GTP Cool Wall: 1996-1999 Renault Sport Spider

[White & Nerdy]

1996-1996 Renault Sport Spider nominated by Nessy

Stats:
Production: 1996-1999
Style: 2-door roadster
Engine: 122 ci/1,998 cc naturally aspirated DOHC inline 4 (rated 148 HP & ??? lb-ft)
Transmisson: 5-speed manual
Layout: Mid-engine, Rear-drive​

 

[Roger the Horse]

Built by Alpine. That is all.

 

[Roflwaffle]

Yellow. That is all.

 

[Slash]

Meh. That is all.

 

[Danny]

I am completely torn. I love love love it, but it's a total stretch to call it cool. I think as a general rule, if you have to explain what it is you're driving, it's not cool. With a heavy heart, I have to vote this uncool.

 

[Azure Flare]

@White & Nerdy This car has 136 lb.-ft. of torque.

 

[Roger the Horse]

@Danny

I think the RSS can do a good enough job explaining itself.

 

[GTP_Ingram]

Meh. That is all.

*Rolls eyes and shakes head.* That is all.

 

[Slash]

Am I the only one that thinks this car screams knock off Porsche?

 

[Roflwaffle]

Yes.

 

[Parker]

I like it but I have to go with uncool.

 

[SlipZtrEm]

Yes.

+1.

 

[Slash]

I thought it was blatantly obvious.

 

[Roflwaffle]

I don't see how it looks like a Porsche in any way.

 

[Wiegert]

The models that actually came with a windscreen just about nudge cool. It had so much more character than anything else born into the 90s Renault range.

@Danny

I think the RSS can do a good enough job explaining itself.

I think the only thing you'd need explain is that Renault Sport produced it.

Am I the only one that thinks this car screams knock off Porsche?

I thought it was blatantly obvious.

What Porsche model did you have in mind, anyway?

 

[Slash]

It's a little off, but look at the front of it. That hood/headlights.

Nothing in particular, just that it had a similar ouline to that of popular Porsche street cars.

It's not like a Porsche, because it isn't, but it resembles many of Porsches typical features. At least to my eyes.

I don't know. I see a lot of '05-ish Boxster. Just way more over the top and cartoonish.

 

[Tyger]

Love these, oddly despite being a total car nerd I never even knew these existed at the time, found out about them via GTP a while back. Too bad they never really took off, great little coupes, pretty unique looking and hey a true French sports car, a rarity in itself. Very solid upper Cool, but SZ would be pushing it.

@Slash try a Google image search so you get a few angles. The headlight covers are quite big and angled on the inside, doesn't really resemble a Porsche at all, just perhaps the camera angle pic in the OP pic.

 

[Roflwaffle]

The reason it wasn't so popular was due to the Elise being better than it in almost every way. Real shame though, I liked them a lot.

 

[Wiegert]

It's not like a Porsche, because it isn't, but it resembles many of Porsches typical features. At least to my eyes.

The only typical Porsche feature I can see on that are the wheels. In that it has four of them.

 

[Slash]

Like I said, this car seems to be more cartoonish and less refined.

But whatever I guess.

 

[TheBook]

A Lotus Elise for people who don't want a Lotus Elise. That bumps it down to cool. The fact that I would drive one and I'm a horrifically uncool person brings it down to a very mild uncool.

 

[AudiMan2011]

Meh. The Alpine connection saves it from uncool.

 

[JAHHAJ]

It's ugly, it's a Renault, it's a wannabe Lotus Elise for people who think the Elise is too mainstream, seriously uncool.

 

[Zenith]

Of course it looks like a Porsche/Lotus. This is a mid-engined sports car. It uses the same design techniques as other mid-engined sports cars because that's what works.

Not everything new is a knock-off of a familiar product.

 

[Tyger]

Did I miss the memo that said there's only allowed to be one small mid-engined coupe on the market at any one time?

 

[Nessy]

I've only once seen one of these on the road, but i thought it was cool when i saw it, mainly because it looked quite concepty (bare in mind it was about fifteen years ago).

Voted cool.

 

[Adamgp]

Uncool.

 

[Jahgee]

French makes it cool, looking so cute makes it Sub Zero

 

[Anathema]

Never heard of this until now.

Meh.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

You can take the windscreen off!

It's like the culmination of everything that was good about the 1990s. SZ for me, personally.