Twingo

Click above for a high res gallery of the Renault Twingo

Those who mourned the passing of the Smart Roadster may be interested by the reports that Renault is preparing to launch a tiny convertible of its own. The diminutive spider is tipped to be based on the existing Renault Twingo, and feature a manual targa-style deployable roof that can be stowed in the trunk.

If you think that the current generation of the Renault Twingo - a fairly low-polluting car and quite useful on crowded European cities - isn't that much of a looker, take a look at this first image of the Twingup. I happen to like to first-gen Twingo, but can appreciate that Renault has taken some inspiration from the converted Honda CRX convertibles for its new Twingo-based roadste

For those who hate diesel but still want to have low CO2 emitting cars, Renault is offering a solution: A new variant of the Twingo has been introduced that emits 120 g/km and burns 5.1 l of unleaded for each 100 km (46mpg U. S.). This qualifies for France's 700€ bonus for low-polluting cars. The engine, named LEV, is derived from the standard 1.2-liter 75hp gas version which has the engine tuned specifically, as well as a gerbox with higher speed ratios.

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The Twingo still won't take you to mythical Silene, but the UK gets its own specially pimped version of the entry-level Twingo called the "Extreme." Think of it as a Tercel Blackhawk en français, s'il vous plaît. The Twingo Extreme consists of mostly graphics for the exterior, though there's a few extra bits of gear thrown in, too.

Autotriti, a Greek automotive website, is reporting that Renault has a surprise up its sleeve for the Frankfurt Motor Show. That surprise is said to be a Twingo Coupe + Cabriolet. Visual differences between the C+C and the Twingo hatchback will be extensive -- so much so that the instrument panel could be the only carryover. Mechanically, it will share very much with the hatchback (platform, powertrains, etc.

The new Renault Twingo is set to hit dealer floors in Europe on June 15, says Automotive News Europe (subs req'd). The compact and low-emissions Twingo (the beefiest petrol model emits 140 grams of CO2 per kilometer) will also come with a 1.5 dCi diesel engine option. Renault has sold over 2.4 million Twingos since introducing the vehicle in 1993. The company makes the Twingo at the Novo Mesto plant in Slovenia

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We get a lot of PR material from automakers here at AutoblogGreen, but it's a rare day when the press release describing a new car comes with chapter breaks. Yet that's exactly how Renault is presenting their New Twingo, a small vehicle with a big heart. Apparently, if you like to read, you're going to love the New Twingo.

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As part of the 22nd Annual International Automobile Festival, a team of judges has chosen its Chris Tutor

On yesterday's On Point, the NPR radio show, the topic was small. Tiny, actually. Tiny cars. These vehicles - cars like the SMART, the Renault Twingo, or the Ford Ka - are gaining interest here as gas prices rise. On Point featured five voices of those in the know, including Rick Woodbury, the inventor of the Tango, an ultra-slim electric commuter car and Ryan Chin, MIT Media Lab's Smart Cities Project, who contributed t