Renault Wind Roadster 1.6VVT 133 Collection28 | 12 | 2010Scotcars rating

Forget the playground humour, the Renault Wind is something a little different

Overview

To drive like the wind is a far better option than to suffer from serious flatulence, so let’s go for the first option as the reason for Renault’s curious choice of name for one of their latest quirky cars. The Wind Roadster is a two-seater coupe convertible developed by RenaultSport and its parentage lies with both the Clio and the Twingo. Built on the same production line as the Twingo in Slovenia, it uses the Clio II RenaultSport platform with a few modifications to give it a balance of weight and structural stability; under the bonnet of the test car was the 1.6 litre VVT 133 petrol engine which you’ll also find in the Twingo RenaultSport.

What’s especially clever about this car though is the design of the rotating roof which drops to stow beneath a metal cover on top of the boot space, so there’s no loss of carrying capacity in the surprisingly large boot. It made its debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show where it looked more at home than on the roads of Scotland in the wild and wet weather.

With only 200 coming to the UK, the Collection version could become a modern classic and something of a rarity as it really is of limited appeal for a whole variety of reasons ... but with its innovative roof, it’s certainly more practical than that other French fancy, the Citroen Pluriel.  

On the road

It’s designed to be a fun car and certainly it’s very enjoyable on the open road with the roof open to the elements. The hard top comes down very quickly, in just 12 seconds, and once it’s tucked away under its own cover the car comes into its own. Despite its name, there is little buffeting, rather just some gentle stirring of the hair; plus lungs full of fresh air, coupled with the smells of the countryside.

The car has a distinctive style with a steeply raked bonnet and high waistline. At the back there’s a wing which forms part of the boot lid, and the boomerang rear lights are very individual. The 17in alloys look huge and it certainly has a presence, although I felt it could have benefitted from being less tall and a little wider. With all due respect to our blow-dry buddies, it does have all the elements of something that would belong to a hairdresser, especially in the Glacier White paintjob of the test car.  

Comfort & Safety

I wasn’t sure about the interior, which felt a touch claustrophobic, and a lot of the bits and pieces seem to have been lifted straight from the Twingo’s spare parts bin at the factory. The driver’s view is dominated by a translucent red panel cowl that is supposed to echo motorbike styling, but I found it a distraction and pretty pointless. The sport seats were firm and the dashboard had all the information close at hand. It comes with all the standard safety features including front and lateral airbags, ABS and electronic brake distribution and stability control so you should be as safe as you can be.    

Should I buy one?

You’ll certainly stand out – you’ll have the only one in your street.

Keep up-to-date with all the latest news by following us on twitter.com/scotcars

Alan Douglas