Renault

Wind Roadster

With a striking design, this two-seater comes with a choice of engines and spec levels to suit everyone. It’s certainly one to watch out for and the asking price is very pleasing too.

The good

Fun, funky and rather fabulous

The bad

Pricey for what it is

Tech Specs

Price from

£15,500

Combined Fuel up to

44.8mpg

0-62 from

9.2 seconds

max speed up to

125mph

co2 from

145g/km

Test Drive

Renault Wind Roadster 1.6 VVT 133

Every once in a while something a little bit special comes along to add a touch of sparkle to proceedings and that something is the Renault Wind Roadster.

For this two-seater coupe roadster offers sheer perfection when it comes to dynamic, stylish, compact and fun-packed driving – and it’s all wrapped up neatly in an eye-catching design that’s guaranteed to turn heads.

With its hard top roof that can be raised or lowered in just 12 seconds, the Wind Roadster is even prepared for Mother Nature’s mood swings.

The 1.6-litre petrol-driven model supplied for my test drive boasted a dazzling interior with leather trim, metal pedals, black alloys, climate control, see-me-home headlamps, Bluetooth connectivity, a brilliant sound system, tinted windows, cruise control, and much more besides.

But for me this car is all about performance and making the most of your time behind the wheel.

Admittedly, I was blessed with warm Autumnal sunshine so cruising along with the roof lowered adds to the enjoyment, but even with the roof raised, the Wind Roadster has plenty to offer.

The five-speed manual transmission is both smooth and very responsive and the car hugs tight bends for fun – even at higher speeds. Comfort levels are very good and even today’s potholed roads pose very little problem to the vehicle’s suspension.

Acceleration is outstanding and generally the all-round visibility is very good, although it is obviously more restricted with the roof raised.

Another pleasing factor is the generously-sized boot which can easily accommodate luggage-sized items and this is further complemented by a large glove box and recesses behind the seats.

Renault has crammed plenty of safety features into the Wind Roadster including anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, numerous airbags, a tyre inflation kit, an anti-intruder device, electronic stability control, brake assist and plenty more besides.

To be honest, at £18.2k the Wind Roadster is the perfect companion for a summer’s day on the road, but come the winter months with the constant driving rain and snow, I think mine would be safely tucked up in storage.