Well I thought that since I own an RS 133 Gordini non-Cup, my other half owns a Glacier White RS 133 with the Cup chassis and now my mum owns a Twingo Gordini TCE I'd write up a little comparison.
Now interior wise the 133 is sporty but somewhat basic. The seats are nice and supportive and the steering wheel is chunky all be it a little big. Nowhere near as sailing ship sized as the Clio 172/182 but could possibly benefit from being a little smaller. The dash and interior plastics are ok but a little dull where as the layout of the rev counter and speedo is spot on. The orange seatbelts and stitching on the seats do add a bit of colour and the tinted rear windows add to the feel of the interior. To contrast this the interior of the Gordini is a world apart. The leather seats are equally supportive but just feel that bit more classy. Also the coloured detail on the steering wheel and rev counter add a bit of brightness against the grey as do the coloured gear gaiter, gear knob and black binnacle surround. To me personally the stereo upgrade is a genuinely good option as the stock head unit and speakers are pants plus the extra screen in the dash the upgrade offers takes the edge off that sea of grey.
Anyway, let's get to the important bit which is how they drive in comparison to each other.....
Well to be honest, for out and out performance it's all about the Cup chassis. These cars pull nicely and are very rev happy but in a straight line they're not monsters, we'll leave that to the RS Clio or Megane. What they are about is the handling and all three models I've driven handle brilliantly. The Cup chassis does have a sharper turn in and has that bit less roll than the non-Cup 133 but the pay off is a lot harsher ride. This is where a non-Cup 133 is a great balance. The handling and grip are ideal for fun on the road without the need for your Mrs to wear a sports bra, on track I'd expect a Cup to edge it slightly but in real life you don't notice a great benefit on the road.
The interesting comparison I found was the GT (in this case Gordini TCE) to the RenaultSport.
I had high expectations for the 1.2 turbo in the Twingo and I wasn't disappointed. The RS Twingo is a hard car to live up too but as a warmer version the GT/TCE is a good, cheaper to run and buy alternative. The engine has plenty of torque all be it from just under 2,000rpm as the turbo comes on boost, below that it definitely feels like just a 1.2 16v. This is where the extra power shows in the 133 as it has more low down grunt that builds up and up. The 1.2 turbo lump builds up the power but does run out of puff higher up the revs.
What also impressed me with the GT was the handling, I expected the car to be a bit soft in the bends but the GT seems to be firmed up compared to the normal Twingo and it shows. Obviously not as tight into the bends as the RS but certainly a competent handling car and ticks the biggest box of all.......fun!!!
So there you go, if you haven't fallen asleep by now that's my comparison.
The RenaultSport is ideally the ultimate Twingo you can get your hands on but the GT/TCE is a great car. In fact I'd highly recommend it for younger drivers struggling with insurance or for someone wanting to maybe modify a Twingo. Can just picture a 1.2 turbo, running 120bhp, stripped out, on Coilovers with a set of Schmidt TH Lines!
Now interior wise the 133 is sporty but somewhat basic. The seats are nice and supportive and the steering wheel is chunky all be it a little big. Nowhere near as sailing ship sized as the Clio 172/182 but could possibly benefit from being a little smaller. The dash and interior plastics are ok but a little dull where as the layout of the rev counter and speedo is spot on. The orange seatbelts and stitching on the seats do add a bit of colour and the tinted rear windows add to the feel of the interior. To contrast this the interior of the Gordini is a world apart. The leather seats are equally supportive but just feel that bit more classy. Also the coloured detail on the steering wheel and rev counter add a bit of brightness against the grey as do the coloured gear gaiter, gear knob and black binnacle surround. To me personally the stereo upgrade is a genuinely good option as the stock head unit and speakers are pants plus the extra screen in the dash the upgrade offers takes the edge off that sea of grey.
Anyway, let's get to the important bit which is how they drive in comparison to each other.....
Well to be honest, for out and out performance it's all about the Cup chassis. These cars pull nicely and are very rev happy but in a straight line they're not monsters, we'll leave that to the RS Clio or Megane. What they are about is the handling and all three models I've driven handle brilliantly. The Cup chassis does have a sharper turn in and has that bit less roll than the non-Cup 133 but the pay off is a lot harsher ride. This is where a non-Cup 133 is a great balance. The handling and grip are ideal for fun on the road without the need for your Mrs to wear a sports bra, on track I'd expect a Cup to edge it slightly but in real life you don't notice a great benefit on the road.
The interesting comparison I found was the GT (in this case Gordini TCE) to the RenaultSport.
I had high expectations for the 1.2 turbo in the Twingo and I wasn't disappointed. The RS Twingo is a hard car to live up too but as a warmer version the GT/TCE is a good, cheaper to run and buy alternative. The engine has plenty of torque all be it from just under 2,000rpm as the turbo comes on boost, below that it definitely feels like just a 1.2 16v. This is where the extra power shows in the 133 as it has more low down grunt that builds up and up. The 1.2 turbo lump builds up the power but does run out of puff higher up the revs.
What also impressed me with the GT was the handling, I expected the car to be a bit soft in the bends but the GT seems to be firmed up compared to the normal Twingo and it shows. Obviously not as tight into the bends as the RS but certainly a competent handling car and ticks the biggest box of all.......fun!!!
So there you go, if you haven't fallen asleep by now that's my comparison.
The RenaultSport is ideally the ultimate Twingo you can get your hands on but the GT/TCE is a great car. In fact I'd highly recommend it for younger drivers struggling with insurance or for someone wanting to maybe modify a Twingo. Can just picture a 1.2 turbo, running 120bhp, stripped out, on Coilovers with a set of Schmidt TH Lines!
![DZSFTY [Replacement] for Renault for Twingo for Scenic for Megane for Laguna for Kangoo for Clio II 2 for MK2 172 18 for Logan ABS Car Gear Shift Knob Lever Shifter Stick Pen Head (Sliver)](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31XJvjySvmL._SL500_.jpg)
