Renault developing rear-engined hot hatch

The performance-focused Twingo could revive the Gordini nameplate.

Renault Sport has confirmed it is developing a performance-focused variant of the rear-engined Twingo city car (pictured) that was introduced last March in Geneva. The hot hatch will likely wear the GT nameplate.

Power for the Twingo GT will reportedly come from a turbocharged evolution of the 0.9-liter three-cylinder engine that powers the stock Twingo and the upcoming 2015 smart fortwo. Mounted directly over the rear axle, the engine will send over 120 horsepower to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission.

The Twingo GT will ride on a chassis tuned by Renault Sport. It will also feature bigger disc brakes and gain numerous suspension upgrades such as larger anti-roll bars and stiffer springs.

Visually, the hot-rodded Twingo will stand out from its stock counterpart thanks to a more aggressive front fascia, model-specific alloy wheels wrapped by wide tires and twin exhaust pipes out back. The sporty treatment will continue inside with bucket seats for the front passengers and an extra set of gauges.

Look for additional details about the upcoming Renault Twingo GT to emerge in the coming weeks. It goes without saying the hot hatch will not make its way to the United States, but a similarly-powerful variant of the smart fortwo tuned by Brabus is expected to arrive here shortly after the regular model makes its debut.