Renault Wind 1.6 Dynamique S (2011) long-term test review

By Sarah-Jayne Harrison

Long Term Tests

25 January 2011 09:57

Practical issues in the Wind - 25 January 2011

Just whizzed the Wind down to Heathrow for a weekend skiing. First chance I've had to spend a couple of hours in Renault's little roadster. It's an intriguing car but one I suspect will remain a niche sight on UK roads, like the Tigra and others that went before. Here are a few practical observations from my M-way stint.

First, the boot is actually quite generous for a supermini based CC. Mind the enormous bracing struts and you'll easily stow a couple of generous overnight bags. Poor marks for the complete absence of any closing handle inside though - mucky hands at this time of year.

I found the seat too high for a proper roadster experience (blame those Twingo roots) but it's a fun car to punt along. Could do with a sixth gear on motorways mind. And while the driver's door mirror has a convex edge to eliminate blindspots, the passenger side doesn't, leaving ample scope for errant M25 undertakers to lurk behind those cool but obfuscating flying buttresses.

By Tim Pollard

Long-term test hello - 18 December 2011

Renault wind roadster 'Iâ€™ve got wind!' 'Sarah, can I borrow your wind?' Yes, the puns will go on and on over the next six months, as they have since it arrived in the office. Renaultâ€™s new two-seater roadster first debuted as a concept car back in 2004 at the Geneva show, but the actual production car bears little resemblance to the show car. I think the stylistic changes are for the better, but why did they keep the name?

CAR's testing the Dynamique S version which nabs the 1.6 VVT engine shared with the Twingo Renaultsport and 17in alloy wheels, plus standard auto headlights and wipers, climate control, CD player, MP3 reader and Bluetooth connectivity. All for Â£17,300 - which is slap bang in MX-5 territory.

I upgraded to metallic black paint, which goes some way to shifting the â€˜cuteâ€™ look. We've got heated seats, too, but I've yet to find how or where the controls are for this! They should keep the part leather upholstery nice and warm in this unusually cold winter. There really isnâ€™t much else on the options list you can add to the Wind.

Iâ€™m really pleased we settled on the 1.6 engine because it sounds awesome. Frustrations of running in over, we're now regularly past 3000rpm and it does possess a good soundtrack. A good job too, since the stereo is awful and there is no point using it with the roof down on a motorway.

While the Renault Wind's Ferrari 575-alike roof folds back in a remarkable 12 seconds with an impressive backward somersault, it takes the windows down with it. No big deal, until you realise that the window controls are low down on the centre console and take almost as long to put back up as the roof does to come down. Theyâ€™re not one-touch automatic either.

A minor grumble, could become a daily summer pain in the neck, back and shoulders. Roll on warmer spring weather so we can test life al fresco in the Wind. I've a feeling it's going to be an interesting summer...

By Sarah-Jayne Harrison