GTP Cool Wall: 1996-1999 Renault Sport Spider

[Leonidae@MFT]

Sub Zero. French, Renault, Mid-engined, manual and for enthusiasts, because why not build a wacky low production volume roadster if they can?

 

[CarBastard]

Sub-zero. It's a machine built for driving joy instead of outright stupid performance figures, it's small, french, quirky and looks mad but not brash or "in your face". It attracts effortless attention, it shows that you don't care what other people think of you, the exact opposite of the Ferrari LaFerrarrerirarrarari.

 

[C-ZETA]

Saw one of these at Chelsea Auto Legends. It was very nice, I enjoyed it.
Cool.

 

[Sage Ages]

It's French.

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

I was thinking Lotus, although cars like these have been around for a while.

 

[Joey D]

Cool. It's French, unique, and even if you weren't a car person you'd probably know there's something unique about it. It's also a car that I don't think takes itself seriously.

The only that keeps it out of the sub-zero category is that it looks exactly like a 90's concept car and the only period of car design worse than the 90's was the 80's.

 

[GranTurismo916]

Meh, it's not that interesting.

 

[DK]

Sub-zero. It looks like a hoot to drive, as if it's some sort of French MR-2.

Also, it was the basis of one-make racing series.

 

[homeforsummer]

It's a wannabe Lotus Elise for people who think the Elise is too mainstream

Except that it was released exactly the same time as the Elise so doesn't copy it in any way, and cannot therefore be considered a "wannabe" Elise.

Also that labeling someone who drives a Spider as some kind of anti-Lotus hipster is laughably cretinous.

 

[NLxAROSA]

Sub Zero. French, Renault, Mid-engined, manual and for enthusiasts, because why not build a wacky low production volume roadster if they can?

Exactly my feelings. Future classic if not already. 👍

 

[Pagey279]

Its small, cute, fun and French. A solid cool from me.

 

[edawg456]

Meh

 

[AlvaroF]

One hell of a Sub-Zero, I didn't even have to think

French, built by Alpine, mid-engined, fun to drive, looks quircky and you look cool on one of those.

 

[McLaren]

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.

Not even close.

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

In a car that was built before the Boxster altogether?

 

[GTPorsche]

Cool.

 

[Sage Ages]

Is everyone here physically incapable of reading "1996-1999"?

 

[MatskiMonk]

Andy Priaulx did quite well in one.

Do I think it's cool.. I don't know...

 

[Luminis]

It was build with the right idea in mind, right? Light, MR, manual gearbox. I'm not a huge Renault fan, but I kinda like that they did the Lotus thing, without being Lotus.

It's a car that doesn't give a damn about what others think about it, it's there to be driven and that's it. Doesn't make it sub zero, but definitely cool.

/edit:
Oh, and let's not forget that it's got more racing history under its belt than, dunno, the LaFerrari.

 

[Mikeybc]

Was going to vote meh but decided to go with cool for not using the name "spyder" in place of "spider"

 

[niky]

It's not as good as an Elise.

It sold poorly, had terrible (read: non-existent) weather protection, and a rather ordinary drivetrain.

Sub-zero. Would pay physical money to drive one, given the chance.

 

[TheCracker]

It's a lowish cool. Great looking, so much more striking in the flesh. Would have been cooler if it hadn't be bested by the mk1 Elise in almost every regard.

People. Some people. Don't seen to realise or remember that the French have been doing Lotus for as long as Lotus have. Lightweight chassis, composite body, modest power plant from a modest family runabout and great handling. Alpine, and later Venturi, have pulled this combo off succesfully many times before. Porsche haven't attempted anything like this since the 1950's

 

[CarBastard]

It's a lowish cool. Great looking, so much more striking in the flesh. Would have been cooler if it hadn't be bested by the mk1 Elise in almost every regard.

People. Some people. Don't seen to realise or remember that the French have been doing Lotus for as long as Lotus have. Lightweight chassis, composite body, modest power plant from a modest family runabout and great handling. Alpine, and later Venturi, have pulled this combo off succesfully many times before. Porsche haven't attempted anything like this since the 1950's

But bro, bro, it takes like, a genius, or a total nerd, bro, to know what was Matra or Simca or Gordini or Alpine. I mean, damn. Like, are you for real? Peace off, nerds, goin' clubbin' or playin' COD with some bros while dropping tons of Dew.

(Pictured: Matra’s automotive story began back in the early 1960s, with a toe-in-the-water collaboration in the production of the Deutsch-Bonnet Djet. It was one of the first ever mid-engined road cars, featuring a super lightweight body: features that would be signatures for Matra sports cars for 20 years.)

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

If I recall correctly, the Renault had a welded aluminum chassis instead of the bonded aluminum chassis that Lotus developed. Basically, it made it considerably heavier than the Elise, thus ensuring it's eventual doom.

 

[niky]

It was doomed simply because the Elise had a roof.

 

[YSSMAN]

Abso-freaking-lutely sub-zero. Fantastic design, simple execution, apparently a halfway decent drive. Never will be seen in America, but was a personal favorite to race around in Project Gotham 2.

 

[GTP_Ingram]

I have to be honest, I'm bothered about the number of people who consider this car 'meh' - far moreso than those that think it is uncool. Meh is surely for boring, bland cars, so how can a wild looking, super-rare, mid-engined sports car ever be considered uninteresting?

 

[Azure Flare]

I have to be honest, I'm bothered about the number of people who consider this car 'meh' - far moreso than those that think it is uncool. Meh is surely for boring, bland cars, so how can a wild looking, super-rare, mid-engined sports car ever be considered uninteresting?

@Danny at least explained why he voted Uncool, but everyone else was probably for the same reasons they do for every car that comes up for polling.

Not, 'Merican, lacks power, not V8, etcetera ad absurdum.

 

[CarBastard]

@Danny at least explained why he voted Uncool, but everyone else was probably for the same reasons they do for every car that comes up for polling.

Not, 'Merican, lacks power, not V8, etcetera ad absurdum.

"I don't know it exists, therefore Meh or Uncool"

Then google the damn thing if you don't know about it and then vote.

 

[Doodle]

I have never heard of this car before I saw this thread.

I love it now. Sub-zero.

 

[Downhill Dino]

@Danny at least explained why he voted Uncool, but everyone else was probably for the same reasons they do for every car that comes up for polling.

Not, 'Merican, lacks power, not V8, etcetera ad absurdum.

"I don't know it exists, therefore Meh or Uncool"

Then google the damn thing if you don't know about it and then vote.

I've known of this car prior to its appearance on the cool wall. I'm certainly not one for fawn over V8s and like either. I can not find a way to see it as cool though. Usually I'd be all for some relatively obscure French sports car, but not this time. Track machines don't look cool on the road.

 

[Spacegoat]

@Danny at least explained why he voted Uncool, but everyone else was probably for the same reasons they do for every car that comes up for polling.

Not, 'Merican, lacks power, not V8, etcetera ad absurdum.

Just for the record, I voted it Uncool for exactly the same reasons that @Danny did. No reason to post when he summed it up perfectly. 👍