04 Mar 04
The Renault Wind broke cover at the Geneva show to a mixed reaction. Some thought the concept design a little too cute for its own good, while others welcomed the concept of a fun, simple and affordable roadster with a cleverly conceived interior. The Wind is a '2+1' with a removable cover behind the seats which can be flipped over to form a sort of saddle, which can accommodate a third occupant. Another neat touch in the cabin is the way that the steering wheel and pedals fold out of the way automatically when the door is opened, making it easier to climb aboard.
Eschewing the recent trend towards folding hardtops, the Wind uses triple-layer soft folding material. Even so, the boot is still quite capacious. So is this the next Mazda MX-5 for Europe? Possibly, because Renault insiders claim that the Wind would be very easy to build using existing components such as Renault's 2.0-litre 136bhp 16-valve powerplant. But that would also mean using a front-drive platform, making it difficult to replicate the rear-drive handling fun of cars like the MX-5. There is a lot of internal pressure to go ahead with the Wind, with a decision likely later this year. They might want to rethink the name, though.
