Renault's budget-priced rally rocket

We recently showed you the first images of Renault's feisty Gordini Twingo RS, and now the French carmaker has unveiled a pair of rally-ready derivatives of the pint-sized hatch.

The new Twingo RenaultSport R2 and Twingo RenaultSport R1 will be the entry-level cars in RenaultSport's rally-prepped competition line-up and pitched at budget-conscious buyers.

"In the same spirit as cars such as the R8 Gordini, the 5 GT Turbo and the group N Clio Renaultsport Williams, the Twingo Renaultsport R2 becomes the latest affordable sports model aimed at aspiring professional drivers," says the company.

The R2's tweaked 1.6-litre engine belts out 118kW at 7250rpm -- an extra 20kW compared to the production powerplant -- while the peak torque figure of 160Nm arrives at 5500rpm. The engine has been designed to cover 2500km of special stages between each service.

Befitting its 'max-attack' job description, the R2 comes equipped with a five-speed 'dog' sequential gearbox (it enables full-throttle flat shifts), steering column mounted shift lever and limited-slip differential. Three final-drive settings are offered.

It retains the donor car's hydraulic power-assisted steering, as well as standard callipers and discs, but stopping power is uprated via motorsport-specific brake pads.

In addition to strengthening certain components, the R2 is fitted with bump- and rebound-adjustable shock absorbers, and the company says this allows it to be set up for differing conditions and driving styles.

The one-piece aluminium rims are available in 6.5x16-inch (tarmac) and 6x15-inch (gravel) sizes and can be fitted with 195/50 R 16 (tarmac) or 195/65 R 15 (gravel) tyres.

Inside, it retains the same dashboard and central console as on the road car, but comes with two Sabelt Renaultsport seats and harnesses. An LED instrumental panel displays all the necessary information, both during the special stages for the driver and at the service area for the technical team. A data acquisition system is also available as an option.

On the right of the steering wheel, the gearshift lever for the sequential dog box is within easy reach, as is the optional hydraulic handbrake lever. All electric controls are located on a 'power box', placed to the side of the co-driver seat.

The welded-in roll cage complies with the latest specifications set out in Group R regulations and is fabricated from more than 40m of steel tubing.

The Twingo RenaultSport R2 goes on sale in Europe next April, priced at 27,990€ ($45,150) excluding tax.

For those on a lesser budget, there's the Twingo Renaultsport R1, which is essentially a Twingo Renaultsport 133 road car, but equipped with the same welded roll cage as the R2.