Renault Sport Spider: which version to buy
There is only one catalogue version of the Renault Sport Spider: 2.0 MT. It ran through the single generation (April 1995–November 1999) as a Cabrio. There is no second engine, no automatic, no restyle split, and no later generation to “step up” into.
There is only one catalogue version of the Renault Sport Spider: 2.0 MT. It ran through the single generation (April 1995–November 1999) as a Cabrio. There is no second engine, no automatic, no restyle split, and no later generation to “step up” into. The buying question is therefore not which badge to pick off a list — it is whether 2.0 MT’s measured numbers match what you want from a mid-engined Cabrio, and what those numbers actually buy.
Specs that decide the only version
2.0 MT is the whole range. Power is 150 hp (110 kW) at 6000 rpm and torque is 185 Nm at 4500 rpm from a 1998 cc Gasoline engine. Cylinders: 4, layout: Inline, valves per cylinder: 4, boost: No. Engine location: Central. Fuel system: Distributed injection (multi-point). Compression ratio: 9.8. Bore × stroke: 82.7 × 93. Fuel: 95. Gearbox: Manual, 5 speeds. Drive: RWD.
Those figures are not a “base” trim waiting for a hotter sibling. With one modification, 150 hp and 185 Nm are both the floor and the ceiling of the model.
Engine: what 150 hp from 1998 cc actually is
Power per litre on 2.0 MT is 150 ÷ 1.998 ≈ 75.1 hp per litre. That is the output density of a naturally aspirated 4-cylinder (boost: No) rather than a forced-induction unit. Peak power sits at 6000 rpm; peak torque at 4500 rpm — a 1500 rpm gap. You work the Manual 5 gearbox to keep the 1998 cc engine in that band; there is no extra boost and no extra cylinder count to fill the gap.
Torque per litre is 185 ÷ 1.998 ≈ 92.6 Nm per litre. Specific output and specific torque both come from the same 1998 cc, 4, Inline, No-boost package. If you were hoping a second version would add displacement, a turbo, or more cylinders, the data does not contain one.
Performance vs weight: the arithmetic that matters
2.0 MT reaches 100 km/h in 6.9 s and a top speed of 215 km/h. Kerb weight is 930 kg; gross weight is 1130 kg.
Weight per horsepower at kerb is 930 ÷ 150 = 6.2 kg/hp. That is the number that explains the 6.9 s figure: 150 hp is modest in isolation; 930 kg is not. Payload (gross minus kerb) is 1130 − 930 = 200 kg. Loaded to 1130 kg, weight per horsepower becomes 1130 ÷ 150 ≈ 7.5 kg/hp — about 21% more mass per horsepower than at kerb. The 6.9 s and 215 km/h figures are the catalogue performance of 2.0 MT; they are not restated at gross weight.
City, highway, and combined fuel consumption are not measured. CO2 is not measured. Eco class is not measured. Ground clearance is not measured. A buyer comparing “mpg” or running costs cannot rank 2.0 MT against a sister version because no sister version exists and no consumption figure is given. The tank is 50 litres; that is the only fuel-system size in the data.
Dimensions, wheels, chassis: no second spec sheet
Wheel sizes on 2.0 MT are 205/50 R16 and 225/50 R16 — two tyre sizes, one version, not two trims. Front suspension: Independent, spring. Rear suspension: Independent, spring. Front brakes: Ventilated disc. Rear brakes: Disc. Body: Cabrio. Drive: RWD. Engine: Central.
There is no generation-2 chassis, no restyle with different brakes, and no heavier “comfort” variant. Choosing 2.0 MT is choosing this exact combination: 930 kg kerb, 50-litre tank, those two R16 sizes, ventilated discs at the front and Disc at the rear, Independent spring at both ends.
Generations: what changed (and what did not)
One generation only: 1 generation, April 1995–November 1999, Cabrio, 1 version. Production span is from 1995-04-01 to 1999-11-30 — about 4 years 8 months. There is no restyling listed inside that span, so there is no “pre-facelift vs post-facelift” split to pay extra for.
What did not change because it never had a second generation: displacement stayed 1998 cc, power stayed 150 hp, torque stayed 185 Nm, gearbox stayed Manual 5, drive stayed RWD, kerb stayed 930 kg, 0–100 stayed 6.9 s, top speed stayed 215 km/h. You cannot buy a later Sport Spider that added power, cut weight, or fitted a different gearbox. The extra money, if any, is not buying a different factory specification — the catalogue has only 2.0 MT.
Which version to choose
Choose 2.0 MT if the measured package is the point: Central 1998 cc Gasoline 4 Inline, No boost, 150 hp at 6000 rpm, 185 Nm at 4500 rpm, Manual 5, RWD, Cabrio, 930 kg, 6.9 s to 100 km/h, 215 km/h, 50-litre tank, 205/50 R16 and 225/50 R16.
Do not choose it expecting a second engine, an Automatic, AWD, or a later generation with different hp or kg figures — those versions are not in the data.
There is no “which extra money buys more power” table. 150 hp is the only power. 185 Nm is the only torque. 6.2 kg/hp at 930 kg is the only weight-to-power ratio. Fuel use, CO2, eco class, and ground clearance remain not measured, so they cannot break a tie that does not exist.
If 2.0 MT’s 75.1 hp/l, 6.9 s, and 930 kg fit the job, it is the version to buy because it is the version. If you need a different gearbox, more than 150 hp, more than 185 Nm, or a measured consumption figure, this model’s catalogue does not contain another Renault Sport Spider line to move to.