Jun 21, 2026

Renault Sport Spider – The Forgotten French Supercar That Started Renault Sport

3 min read

The car that launched Renault Sport

Before there were Clio RS and Mégane RS hot hatches, there was the Renault Sport Spider.

Introduced in 1996, the Spider became the very first production road car to wear the Renault Sport badge. It wasn't designed to compete with conventional sports cars—it was built as an uncompromising driver's machine inspired by motorsport, while also serving as the basis for Renault's one-make Spider Trophy racing championship.

Total production: approximately 1,685 road cars (plus around 80-100 race-only Spider Trophy cars). around 60 right-hand-drive cars officially supplied to the UK.

Production took place at the famous Alpine factory in Dieppe, France, the same factory responsible for many of Renault's most iconic performance cars.

Designed for driving, not comfort

Unlike most sports cars of the era, the Spider focused almost entirely on lightweight engineering.

It features:

Aluminium spaceframe chassis
Composite body panels
Mid-mounted engine
Rear-wheel drive
Double wishbone suspension front and rear
No power steering
No ABS
No traction control
No roof
Minimal interior

Even the seating position is unusual.

Rather than moving the seat backwards and forwards, the pedals adjust instead, allowing drivers of different heights to achieve the correct driving position while maintaining ideal weight distribution.

Engine

Power comes from Renault's legendary F7R engine.

Specifications:

1,998cc DOHC 16-valve inline-four
Naturally aspirated
150 PS (148 bhp / 110 kW)
185 Nm torque
5-speed manual gearbox
Mid-mounted

This is essentially the same engine made famous in the Clio Williams, although adapted for the Spider.

Because the Spider weighs just 930–965 kg, performance remains impressive even by modern standards.

Performance:

0–62 mph: 6.7–6.9 seconds
Top speed: 134 mph (216 km/h

Chassis

One of the Spider's greatest strengths is its chassis.

Renault Sport engineers created an aluminium structure that was exceptionally rigid while remaining incredibly light.

Combined with:

double wishbones
four-wheel disc brakes
mid-engine layout
rear-wheel drive

the Spider delivers incredibly sharp steering and outstanding balance through corners.

Many journalists at launch described it as feeling more like a race car than a road car.

Those incredible doors

One of the Spider's defining features is its dramatic scissor doors.

Unlike Lamborghini's traditional vertical doors, the Spider's doors swing upwards and slightly forwards, giving the car a striking appearance despite its compact dimensions.

No roof…

Perhaps the Spider's most famous feature is what it doesn't have.

There is:

no folding roof
no removable hardtop
no conventional weather protection

A temporary emergency weather cover was supplied with the car, but Renault intended the Spider to be driven in the open.

Early European cars didn't even have a windscreen.

Instead, Renault fitted a small aerodynamic deflector, expecting airflow to pass over occupants' heads. Drivers were actually advised to wear a helmet.

The UK market, however, received only the windscreen version, complete with wiper system.

Rarity

Production numbers remain one of the Spider's biggest talking points.

Approximate figures:

1,685 road cars produced worldwide
around 80–100 Spider Trophy race cars
96 right-hand-drive cars built
approximately 60 officially imported into the UK

That makes every UK Spider an exceptionally rare sight today.

Motorsport heritage

The Spider wasn't simply inspired by racing—it was built for it.

Renault launched the Spider Trophy, a one-make championship supporting major touring car events across Europe.

The race version featured:

around 180 bhp
sequential gearbox (later cars)
stripped interior
competition suspension

Several successful touring car drivers, including Jason Plato and Andy Priaulx, competed in the championship before moving on to international motorsport success.