SPY PICS: Baby Renault coupe-cabrio caught

This pert little piece of mobile canvas is purported to be the long-expected CC version of Renault's Twingo light car.

Looking as if it will classify as the smallest-yet hardtop convertible -- assuming it can out-squeeze the granddaddy of them all, the Daihatsu Copen -- the baby Renault convertible has been the subject of various non appearances at world car expositions including Frankfurt in 2007, Paris in 2008 and Geneva this year.

Checking out the canvas-draped mule recently snapped on icy roads by the master spy photographers at Carparazzi brings forth some contemplations on how the rear section will be formatted. If the mule is anything to go by, the chances are the two-seat Renault will have a Targa-style roof with a flat rear deck and a vertical back window, recalling many an exotic sports coupe -- and the not so exotic Honda CR-X from the early 1990s.

If that's the case, it won't quite fit the common understanding of what makes a legitimate Coupe-Convertible as a large part of the roof assembly will remain in place with the roof lowered.

As it will go head to head with the likes of Opel's Tigra and Peugeot's 207 CCs and is rumoured to become one of the cheapest convertibles of its type, there's not likely to be anything too exotic about the Twingo.

Carparazzi claims the powerplant will most likely be a powered-up version of the regular Twingo's 1.2-litre engine, producing something like 90kW.

The Twingo CC is progressing slowly; the first blurry images were captured in June 2008 after earlier fake renderings suggested an unveiling at the 2007 Frankfurt motor show.

Looking at the supposed roof configuration, which actually differs from other CCs, it would be no surprise to learn that Renault is labouring over the development of a system unlike anything else currently in use.

-- with Carparazzi