our new demo arrived yesterday,so obviously it had to be tested! this new addition to the renault range uses the 100 bhp 1.2 turbo engine that has just been released in the clio.claimed performance figures are 0.60/9.8 secs with a top speed of 117mph(where allowed)
first impressions are that, when run in ,the perfomance claimed may be understated ,as this little car can move.eager acceleration via a very willing engine and a close ratio gearbox means that you need to keep an eye on the speedo,as several times i found the thing was going quicker than i thought!
braking and handling are exellent,with plenty of feel through the steering,you really do know what the wheels are doing.
build quality seems to be good,but some of the plastics look and feel a bit cheap.however,the overall feel is quite pleasing, and should please most people( i hope).
but the thing that left the biggest impression on me is how quickly this motor covers the ground!it is amazing. believe me when i say that this car,in the right hands,is capable of giving a slap to some who may sneer at it.
as you may gather,i like this little twingo,i like it a lot.in this job,i get to drive a lot of cars,but it is a long time since a newly launched car has made such an impression on me.indeed,the last was the 172 cup.

the renaultsport version can only be awaited with baited breath.....


steve

will there be an rs version ?

thing is the new mazda 2 has caught my eye its 960kg in 1.5trim with 101bhp and great handling (100kg`s lighter than the old one ! using mx-5 design philosophy) looks really nice, its reliable etc.. its not out till september but i will be test driving one..

the main thing is that there is going to be an MPS version with blow 1.5T at around 140-160bhp at 960-980kg that will be a beast, be cheap to tax, insure and run an easy 40mpg. with a remap it will have a higher power to weight than a standard R26

so the twingo will have its work cut out.

there WILL be an rs version,MM.some of the renaultsport forum guys were invited to paris to view the car,and to give their input.no idea re engine output,but a guess of 140/150 bhp wouldnt be far out i think.
the twingo chassis can handle more power definitely,and with r/sports ability to offer class leading handling,i would bet that the twingo rs will offer an amazing driving experience.

I heard someone got stopped last night?

Excellent news! Keep it up Renault! Would be good to have it back to back with the Panda 100hp - I think it looks loads smarte to start, not a great fan of the panda look..

Pics? :)

there will be an RS version, I was one of the lucky few who got to see it.

Pics coming soon :)

Jimbo's ran out of film in his camera

Film? This is the 21st century for gods sake :)

you havnt seen jimbos new nikon box brownie then, cactus.in fact dave was wrong about the film.it uses photographic plates and the flash is by a small amount of gunpowder.
its a lovely bit of kit,but gawd,them plates is heavy.ask him to show it to you on sunday.lol:)

Ha Ha :)

Im wrong again :)

any prices?

around £10,500 IIRC

any prices?

hi,denty.the standard twingo(75 bhp) retails at £8375,£8900 with aircon,both grp3 insurance.the gt £9995.well worth the extra dosh.grp 5 insurance.

does it look any good ?

not in my opinion, although I imagine they are fun and effortless to drive.

nah im still more interested in the mazda.

better built, better parts.
960kg

The Mazda2 MPS will ride on 17″ alloys while power goes through the front wheels coupled to a six-speed manual gearbox. Given its FWD setup, Mazda are likely to include a limited slip differential (LSD), traction and dynamic stability control as standard.

Having raided Ford’s parts bin, the Mazda 2 MPS may also feature Volvo sourced 320mm front brake discs

http://paultan.org/gallery/d/4209-2/mazda2_18.jpg

how close is the twingo to looking solid, and metal with jap fit and finish like this out of interest gareth ?

also if they do fit an LSD to the superlight mps version it will probably be the first car to out handle the 172cup in that sector, we know how well its worked for the mazda3 mps and R26.

this is only the standard one, the mps will look slightly more aggresive.

the Mazda looks 10 times better, the Twingo looks far from solid (IMHO). But how much does the Mazda cost?

http://www.autospies.com/images/users/dannyboy2/renault_twingo_main.jpg
http://www.carpages.co.uk/renault/renault_images/renault-twingo-2-20-06-07.jpg

A jap can better built? you should come live here in SA where Mazda and Toyota to name a few have factories and supply the European and American market.......i wouldnt buy a JAP car in a million years, most flimsy made POS. But then again thats my own opinion

A jap can better built? you should come live here in SA where Mazda and Toyota to name a few have factories and supply the European and American market.......i wouldnt buy a JAP car in a million years, most flimsy made POS. But then again thats my own opinion

well they must reasemble themselves when they hit the uk.

honda, lexus, toyota, subaru, mitsubishi are very reliable and well put together. its a fact.

i think nissan and mazda arent in the same league as above but there still a step higher than fiat,renault,alfa,peugeot etc.. i.e lazy euro countries with slack workers with too many rights, and too many holidays.

bmw,audi,mercedes are the pride of the west.


there are millions of desparate workers in china for example if your not upto 100% there is always someone else to employ + there hygene and clinical acuracy makes for a car you know when you drive has been born out of pain, exploitation and sweat lol :D

im in the same thinking as steve. a very suprising performance from such a small engine. a real wolf in sheeps clothing. the ONLY niggle i have is the interior plastics. cheap cheap. the layout is good however.

ive taken some pics. ill try to get them up over the weekend/monday :)

the new layout with the stereo is very cheap and nasty.

It is meant to be quite cheap and nasty though lest we forget.. I quite like that the money is spent on making it look OK from the outside and drive really well. It's not trying to be a £40k motor..

How much is the mazda compared to the Twingo?

The new twingo is built on the old clio platform. That means 182 with a different body! The RS version has no reason for not ruining the day for every other hot hatch in it's class, and some above.

New mazda 2 looks nice but there is set to be a right ruk in this class. New Ka, fiat 500, Twingo, Mazda 2, all worth a look.

It is meant to be quite cheap and nasty though lest we forget.. I quite like that the money is spent on making it look OK from the outside and drive really well. It's not trying to be a £40k motor..

How much is the mazda compared to the Twingo?

mazda 2 is same chassis as the upcoming brand new fiesta, ford chassis are always exellent and the low kerb weight and usualy sharp mazda handling should make even the standard 1.5 101bhp version upto the twingo GT`s pace.

also the interior uses same wheel as the new Mx-5 (which i think is a fantastic put together and quality little car) and im sure it wont be too expensive.

it would be a close call, especially if the mps does arrive with the turbo 1.5.

but in terms of interior quality and built the new mazda will walk a bottom of the range renault and probably one thats a notch up like the clio.


this is the standard 5dr 1.5.. looks alright if you ask me

http://www.carupdate.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/mazda2-rear.jpg

out of interest when you looked inside the 'TWINGO'

did the cockpit look anything close to this ?

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/03/mazda2_p_.jpg


Bearing in mind that this is the base model and the mps would potencially have sports recaros, metal pedals, digital climate control (although those dials look 3 times better than my megs aircon :D) perhaps some leather trim and carbon or sport touches and like the mazda3 BOSE sound upgrade ?

forgot to mention probably metal gear know and chrome gaitor surrounds etc..

imagine gear lever height, 960kg on the floor driving around like a go kart should be fun :D



so in looks and interior how does the twingo gt face upto the new mazda 2 1.5 ?

In "MY OPINION" once more, i wouldnt trust a car put together by someone that has his eyes 90% closed all the time.....LOL LOL LOL

But hey, each to their own i guess..

In "MY OPINION" once more, i wouldnt trust a car put together by someone that has his eyes 90% closed all the time.....LOL LOL LOL

But hey, each to their own i guess..

see know we get to the root cause of your two posts.


no need for racism on this site mate, i would have thought you would know that more than anyone else given where your from.


http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/03/mazda2_24.jpg

quality looks alright.

meggerman, why don't you just go and order a mazda now! You are compaing the wrong cars though. I've not studied the price lists and specs closely, but it should be:

Fiesta v Clio v Mazda 2 etc
Ka v Twingo v Panda etc

The pics you've put up show the mazda to look ok, but the very cheapest of the current range is £8,800. To get a similar performance to the twingo GT, you'd be looking at a few grand over the twingo's price.

I want to see how the twingo is rated compared to the Panda and new KA.

the interior looks a lot better to me than the Twingo. I hate what Renault have done with the stereo and dash in the Twingo.

meggerman, why don't you just go and order a mazda now!

its not out yet, its an upcoming model. also the mps is just speculation

the thing to remember about your comparision chart is that price is not a factor. there are very expensive supermini`s from VW and there are super cheap crappy things from logan.

its the size and spec, weight that really puts the comparison into place, and for that reason a 960kg small mazda is indeed a supermini. and the new clio is a hatchback, it weighs more than the last civic type-r, seat ibiza diesel cupra and is the same size as a hatchback of just a few years ago, almost dwarfs the megane.

so i poo poo your comparison table :D

Fvck off. Price is king in this market..

see know we get to the root cause of your two posts.


no need for racism on this site mate, i would have thought you would know that more than anyone else given where your from.


http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/03/mazda2_24.jpg

quality looks alright.

**** off mate. Dont preach about racism and where i come from, i know better then you whats its all about been here all my life. Maybe you should come around sometime and see it for yourself you ignorant *****.

You were the one that started being racist about European workers, and crap like that.

Go buy your Jap plastic tupperware.
Your problem is that you buy cars based on brochures and printed specs, and not on real life experiences.
Im basing all my replies on actual facts, ive driven Toyotas, Mazdas and Subaru's before, and i would "once again MY OPINION" would stick to an European car, even if put together by all those European workers with all the flaws you mention.

Calm down dude!

Any South African car makers out there? :)

Im calm man, just hate it when people play out the racism card without knowing facts.

My mentioning of the "closed eyes" story was a joke, to be taken in the same way as his statement about European car makers.

@ cactusbob - Nope, we rather leave it to the pro's. The "Madiba GT" is still in development.... LOL LOL LOL

What the hell is a Madiba GT ? :)

Maybe meggerman can give that answer, seeing he knows so much about South Africa and our stinking past

come on ,guys, please calm it down.this thread is supposed to be about one persons thoughts regarding a new car and asking for friendly feedback.how has it degenerated to this level?.moderators,please feel free to close this thread.
steve

Or get it back on topic. On the subject of that, does the little Twingo thingy have ISOFIX in the back Steve? I've checked the Renault website but there are no detailed specs up for it yet.

yes,mate ,indeed it does.good to see you and the rest of the guys and gals yesterday.

Right i reckon the new Twingo is the nuts, looks great to be honest, (don't get comparing it to a ferrari, or lamborghini though)


I think the best kind of driver would be a japanese man from south africa who works for mazda. ;)


Chill guys we all know mm is a wind up! ;) :D ;)


Back to the topic though i'd be very interested to see what the twingo RS would look like, as if you can imagine it sitting lower with nice and wide arches on the back it'd be a great super mini type car.

Thumbs up from me!

Any word on other engines for the cute little thing? And is it big enough to get a Recaro kids seat in the back ?

Any word on other engines for the cute little thing? And is it big enough to get a Recaro kids seat in the back ?
no more engines are planned at the moment.imo i think a recaro would fit.

Thanks for that Steve, how does interior space in the back compare to the old shape Clio. I had a little look yesterday, but I couldn't see much cos you'd wandered off and those tints were damn dark. Also, you got any brochures for them yet?

Crikey, all this over a Twingo. After seeing it in the flesh. It will be a superb car for someones first, or just a little run around. Wasn't over keen on the interior, colours and plastics etc, but for a small car, i thought it wasn't too bad.

With an Admin head on now, please keep this on topic. Im not going to close it, as long as it stays on topic !!!

No prob mate ;)

Thanks :)

didnt read the previous pages, cant be arsed just incase it annoys me lol, but im guessing it was something to do with poo poo`ing the comparison table ? that was just a jest :D

Thanks for that Steve, how does interior space in the back compare to the old shape Clio. I had a little look yesterday, but I couldn't see much cos you'd wandered off and those tints were damn dark. Also, you got any brochures for them yet?

the rear seats slide backwards and forwards individually,so you can vary the amount of leg room/bootspace to quite a degree. curly is over 6ft tall and remarked how much head/legroom there was.pm me with your address and i will post you some info.

and yes,the tints are very errrrrr.....tinted. lol

steve.

Pm'd :)

stuff sent,cactus.

Thanks matey :)

I think this Twingo looks very good.

http://gateway.selltec.com/elements/apps/elia/system/modules/sites/website/pages/home/renault/newtwingo/bild_gross/_page_id_o_advanced_878/pic01/twingoventis550.jpg

What Elia-Tuning is developing yet:

http://gateway.selltec.com/elements/apps/elia/system/modules/sites/website/pages/home/produktnews/main/_page_id_o_advanced_184/pic01/gelbva_500.jpg

http://gateway.selltec.com/elements/apps/elia/system/modules/sites/website/pages/home/produktnews/main/_page_id_o_advanced_184/pic02/gelb_ha_500.jpg

http://gateway.selltec.com/elements/apps/elia/system/modules/sites/website/pages/home/produktnews/main/_page_id_o_advanced_706/pic01/blau_1_500.jpg

http://gateway.selltec.com/elements/apps/elia/system/modules/sites/website/pages/home/produktnews/main/_page_id_o_advanced_706/pic02/blauha_500.jpg

But indeed the Mazda 2 looks very nice too. But let's wait for the Twingo RS.


Greetz,
Rik

I think the sport version is going to look the nuts.

anyone bothered about it being 4star ncap ?

I only found that out on Sunday. What was it that couldn't get them the 5th star.

I only found that out on Sunday. What was it that couldn't get them the 5th star.

dunno but the chassis is the same as the MKII clio and that was 4star also.

it was according to the head of renault-nissan in this months autocar "a cost issue"

Im surprised. Renault seem to pride themselves about 5 stars.

Would I get the Baby's Car seat and push chair in it? I have decided that the Scenics Days are numbered!!!!

Would I get the Baby's Car seat and push chair in it? I have decided that the Scenics Days are numbered!!!!

id go for a 5dr megane lux R26 F1 :D

id go for a 5dr megane lux R26 F1 :D

I would love one but trying to persuade Cactusbob is a different story!!!!

We'll support your campaign

We'll support your campaign

Thanks guys. I don't see why he gets to drive a nice car and I get landed with the battle bus!!!

Would I get the Baby's Car seat and push chair in it? I have decided that the Scenics Days are numbered!!!!

how big is the pushchair?;)

how big is the pushchair?;)

Quite, it only justed fitted in my old beloved Clio.

i would say it would, i looked at it the weekend as i also got a pram to cater for, but i think it will fit ok but not much more room left,

ali likes it but will wait and see wat the RS version looks like b4 making her mind up.

i would say it would, i looked at it the weekend as i also got a pram to cater for, but i think it will fit ok but not much more room left,

ali likes it but will wait and see wat the RS version looks like b4 making her mind up.


I agree but I am still holding out for a R26!!!

I agree but I am still holding out for a R26!!!

Go on Mr Bob - it's only money :D