Renault Twingo RS a small car with a touch of Formula 1
23.05.12
Renault Twingo R.S. a small car with a touch of Formula 1
By Gary Becker
European performance car buyers looking for something small, inexpensive and fun to drive have something new to put on their wish lists as Renault has released a boy racer version of their Twingo.
The Twingo R.S. (Renault Sport) will go on sale next month and will carry Renault’s R.S. line signature styling features which include a dynamic grille design with four lights and for a performance look, a front bumper incorporating an F1-style blade. These design features run the width of the Renault Sport line and are meant to highlight Renault’s success in Formula 1.
In addition to the upgraded front end, the Twingo R.S. will be available in the hallmark Sirius Yellow finish as an option starting the end of May. The rear end of the car features a tailgate-mounted lip spoiler, a special bumper incorporating a diffuser and aerodynamic extensions on the rear wheel arches. Also available is a Design Pack which includes Grey/Dark Gunmetal Grey door mirror housings, F1 blade and R.S. lip spoiler, plus chrome details for the fog light surrounds. It will also be possible to specify new 16-inch ‘Emotion’ alloy wheels complete with ‘R.S.’-badged centre caps which proudly proclaim the car’s pedigree.
When Gas Prices Spike Consumers Consider Fuel-Efficient Vehicles
23.05.12
"When gas prices rise, consumers re-think what vehicle they are going to purchase," said Jesse Toprak, Vice President of Market Intelligence at TrueCar.com. "The good news for consumers shopping for a new vehicle is that there are economical choices that provide excellent fuel-economy, without having to purchase a hybrid or electric vehicle."
The combined market share for small and subcompact cars will be 22 percent in February 2012, the highest since March 2011, according to TrueCar.com estimates, due to the rise in gas prices. In the fourth quarter of 2011, the market share was 17.3 percent. Sales of most fuel-efficient vehicles are at their highest levels in a year, with models like the Ford Focus and Honda Civic carrying the retail success for their respective brands. Most small and subcompact vehicles are expected to post year-over-year gains of 20 percent compared to the industry average of 9.6 percent in February 2012.
Last year, from February 2011 to March 2011, gas prices increased nearly 36 cents per gallon, from $3.26 to $3.62 respectively. During the same time period, we saw a shift in consumer car buying behavior as the segment market share for both the subcompact and small car segments had the highest increase, of 0.6 and 1.0 percent respectively. The segment with the biggest decline was midsize SUVs at 1.2 percent while the large SUV and large truck segments tied with a drop of 0.6 percent. Interestingly, in March 2011, the small car segment also had the highest market share in 2011. (note:Because of the Tsunami/earthquake in Japan)(note:inventory for subcompact and small cars were limited because of production issues after March 2011.)
Snipet of the tall man who chases Nelson taken from 22 Short Films About Springfield
Which small car is the best with durability?
Oct 05, 2006 by autumn la la la | Posted in Buying & Selling
I am planning to buy a small-size car and I have no expertise in field. What should I watch for, what brands to prefer over each other? Looking for something that will not cost me a lot on repairs. (matrix, rio, focus, etc)
Thanks.
just adding: on the market in north america
i own a repair shop,in Tennessee,and i have seen a lot of people have real good luck from the Nissan sentras,,there excellent little cars to own and drive,and i can tell you from my personal experience as a mechanic for 36 yrs they they are cheap to drive,as well as to operate,and the repairs on them are less right now than any other car that i know of, i do a lot of cars,and the most i have seem to get now on repairs is the Honda,s,,they seem to be giving a lot of trouble right now,but the Nissan's are doing really good,and even when one does tear up there easier and cheaper to repair then a Honda is,,the only other car i would think of right now would be a Toyota corolla,they also have a good record for good service as well as dependability and reliability,,,if i were going to but one my self right now it would be a corolla,or the sentra,,just do your self a favor and go look at them,and make your own mind up,,you,ll see and feel the difference in them and similar cars good luck with your car hunt,i hope this help,s
dodge man | Oct 05, 2006
Honda Civic
Sunshine | Oct 05, 2006
believe it or not, I've had my 2000 ford Taurus for 4 years and bought it used... and now it has 120,000 miles on it now. Haven't had to pay for anything out of the ordinary
ozwald8 | Oct 05, 2006
Truthfully? I don't really care for most of the expensive cars today, because they cost so much to fix, and the fuel is outrageous! But "if" I were to buy one, it would be a Toyota, and I still wouldn't buy a "new" one. No newer than a 90 something. Or, another VW bug. I already have one, in fact between my hubby & I we have 6. I can drive from Las Vegas to Phoenix on 21 dollars in fuel! Or from Los Angelos to Las Vegas on 21 dollars in fuel. They are low maintenance and great cars! Otherwise, I don't know what to tell you. Good luck
littlelota71 | Oct 05, 2006
honda i have seen some with well over 300,000 miles still running smooth when they are taken care of
brenda c | Oct 05, 2006
Pontiac Vibe, they are UGLY, but we sell them and we have never had one back for major repairs except one. The owner left the oil cap off and blew all the oil out. Nissan made some reliable cars that were small, but the comfort when driving long distance sucks. I would rather sit on the road and have someone shove me with a snow plow.
B H | Oct 05, 2006
Focus is a good option, cheap and reliable. For more money Matrix and Vibe are good.
wazup1971 | Oct 05, 2006
Which small secondhand diesel car has best headroom and economy?
Mar 07, 2008 by Thamesboater | Posted in Other - Cars & Transportation
I am tall and have stiff joints, and find my Honda CRV easy to get in and out of - it is excellent for headroom. I want a second, smaller, car on a low budget which is diesel - for good economy - and easy to get in and out of. So a tall body in the style of the CRV, on a smaller vehicle, would be ideal. In short, a cheap, reliable, small diesel runabout for a tall man who can't fold into a conventional saloon car.
Hi there. I have been looking for a second hand small diesel car for my wife to drive around. I am unfortunately unable to purchase a new car at this stage and would love to run a smaller car. So i am like you looking for a small car. There are hundreds of cars in Japan - Mazda's, toyota's all right hand drive - but the fed. govt. wont allow any of these to be imported. I found a 2001 Toyota Corolla 4 door diesel $1200USD but i am unable to import it because we have these types of cars in Australia!!!!!!!!!!!!! But we are allowed to import all the rice burners - supra's, celica's, elcipe's evo's but we cant bring in economical and environmentally freindly cars. The VW Golf is my best buy for a new diesel car. Cheers Paulie G
Paulie G | Mar 08, 2008
What is the Best Small Car for a Beginning Driver?
Dec 29, 2007 by Jazzy | Posted in Buying & Selling
I'm planning on purchasing a small car when I learn how to drive and get my license. (I'm So Scared, Ah!) I want something small because I feel more comfortable and I feel like if I was to drive a bigger car I will probably crash it. So i'm goin small. Whats a good small car to have if i'm just starting to drive? Thats not too ugly either.
I would suggest the Mazda3 and the Subaru Impreza 2.5I Sedan. These two cars are fairly on the cheap scale as both cars' cost are roughly around $15,000. The Mazda3 and the Subaru have good safety standards for first time drivers I should mention. The Subaru has an astounding 20/27 MPG for its horsepower, but the Mazda tops the list by listing its MPG as 24/32. I would go for the Mazda as it is cheaper, more reliable, and has great safety standards.
Hope this helps!
V10 M6 | Dec 29, 2007
Look at the Honda Civic, very reliable and very good on gas.
UCANTCME | Dec 29, 2007
Late 90's subaru anything. All wheel drive = safe
jbpopem | Dec 29, 2007
a bug!!! like a VW ? ya no?!?! those are soooo awesome!
Mona | Dec 29, 2007
the new hyundai accent...great warranty and mpg....fun to drive and very dependable....go to www.hyundai.com.......check out colors...have fun
hurchelfox | Dec 30, 2007
Different ways to drive for small care and big car?
Dec 10, 2007 by Keong S | Posted in Other - Cars & Transportation
I've always drove small cars for my lessons, but when i decided to try out my moms car which is a mini-van it was much harder. Is there a different method of driving both cars?
Also if i drive mini van more often does that mean i'm going to crappier when driving a smaller car?
It's not only to do with size. All cars handle very differently.
When you first start driving, you get used to the driving instructor's car (or what ever you learnt in), and moving to a different car feels odd. It's just a matter of practice.
Bigger cars will tend to handle more sluggishly - there's more weight, and in a minivan in particular - the higher centre of gravity will give it more roll in the corners.
The hardest difference to get used to is front wheel drive to rear wheel drive. If you push a rear wheel drive too hard, it will react very differently to a front wheel drive.
The worst scenario would be accelerating out of a corner in the wet - if you put too much power down too quickly, the back will oversteer and you can end up spinning off.
So in terms of size - the driving style isn't much different (but go easy through the corners in a minivan). It's just practice - in a years time it'll all be second nature to you.
Jules C | Dec 10, 2007
How would you get a small hatchback car out of this situation?
May 24, 2007 by alexmacleod9 | Posted in Maintenance & Repairs
You are in a small car park and whilst trying to leave it you reverse the car onto the side of a flat bridge.
The front right wheel is hanging over the edge and the car's underside is resting on the side of the bridge (all three other wheels are on solid ground) The car is at such an angle that you would not be able to drive it forward (back the way it came) in order to get the front wheel back on ground because the back tyre would go over the edge.
You have successfully contacted a council worker who is going to open an emergency gate so that a rescue service's lifter vehicle can enter the car park, but when it arrives you realize the car park is too small for the lifter vehicle to get to your car.
How do you get the car out without lifting it and without it going over the bridge?
A hint is that it involves a 4x4 with a winch.
UPDATE: a lot of people came close, and I will decide the best answer soon.
ANSWER: yes, you do use the 4x4 with the winch BUT the secret is to turn the wheel so that the wheel is perpendicular to the bridge, then put steering lock on. WHO WOULDA THUNK IT?!!?!?!?! (not carl, thats for sure)
well user alexmacleod9 i don't know you but you sure sound like a swell guy who managed to get himself into a little pickle *friendly chortle*
In this situation it is vital to get in contact with "Gradium Arcadium" next to a lake waiting on a guy by the name of "Carl" if possible. sure, this may seem like the "towlie" way out this, but it will make the situation manageable and funnier.
NOTE: if asked to shunt the motor by gypsies, decline.
Next you want to meet this carl fella, check out he's legit and so forth.
Carl should be acompanied by a more professional under-rated employee, his name most likely will not be obtainable.
Carls chum will totally take care of the problem and you'll be back on the road in no time.
WARNING: it has been known for forgery to occur in these situations, avoid handing credit card details over to people who claim to be doing something, but leave it all to the hard-working council.
BEST QUOTE : "Ooooh, hes gone in" - Waterways employee/stoner
Volkswagen's sub-Polo small car could be launched by 2012Volkswagen India will be launching an inexpensive car for the masses which will be placed below the Polo. According to the Financial Express, Volkswagen India has started working on the development of the new sub-Polo small car. Volkswagen plans to launch a new small car in IndiaVolkswagen set to launch small car below PoloVolkswagen's new small segment car in India by 2012all 4 news articles »
New York Daily NewsBut we like what we see, and it should give Audi and BMW some good small-car competition, especially if a rumored AMG variant comes to fruition. We could get used to this small premium business. And speaking of big AMG engines coming in small packages, 2011 New York Auto Show Winners and Losers: Production CarsNew York Auto Show This WeekendNew York Auto Show: No Green Appleall 36 news articles »
He defined small cars as vehicles no bigger than a Volkswagen Jetta. In 2010, small cars made up about one-third of overall car sales, according to Autodata. But in March 2011, small car sales rose to 36.4 percent of car sales. and more »
He pointed out what he called the car's expressive stance, “sexy, emotional shoulder” and large wheel arches. “It has strong positive and negative surfaces, defined by crisp and dynamic lines.” The hood is surprisingly prominent for such a small car. and more »
Will BMW's and Mercedes-Benz's small-car issues give Lexus an edge?Becuase unlike the others, Lexus is owned by Toyota, which can cover the brand's small-car issues. Both BMW and Mercedes executive dispute the theory. BMW's North American boss Jim O'Donnell says his brand won't have any trouble developing small cars Lexus: “New compact and subcompact luxury cars a distraction for BMW”all 44 news articles »
New York Daily NewsBut we like what we see, and it should give Audi and BMW some good small-car competition, especially if a rumored AMG variant comes to fruition. We could get used to this small premium business. And speaking of big AMG engines coming in small packages, 2011 New York Auto Show Winners and Losers: Production CarsNew York Auto Show This WeekendNew York Auto Show: No Green Appleall 36 news articles »
He pointed out what he called the car's expressive stance, “sexy, emotional shoulder” and large wheel arches. “It has strong positive and negative surfaces, defined by crisp and dynamic lines.” The hood is surprisingly prominent for such a small car. and more »
Will BMW's and Mercedes-Benz's small-car issues give Lexus an edge?Becuase unlike the others, Lexus is owned by Toyota, which can cover the brand's small-car issues. Both BMW and Mercedes executive dispute the theory. BMW's North American boss Jim O'Donnell says his brand won't have any trouble developing small cars Lexus: “New compact and subcompact luxury cars a distraction for BMW”all 44 news articles »
