The Renault Sport Spider is a roadster produced by Renault Sport between 1996 and 1999. It was intended both as a racing car for a one-make Renault series and as a road car, and it was assembled at the Alpine factory in Dieppe.
Renault Sport Spider at a glance
| Maker | Renault Sport; assembled at Alpine, Dieppe |
|---|---|
| Production | 1996–1999 |
| Project code | W94 |
| Engine | 2.0-litre F7R, 150 PS |
| Body | open two-seater roadster |
| Screen | aeroscreen at first, glass windscreen from 1997 |
| Built | about 1,640 cars plus about 80 race versions |
| Right-hand drive | 60 cars for the UK and Japan |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Renault Sport Spider.
History of the Renault Sport Spider
Project W94
The idea for the Spider was formed in the early 1990s, when Renault, reviving after a difficult second half of the 1980s, wanted a car to promote itself as a sporting brand, much as the Renault 5 Turbo had done a decade earlier. The first prototypes of Project W94 were completed in mid-1994 and a concept version was shown at the Geneva Motor Show a year later. The car went on sale in early 1996, assembled at the Alpine factory in Dieppe.
Aeroscreen and windscreen
Left-hand-drive cars were first produced with an aeroscreen of the same kind used by the race cars. In 1997 a version with a full glass windscreen and wiper became available. The UK market imported only the windscreen version, and 60 right-hand-drive cars were built for the UK and Japan.
Production
Approximately 1,640 cars were produced through 1999, with the addition of around 80 race-only versions. The naturally aspirated two-litre F7R engine produces 150 PS.
Design and features
- Two lives: designed as both a road car and a one-make racer.
- Open body: an aeroscreen at first, a glass windscreen from 1997.
- Alpine assembly: built in Dieppe at Alpine’s factory.
- Small numbers: about 1,640 road cars and 80 racing versions.
Renault Sport Spider versions
- Spider with aeroscreen (1996): the first left-hand-drive cars.
- Spider with windscreen (1997): full glass screen and wiper, the version sold in Britain.
- Race version: around 80 cars built for Renault’s one-make series.
The Spider was built by Renault Sport at Alpine’s Dieppe works, a factory shared with the Renault Alpine GTA and A610. More Renaults are in the Renault collection.
Video: Spider Renault
Video by chalucet83 on YouTube.
Sources
- Renault Sport Spider, English Wikipedia: project, versions, production, engine
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