Renault Wind roadster for Geneva launch
* To be launched at Geneva motor show
* Novel electric roof pivots in 12 seconds
The Wind, Renault's brand new baby roadster, will be launched at the Geneva motor show next month.
The Wind is Renault's response to the likes of the Mini convertible and Peugeot 207CC, and will be unveiled at the Geneva show on March 2nd.
According to the company, it is aimed at motorists who 'lust after a car that is not only distinctive and compact, but also convertible yet practical enough for everyday use'.
Not just a show car
Renault also stresses that the car in these pictures is not just a show car, but exactly what will appear in its showrooms later this year.
Underneath, the Wind is based on the same platform as the Twingo and looks quite similar at the front end. However, the new car is just over 200mm longer than its hatchback sister, and Renault will market the two cars separately.
The company is keen to point out that the Wind is not just a convertible version of the Twingo. It will have its own look, and Renault says that everything an owner sees or touches in the Wind will be unique to it.
The most obvious of those features is its roof-folding mechanism that allows the hard top to pivot from over the passenger compartment to over the boot. The whole operation takes just 12 seconds, and no matter what position the roof is in, the boot capacity remains the same at 270 litres.
Just two engines will be available, the 99bhp 1.2 TCE from the Twingo GT and the 131bhp 1.6 from the Twingo Renaultsport. There are no plans for a diesel-engined version or for further models to join the range.
The car will go on sale in the UK in late summer, priced to compete with the 207CC, with the range expected to start at around 16,000.
