Look past the silly name and the Renault Wind has much to offer. Cheap to buy and run, quirkily styled and with a great chassis – set up the boys from Renaultsport – the Wind deserved a better fate. As it was, this Twingo-based roadster lasted just 18 months with a mere handful sold in the UK; now it represents a truly affordable and distinctive route into open-topped motoring.
Key dates
7/10: The Wind arrives in the UK, in Dynamique and Dynamique S forms with 1.2 Tce 100 or 1.6 VVT 133 engines. Launch cars are also offered in Collection guise.
1/11: The model line-up is tweaked to consist of Dynamique and GT Line.
7/11: There’s now a Gordini option, in Dynamique or GT Line guises. There are no mechanical changes over the regular models though.
2/12: The Wind is canned in the UK.
Checklist
- The seals between the roof and the side windows can fail, especially if the car has been pressure washed a lot.
- The turbocharged 1.2 TCe engine is the more zesty powerplant of the two, but the 1.6 sounds better and offers more muscle.
- Practicality might be an issue; the boot is small and there’s seating for just two.
- Visibility is poor and not all cars have parking sensors, so check for scrapes.
- Wind noise is poor, especially at speed with the roof down.
- The paint can peel from the plastic trim around the rear window.
We like
- Driving experience
- Value
- Quirkiness
- Rarity
- Neat electric roof
We don’t like
- Cheap interior
- Poor visibility
- High-speed refinement
Richard Dredge