Renault has carefully avoided saying so, but this is in all probability an early preview of a replacement for the Twingo - particularly seeing that it's called the Twin'Run.
This outrageous concept, a pure hooligan tool that picks up where the R5 Turbo and Clio V6 left off, ran its first laps today at Monte Carlo during practice for Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix, with RenaultSport boss Carlos Tavares in the Twin'Run leading F1 driver Charles Pic in a Clio V6 and 1980s rally ace Jean Ragnotti in a Maxi 5.
The Twin'Run ties in with the current series of concept cars illustrating Renault's design strategy, with its diamond-dominated front end underlines Renault's new brand identity. Like the Twin'Z, it's finished in Renault's motorsport blue, with a '5' on the doors in tribute to the iconic R5 Turbo rally car of the 1980s rally car, along with the design of the headlights and the generous haunches at the back.
The four flat LED headlights are a modern-day take on the light racks used in night rally specials, with customisable light sequences controlled by an in-car system - although it was a real challenge to develop a powerful enough light source in a housing just 25mm deep.
BUILT FOR THE TRACK
The Twin'Run was developed in collaboration with Tork Engineering and Poclain Vehicules, a French firm that specialises in preparing cars for racing, and has a composite body over a multi-tube steel chassis powered by a mid-engine engine derived from the Mégane Trophy racer.
Mounted longitudinally ahead of the rear axle, the 3498cc V6 delivers 236kW at 6800rpm and 380Nm at 4850 rpm. It drives the rear wheels through a racing-style twin clutch Sadev six-speed sequential gearbox and it also has a limited-slip differential.
The whole car weighs just 950kg, giving it a power-to-weight ratio of 248kW per tonne; it'll do 0-100km/h in 4.5 seconds and top out at 250km/h.
It breathes in through vents in the rear wheel-arches, while air extractors in the rear quarter lights help keep the engine cool. The cooling system has polished aluminium pipes set visibly into the cabin floor and the engine compartment is separated from the driver's seat by a plexiglass panel.
COMPOSITE BODY
The fibreglass body has a carbon-fibre front blade, roof, rear vent and wheel arches to keep weight down, with a vent channelling air flow under the car and a fixed wing to keep the car on the road at high speeds.
The purpose-built multi-tube space-frame was developed by Tork Engineering, with double-wishbone suspension, billet aluminium-alloy uprights and Ohlins dampers all round, while 22mm front and 25mm rear anti-roll bars keep things under control on the corners.
The three-part 18” racing rims, shod with 205/40 front and 245/35 rear Michelins, have a special hub with a central bolt.
The chassis may be pure motorsport but the cabin is trimmed in black and red “alcantara effect” suede, and the two padded Sparco bucket seats with full safety harnesses are upholstered in three shades of alcantara with the Twin'Run logo.
In place of conventional instruments the Twin'Run has a 140mm liquid-crystal display showing speed, gear position and revs, as well as fuel pressure, clutch pressure and oil pressure. Two red temperature gauges with centrally positioned needles show the oil temperature and water temperature, in a last nod to the R5 Turbo.