Look at what the current Renault range consists of today. The Clio , the Megane , the Zoe and a smattering of SUVs with forgettable names. Now, you can’t blame Renault for jumping aboard the electric car hype train and, for what it’s worth, I think the Megane E-Tech is rather good. But the days of the blisteringly fast-yet-affordable Renault look to be long gone.
What about Alpine? Well, on paper at least, it is Renault’s new performance division and still operates out of the old Dieppe facility that both the current and original A110 have called home. There are some exciting new models in the works, too, with the Renault 5-baseddue in the not-too-distant future, along with a hot new SUV of some sort. The former certainly suggests that some of the old Renaultsport magic is still present, even if combustion power and an affordable price tag are not.
The last time Renault tried to show the world it knew how to build a more exclusive performance car, it put out this: the bonkers Renault Sport Spider. In fact, the Spider’s designer, Patrick Le Quément, saw the sports car as a means of reviving the Alpine name before Renault realised it’d do wonders for its own street cred.
As you might have guessed, this is no ordinary Renault Sport Spider. Headlining an extensive list of upgrades is the addition of a T28 Garrett turbocharger strapped to the original Clio Williams engine, alongside uprated cams and pistons, a fully ported cylinder head, plus a customer intercooler and exhaust system. This lifts power up to a whopping 315hp, though you can adjust how that’s delivered to the rear axle thanks to a new ECU with switchable engine maps.
The previous owner has even made a few quality of life improvements, such as USB charging and Bluetooth connectivity, just don’t expect to hear much over the induction and wind noise. And that’s just scratching the surface of a Spider that’s clearly been pieced together in meticulous detail, all recorded with a wealth of documents and invoices. This isn't just a modded Renault Sport Spider - it’s the Trophy-R that never was...