IS “WIND” FRENCH FOR “SHOE?”

IS “WIND” FRENCH FOR “SHOE?” by Jim Corbran, Automotive Columnist Because that’s what came to mind when I first set eyes on the Renault Wind. It looks like a shoe; perhaps a Dutch wooden shoe. With wheels. I was shocked that this wasn’t just some styling exercise, but was an actual production car that actual people actually bought. Not too many apparently, as the Wind was on sale only from 2010-12 in Europe. So, if any of you are planning a trip to Europe in the near future, be on the lookout for a Wind, and let me know if it looks any better in person. The name “Wind” is explained in Renault’s press release dated June, 2010: “Renault Wind and its unique, electric, rotating-roof concept bring a breath of fresh air to the world of open-top motoring.” Wind. Fresh air. Get it? I’ll give kudos to Renault for the top mechanism though. Yes, it folds (rotates, actually) into the trunk, and once in there doesn’t fill the trunk space with “top.” You can watch a short video of the top’s 12-second flip-over here: http://www.carscoops.com/2010/02/video-see-new-renault-wind-coupe.html. The Wind was powered by a 1.6L engine, rated at 133 hp, which Renault claimed was good for a top speed of 201 kph, or almost 125 mph. Pretty quick for a wooden shoe. ### Jim Corbran, Automotive columnist for Artvoice Read You Auto Know every other week in Artvoice, and check the YAK blog daily here: http://blogs.artvoice.com/avdaily/category/you-auto-know/ The post IS “WIND” FRENCH FOR “SHOE?” appeared first on Buffalo Cars.