Measuring instrument

Latest news on measuring instrument

On The Road: Andrew Anthony road tests the Renault Twingo Sport 133

It's silly, of course, to judge a car by its name. But perhaps not quite as silly as the name Twingo, which is supposedly a combination of Twist, Swing and Tango. Though fine for confectionery - "I'll have a Twingo, please, two Mars bars and some liquorice allsorts" - it's not a word many of us would feel comfortable placing at the end of the sentence "I drive a ... "In aid of a little brand research, I spent a week telling people I met that "I came in a Twingo". Suffice to say the response was not encouraging. A couple pretended they hadn't heard me, a few flashed me indulgent expressions, and one asked me if everything was OK at work.All this focus on what is, after all, just a name may seem beside the point, but there is a culture and history to motor cars that we'd be ill-advised to ignore. There is the romance of the road, and then there are the contents of the tuck shop: and the two don't really mix. Can anyone, for example, imagine Bruce Springsteen penning a lyric in which he takes his Twingo for a ride?That said, there is more to the Twingo than just sounding like a sweet. For a start, it also looks like a sweet: a squashed wine gum, possibly, or a half-consumed lozenge. Chunky but compact, there is something suspiciously reduced about the car, as if it started out as a people carrier and then had the people bit cut off.This odd sense of identity crisis is hardly allayed by the discrepant relationship between the large sloping windscreen, which suggests a safe, family-friendly experience, and low-slung sporty seats, which bespeak something rougher and more raunchy. I felt either that the screen needed to be six inches lower, or the seat six inches higher (and maybe both). As it was, I felt a bit like one of those underage joyriders, without quite driving into any trees or jewellery shops.The Twingo is what's known as a "hot hatch" - that's marketing speak for a small car with big ideas. The big idea with the Twingo Sport is that it's secretly a sports car. Hence it has its rev counter positioned on top of the dashboard behind the steering wheel, just like in a formula one cockpit. Not since Public Enemy's Flavor Flav wore an alarm clock around his neck has a measuring instrument seemed more conspicuously out of place.Arguably the sportiest thing about the Twingo is the clutch pedal. If you want to work on developing your left-leg muscles, then just spend a few hours in a Twingo changing gear and Arnold Schwarzenegger will be looking at your calf with drooling envy.A lot of expense has been spared by not bothering overly about comfort or ease. It makes for a stripped-down, almost old-fashioned drive - in twisting, swinging and tango terms, it's John Sergeant rather than Rachel Stevens - which is in keeping with the new temper of the times. It's practical, too. The back seats fold down to make generous boot space for a car of this size.The Twingo is not for everyone. But if you're looking just to zip around town, well, suck it and see.Renault Twingo Sport 133Price £11,550Top speed 125mphAcceleration 0-62 in 8.7 secondsAverage consumption 40.4mpgC02 emissions 165g/kmEco rating 7/10At the wheel Violet BeauregardeBound for Salsa classIn a word SweetMotoringguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds