Wind has going for it
is that it’s not simply a
derivation of one of
Renault’s hatchbacks;
this is no roofless
Clio. The first Renault
to bear the ‘Wind’
name was actually a 2+1 roadster concept car
presented at the Geneva show in 2004, but this one
shares nothing more than the name.
Wind power consists of a 1.2 or 1.6 petrol engine, the
first of these being the TCe, the more powerful of
Renault’s 1.2 engines. Power of either engine is fed
through a 5-speed manual box. My drive was in the
1.6, which is shared with the Twingo Renaultsport, and
that felt just right for the car. It’s not wildly sporting, but
with 0-60 in 9.2 seconds and a top speed of 125mph
(where, as they say, it’s allowed) you’ll be able to
enjoy the drive as well as the fresh air. The amount of
that air has been maximised by a windscreen header
rail that’s positioned further forward than its rivals.
The Wind roof is novel and quick to operate. To
achieve that speed Renault went for a rotating
mechanism, not the multi-part, intensely complex
folding arrangements of many competitors. Renault
publicists are fond of saying that the Wind shares the
rotating roof principle with the Ferrari Superamerica,
but at less than a tenth of the price! All the driver has
to do is turn the internal handle to release the roof
lock, then press the electric switch for the roof to pivot
on its axis between the quarter panels before silently
coming to rest upside down on top of the boot. If you
want a poetic description it’s like turning a page in the
Book of Simplicity. The roof is then covered by an
extra panel thereby protecting it from the elements,
and the whole process takes around 12 seconds.
In contrast to the majority of folding-roof autos this one
doesn’t suffer a dilution of luggage capacity when the
roof is folded down. That dilution can be a real
problem for owners who set off for the weekend in the
cold of a morning with a bootful of bags and shirts and
dresses, only to find that when the sun comes out and
they want to fold down the hood, roof or whatever,
they’ve then got to take out half the clobber and sit
amongst it, or the roof will steadfastly refuse to fold.
Luggage capacity of the Wind with roof up or down is
270 litres, which is not far short of what a Clio can
swallow.
Standard are ESP,
emergency brake assist,
alloys, air con, sports seats,
auto headlights and
windscreen wipers, and
cruise control with speed
limiter. Passive safety
should always be a major
concern to open-top buyers,
and the Wind has a fixed
rollover hoop, which
incorporates the rear
window. Head/chest lateral
airbags are built into the
seats.
Two specs are offered –
Dynamique S and GT Line,
which is a completely
different set-up to that with which they started in July
2010. Most importantly, the base price has actually
declined £500 to £15,000, and you still get that lot
itemised above. A choice of exterior accessories is also
available, allowing owners to customise their car further.
These include chrome-effect door mirrors and double
roof cover cowls, a rear diffuser and front fog light
surrounds.
The Wind is manufactured at Renault’s Novo Mesto
plant in Slovenia, sharing the same production line as
the Twingo, so build quality is likely to be on a par with
that car, and Renault offers warranties of 3 years for the
mechanical bits, and 12 years for anti-corrosion.
Size:
3.83m x 1.91m (inc mirrors)
Engines:
Petrol: 1.2 & 1.6 litres – 100 & 133PS
Gearbox:
5-speed FWD
Best Consumption:
1.2 engine – 44.8mpg
Price at Jan ’11:
from £15,000
Full details of the Wind are available on the manufacturer’s
website: www.renault.co.uk
Peter Cracknell – Jan 2011
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