Renaultsport Twingo 133 Cup (2009) CAR review

Renaultsport does a rather fine line in hot hatches. The outgoing R26R is amazing, the Clio 200 is brilliant, and we’re all fans of the tiny Twingo 133. And now there’s a new Renaultsport Twingo 133, the Cup.

But I can already spec a Cup chassis on the Renaultsport Twingo 133, so what’s new?

Pen and paper at the ready, because things gets a little complicated. You can already buy a regular little Renaultsport Twingo 133 for £12,495, but there’s also a Cup chassis option. For £650 it adds 10% stiffer springs and dampers, reduces the ride height by 4mm, and adds 17-inch wheels and tyres in lieu of the regular 16s.

It’s the same set-up Renaultsport has with the Clio, whereby you can spec a regular 200, and then opt for a Cup chassis to sharpen things up. But on the Clio 200 there’s also the option of a lightened (and cheaper) Clio Cup. And now the Twingo is following suit.

The new Twingo Cup keeps the Cup chassis settings, but in comes a regular rear bench in place of the sliding back seats, while out goes the air-con, auto lights and tinted rear windows.

And the result is…

The reduction in equipment cuts 10 kilos from the Twingo’s kerbweight, and you’ll shed a few pounds yourself on a hot summer’s day when there’s no air-con to cool you down.

But the benefit of going without air-con is that you’ll save yourself a few quid. The new Twingo Cup costs £11,795, which means it’s £700 cheaper than a basic Renaultsport Twingo, and £1300 less than a Cup-equipped car, even though it retains the latter’s chassis.

Shell out another £150 and you can have the white paint, plus gloss black door mirrors, spoiler and bumper trims of our test car, while another £175 nets you the mean-looking black wheels.

>> Click 'Next' below to read more of our Renaultsport Twingo 133 Cup first drive