Go Go Twingo!

 

The Frankfurt auto show is on this week, and while most people are interested in what Mercedes, BMW and Audi had to show, it was pictures of a concept from Renault that caught my attention. The third generation Twingo, Renault's city car that first appeared in 1993, was hinted at with the Twin'Run prototype. This car clearly takes its inspiration from the Renault 5 and yet manages to look thoroughly modern at the same time.

Like it or hate it, it's not the design that is the most interesting aspect of this car. Renault has teamed up with Smart on the replacement for the Twingo, the basis of which will also become a new Smart Forfour 4-seater model. What makes this platform a standout amongst small city cars (which are a dime a dozen in Europe) is the fact that it is rear engine, rear-wheel drive...

 

While this tidbit might not mean much to everyone, especially typical city-car drivers who just want to get from point A to point B, car fans like myself get very excited when something like this is announced. A rear-wheel drive, rear-engine configuration is inherently an entertaining and dynamic set-up for a car, and a small, light-weight model like the Twingo certainly sounds very promising. Few details exist on the car, though apparently no diesel version will exist. Smart is likely going to provide an electric-motor model, though Renault isn't expected to follow with the Twingo.

I was a fan of the original Twingo, which ran from 1993 until 2007. It was a cute, toy-like car that looked like it belonged more on the set of the movie 'Cars' than on the street. A massive success, it sold-out a bit for the second generation and became a more respectable but less interesting mini-Clio from 2007 on. It would seem that the third generation is heading back down the quirky route, and I am confident that it will once again make its mark as a stand-out city car.