Renault Twingo Cup 133

NO frills, but maximum thrills – that’s the mantra of the TwingoCup 133.

The tiny city car is the cheapest vehicle in our line-up by some margin but, as with all Cup models, it comes with a more focused chassis, less equipment and a lower price tag than standard Renaultsport examples. Costing only £12,100, this entry point into the world of high performance Renault ownership is a back-to-basics hot hatch.

The low-rent cabin won’t get you excited and there’s no airconditioning, either, yet you do get a height-adjustable seat and leather wheel. The Cup chassis adds 4mm lower suspension, plus stiffer springs and dampers than on the standard
Renaultsport 133, and the little French hatchback relishes circuit work. On track, you need to adopt a kerb-hopping touring car-style driving technique to maintain momentum.

A sharp turn-in and tenacious front-end grip mean the car thrives on twisty sections of tarmac, but the steering feel is artificial and the firm suspension doesn’t offer much compliance, while the strong brakes are grabby and hard to moderate.

You have to work the modest 1.6-litre engine very hard to extract optimum performance, and this highlights the model’s biggest flaw, as the powerplant is coarse at high revs. The gearbox is notchy, too, but this doesn’t prevent the beefed-up city car from posting a faster lap time than some rivals with more power.

This giant-killing ability continues on twisty back roads as well.  While living with the Cup’s unyielding ride and basic cabin is a challenge day-to-day, few cars can match it for performance per pound. It’s far from perfect, but the Twingo proves you don’t have to spend a fortune to buy a Performance Car Of The Year contender.