Renaultsport roadster by 2010
As the reigning world champions – poised to secure one if not both titles for a second straight year – Renault hasn't done much to bank on its Formula One success with its model range. It seems the best it could muster is a special edition of the Megane hatchback. But the createur d'automobiles is looking to change that with a roadster to compete with the Mazda MX-5.
Renaultsport chief Alain Dassas confirmed the roadster will hit the market by 2010 with a £19,570 sticker price in the UK. That should be fairly competitive with the Mazda, which (for comparison's sake) ranges from £15,650 to £20,710 in the British market and was enjoying more elbow room after the cancellation of the Toyota MR2. No more info is available on the upcoming French spider at this point, but it promises to be a more serious contender than the Renault Sport Spider (pictured) from the late 90's with its optional windscreen (!) and complete lack of a roof of any kind.
If the old "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" adage has any truth to it, the new roadster should give the Mazda a good run for its money, and give Renault a sporty model as a practical halo for the entire range.
[Source: Auto Express]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Green Lotus Elise 11:13PM (10/12/2006)
I always thought those Renault roadsters were pretty cool looking, one of those cars that really made me wish I lived across the pond.
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Tire dealer 11:34PM (10/12/2006)
Thats a very nice car, I would buy this over the Lotus Elise.
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J P 1:10AM (10/13/2006)
The car in the picture isn't what the new roadster will be. The renault spider in the picture was produced a while ago in a limited run. It was even reviewed by Jeremy Clarkson.
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Cars 2:18AM (10/13/2006)
Renault roadsters is an ideal car.I like it.
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Phelix 8:37AM (10/13/2006)
That one looks sort of like an MR2 Spyder.
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rwdmtparkingonly 10:11AM (10/13/2006)
I'm glad autoblog referenced the Renault Spider. It came out about the same time as the original Elise, and Renault made fun of the Elise because the Spider has a fully welded aluminum frame, as opposed to the bonded and riveted frame on the Elise. It would have made a nice Nissan if the merger had happened earlier.
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Hanh 11:49AM (10/13/2006)
Could there be a possibility for the Nissan Urge concept (from last year's auto show) to enter production?
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felonious monk 1:06PM (10/13/2006)
"That one looks sort of like an MR2 Spyder."
Uh, sure. It's got four wheel, four tires and two headlights.
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Reactor Mustang 3:12PM (10/14/2006)
The car in that picture is hideous. It looks like a kit car of some sort.
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