This design touch, which can now be found across the entire Renaultsport range, is a tribute to Renault’s recent success in Formula 1. The rear wheel arches, including air vents that reinforce the car’s sporty character, house a distinctive new 16-inch Renaultsport wheel design.

Customers can personalise the exterior with a design pack which sees the F1 splitter, door mirror housings and Renaultsport spoiler all finished in a dark anthracite colour.

Inside, the yellow stitching used for the steering wheel and seats matches the hallmark colour of other Renaultsport models, whilst the centre console and rev-counter housing are finished in Gloss Black. A new white interior tone has also been introduced, and is used for the upper part of the steering wheel, for the vertical stripes on the sport seats and for the rev-counter bezel. The optional Renaultsport Monitor onboard telemetry system which has proved so popular on Clio Renaultsport 200 and Mégane Renaultsport can also be ordered as an option.

Under the bonnet, Twingo Renaultsport remains powered by the same 131 bhp 1.6-litre 4-cylinder engine mated to a 5-speed gearbox.

Red Bull Racing F1 driver Sebastian Vettel in the Twingo Renaultsport 133 at Frankfurt yesterday.

New Twingo Gordini

The Malta Blue body colour and white stripes of New Twingo Gordini provide a more affordable step into the Gordini range. Its striking, instantly recognisable looks are ideal for customers looking for a chic and sporty car rather than the more performance orientation of the RS 133.

The 1.2 TCe 100hp petrol versions should deliver decent-enough driving enjoyment matched with fuel efficiency in a fun looking city car.

Drivers looking for a more subtle design can opt for the new grey interior trim and one of the alternative body colours: Glacier White, Pearlescent Black or Capsicum Red. And those who want even more from their car will soon be able to discover Twingo Gordini 133 with the same 1.6-litre engine as the Renaultsport 133, a version which packs all the sporting DNA of Renaultsport but with the Gordini’s visial flair.

Gallery

The new Twingo’s face receives a more aggressive (less jovial) look with Juke-like oversized fog-lights together with a larger Renault badge.

The Twingo retains the same bodyshell and will most likely continue with the engines used in the current model. No news yet on the Renaultsport variants, but Renault traditionally use this mid-life facelift to introduce some engine or chassis upgrades in its most sporting models.

Perhaps the most effective use of sex in advertising is when combined with humour and the automotive industry has a history of using this to great effect. During the past week we’ve seen video ads from Nissan and Subaru – all tastefully done, but nevertheless using sexual imagery to brighten up an otherwise potentially dull product and attract eyeballs that wouldn’t otherwise seek out a Nissan Juke or Subaru Forester.

Sometimes when you don’t have too many clever ideas and the flash of inspiration is merely a dim glow, the adage of ‘”sex sells” can seem an easy route to follow, but does it always work?

We’ve collected together the most recent creative blockbusters, then picked out a few our favourites from the SkiddPlayer archives. Take a look (as if you had to be asked!) and then tell us what you think – did any inspire you to look more closely at the cars?

Nissan Juke – Model vs Model

A side-by-side comparison of the Nissan Juke™ and a gorgeous, scantily clad bikini model. Nissan USA launched four video ads this week featuring the lovely ‘Amber’ performing a series of comparison tests against Nissan’s newest fashion SUV.

1. Model vs. Model “Curb Appeal”

2. Model vs. Model “Agility”

3. Model vs. Model “Acceleration”

4. Model vs. Model “Aerodynamics”

Subaru Forester – Sexy Sumo, where sexy comes standard.

This one may come as something of a shock after the lovely Amber, but Subaru Canada believe the ad will grab the attention of their target buyers annd sell more… err, well we’re not entirely sure what it will sell. The Music track used is “Girls” by Peaches.

Lexus LFA – “Supercar Meets Supermodel”.

And now for the perfect antidote to Subaru’s Sumo ad.

Lexus recently joined the photoshoot for the 2011 Sports Illustrated: Swimsuit Issue, bringing its LFA supercar along to run rings (or donuts to be precise) around supermodel Rianne ten Haken. To make it ‘really’ sexy Rianne would need to have talked about the 10 independent throttle bodies of the LFA’s Yamaha-designed engine, or that it can rev from 0-9,000rpm in 0.6 seconds when standing still..

Ken Block – MWRT 2011: all new WRC Ford Fiesta and Ken’s 2011 Schedule.

A roundup of the latest sexy car ads would not be complete without a nod to the viral-meister himself, Mr Ken Block. When Ken decides to publish his 2011 schedule of events a web page listing would be far too ordinary, instead he turns to the beautiful Monster Girls who wiggle along to a track by Rusko called “Woo Boost”. And yes that’s real snow – the video was filmed in the ski tunnel in Torsby Sweden.

Renault Clio – Va Va Voom TV commercial – with extra footage.

You may already have seen Renault’s latest TV commercial for the Clio, but this is an extended behind-the-scenes version with considerably more of Burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese (and Thierry Henry for the ladies). Renault chose to revive the ‘Va Va Voom’ strap-line in its latest Clio ads set in a contemporary art exhibition and featuring music from David Bowie, Clare Maguire and Rihanna’s latest single ‘S&M’.

It’s certainly one of the most sexy ads in recent years, but does it have you checking out Renault’s website for a local dealer or a copy of Timeout magazine for the next Rihanna or Dita Von Teese performance?

Chevy Camaro Commercial – Miss Evelyn.

This is more about sexual innuendo than anything particularly sexy, but Chevy’s Miss Evelyn super bowl commercial is undoubtedly using the imagery of a sexy female who can drive hard as the lure to gain a viewers attention. And it worked, the ad has already collected over 1.5 million views online with more that 100 million watching it on TV.

The twist at the end as she’s revealed to be a teacher, can either be seen as a humorous piece of irony or a nod to the vivid imagination of male viewers seeing a beautiful woman overcoming the power of the beastly 426 hp Camaro.

Mercedes-Benz: Trailer for ‘Speed Date’.

A beautiful woman, a beautiful roadster and you get to play the leading roles in ‘Speed Date’, the interactive road movie featuring the new SLK. The trailer uses plenty of sexual innuendo and suggestiveness to encourage viewers to visit the SLK microsite and play the game.

Romanian Car Insurance Commercial, ‘Girls insured’.

You can always trust the East-Europeans to push out the boundaries on the use of women in automotive ads. This particular commercial entitled, ‘Girls insured’, provides a series of handy tips on what to do in a car accident for Romanian insurance company RCA Asigurare. Someone forgot to include a car in the advert though..

From the Archives

You’ve seen the best sexy ads produced during the past month, but here are a few more from our archives worthy of a mention. If you’d like to see more, then take a browse through the 1400 video commercials in our Adverts Channel on SkiddPlayer.

Renault – The new Twingo Miss Sixty.

The following ad was banned from TV shortly after it was launched in Italy – you won’t need me to tell you why..

Nissan Pathfinder – Independent Suspension Demo.

Sometimes you really need a visual metaphor to explain the technical intricacies of a new development, …and sometimes you’re all out of ideas on how to advertise a truck and think “..let’s just go for some boobs.”

Ford StreetKa – Kylie Ad.

The sexual innuendo in this Ford ad, produced by Wilder Films in the UK, should provide inspiration to advertisers looking to add a bit of spice to their automotive ads. It’s a multi-award winner and made a huge difference to the StreetKa being perceived as something more just than a dumpy Ford Ka with its roof chopped off.

Toyota – Cool Nipples.

An 1999 advert created for Toyota Brazil to advertise the virtues of air conditioning in the Toyota Corolla

Alfa Sportwagen – Featuring Catherine Zeta Jones.

The perfect example where sexual suggestiveness in a car advert complements the main message – Alfa built a more practical 156, called it the Sportwagen and then advertised it as a sexy addition to the range, rather than merely a humdrum family estate.

Dutch Car Wash – Call Me.

There’s pleny of humour in this advert for a Dutch telephone directory service, using a sexy car wash to show the value of good information..

VW Golf R32 – Beautiful Chassis.

Hilarious German advert for the Golf R32 where in the midst of lovemaking the guy makes the classic mistake of mentioning another’s name, only it’s not another women he whispers, instead it’s his Golf R32: [SHE] “What?”, “Rev Counter?”, [HE] “Yes. I mean no! No!”, “No, I didn’t mean that!”, [SHE] “Sure”.

2010 Honda CBR600RR – Pure Thrust.

If you thought only car advertisers could be a bit risqué, then spare a thought for the bike makers who’ve being doing so for years. This one is intended to advertise the Honda CBR600RR but is about as condescending and sexist to women as it gets. Use of the Prodigy track, “Smack my bitch up”, makes even our Romanian Insurance ad look subtle…

Bennetts Bikes Insurance Advert.

Unapologetically sexist advert for the specialist bike insurer, Bennetts. Charlotte and Stephanie from the Bennetts Babes 2010 squad team up with celebrity model Lucy Pinder to create the Bennetts Babes Bikini Bike Wash video with the lucky bike being Yamaha’s 2010 R1.

Smart – Mermaids on the Rocks.

Ahh, the classic Mermaid-themed ad, every man’s dream but somehow we’re supposed to prefer a Smart ForTwo instead.

Mercedes E-Class 4Matic – Not in this weather.

An all-time classic that shows how it should be done – racy and intelligent, all in a single 47 second ad.

Porsche Carrera – It Pulls.

Just to prove that risqué ads are not the exclusive preserve of the ordinary mass-producer brands. Porsche made this ad to show us chaps the effect that a 911 Carrera has on sexy woman. As if we didn’t already know…

The two-seater will be available to pre-order later in April in exclusive, range-topping ‘Collection’ limited edition guise, of which just 200 will find their way to the UK. Customer ordering for the rest of the range – Dynamique and Dynamique S – opens in May, ahead of first deliveries in July.

Two petrol engines are available, the 133hp 16-valve 1.6 from Twingo Renaultsport, or the smooth and responsive 1.2 TCe 100.

The entry-level Dynamique offers ABS with EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution), front and lateral driver and passenger airbags, brake assist, ESC, immobiliser and electric retracting hard top roof. The Dynamique S adds a 2x35W radio CD MP3 reader, 17” alloy wheels, auto lights and wipers, Thatcham category 1 alarm, Bluetooth connectivity and multi-functional TunePoint (USB connection).

The first model to go on sale will be the limited edition Collection, which offers additional equipment including electrically adjustable and heated chrome effect door mirrors, carbon black leather-faced heated seats, gloss black retractable roof, red and chrome dash inserts, leather sport wheel and gearknob, aluminium pedals, subtle ‘Collection’ side and boot badges, plus double chrome roof cover cowls.

Pricing in the UK ranges from £15,500 for the entry-level Dynamique up to £18,200 for the range-topping limited-edition Collection model – that’s over £1,500 more than the Clio Renaultsport 200 Cup and £6,000 more than a Twingo Renaultsport Cup 133, so Renault are clearly not targeting the enthusiast driver with their new 2-seater.

The launch car is currently on display until January 10th 2010, at the L’Atelier Renault on Champs-Elysées in Paris, as part of the showroom’s ‘Christmas in Blue’ exhibition.

Before we get too excited, the first thing to realise is that this Gordini model is a restyling and rebranding effort – it’s the same underlying car as the regular Renaultsport 133 Twingo. No bad thing, since the RS 133 is already one of the most fun and accomplished small cars on the market, but nevertheless a little dissapointing to discover after all the pre-launch hype.

The Gordini Renaultsport features a gleaming Malta Blue metallic finish, plus two white racing stripes, in keeping with the tradition founded by Amédée Gordini. The front and rear bumpers are enhanced by gloss black centre sections, while the fog lamp surrounds, exterior door mirror housings and rear tailgate spoiler are all picked out in a contrasting white finish.

‘Gordini Series’ badging either side harks back to the 1960’s heyday of the Gordini Cup in France when the qualifying heats of the different race meetings were known as séries.

This exclusive exterior styling package is rounded off by 17-inch alloy wheels with a polished face and a choice of the inner rim finished in either blue or black.

Inside the Gordini spirit continues, the Renaultsport seats are present but this time with extra lateral support, blue and black Gordini-embossed leather upholstery, blue leather door panel inserts, blue and black leather-covered steering wheel with two white stripes to indicate the centre point, blue gearlever gaiter and Gordini-badged gearlever knob, blue rev-counter with white surround and a leather-trimmed dashboard cowl.

So you’d better like the colour blue then.

This Gordini version is quite heavily specced as standard with two choices of exterior paint colour – Malta Blue or Pearlescent Black metallic paint, automatic climate control, tinted rear windows, automatic headlamp activation and cruise control. This is not a ‘Cup’ version then, which continues within the Renaultsport range, however as with the standard RS 133 it’s possible to choose the ‘Cup’ chassis (lower ride height, stiffer springs and dampers) although this might be at odds with the quilted leather upholstery of the Gordini package.

Prices have yet to be announced – Renault will reveal these nearer to its UK launch in March – however we would expect the Twingo Gordini Renaultsport to be slightly more expensive than the standard RS 133 at around £13,000.

Renault’s Twingo RS Gordini becomes the first new model to be revealed in the range, presented under the cheeky strapline “The little blue bombshells with two white stripes are back”.

Further details on its specification and pricing will be revealed as we receive them, but in the meantime you can visit the official Gordini page on Facebook to view further images.

The Gordini brand will be positioned just below the current Renaultsport range, providing customers a greater range of options from which to personalise their cars. A wide range of paint schemes, body stripes and alloy wheels will be offered following the formula that’s been such a success with BMW’s Mini.

First model is likely to be a Twingo Gordini appearing in 2010, followed by hotter versions of the Clio and Mégane Coupe. The famous Gordini blue paintwork will be an option along with the trademark white stripes and contrasting black alloys.

If you have any questions then feel free to post them and we will pass them along to Renault.

The French press are understandably getting very excited about this news, so we will bring you further information when we hear it.

We brought you the video of our on-track exploits before Christmas, now tuck into the feature and read about each DR Team member’s experience of this epic….. err, contest.

Click the image below to read the magazine feature

Have a look at the video and then let’s hear your comments (about anything except Chris’ fashion sense)

The video is available to watch now and the feature will be online in the next few days.

Click the image and go to DR TV

We showed you our video interview with Steve Marvin a few days ago, plus our lap of the ‘ring (click image to view the video)

Now read the feature magazine and then share your views.

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