1996 Renault Sport Spider in Pearl Sport Yellow — 11,215 Miles, 5-Speed Manual
About this vehicle
Renault Sport's first-ever production road car, the Sport Spider broke cover at the 1995 Geneva Motor Show before heading straight into low-volume hand assembly at the historic Alpine factory in Dieppe — the very plant that had been turning out Alpine sports cars for decades. Fewer than 1,640 road-going examples left that facility between 1996 and 1999. This particular 1996 car, finished in Pearl Sport Yellow, began its life in Japan, migrated to Europe, and eventually crossed the Atlantic to the United States. The odometer reads approximately 11,215 miles.
Pearl Sport Yellow (535) suits this body in a way that nothing subdued ever could. Scissor doors that open vertically, prominent side air intakes, a forward-hinged front clamshell, an integrated rear roll bar — together they produce a shape that reads as a licensed racing car, which is more or less accurate. Lightweight composite panels skin a rigid aluminum chassis, and the car rides on factory 16" five-spoke alloy wheels whose design traces back to the Alpine A610, currently fitted with Yokohama tires carrying 2022 production date codes. The seller believes the exterior retains its original finish; minor scratches and dings consistent with age are present, though no significant cosmetic repairs are thought necessary. Given the predominantly nonmetallic body construction, conventional paint-depth gauges aren't particularly meaningful here.
Inside, comfort was never the point. Deeply bolstered black Recaro bucket seats with grey centers, exposed aluminum structural members, a body-colored center console, and a compact instrument cluster fill a cockpit trimmed for two and nothing else. A three-spoke steering wheel, short gear selector, and adjustable pedals complete a space conceived entirely around driver engagement.
Transversely mounted behind the passenger compartment, the naturally aspirated F7R DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter four shares its lineage with the engine from the celebrated Renault Clio Williams — confirmed by Renault's own heritage materials — and was factory-rated at approximately 148 HP. Drive reaches the rear wheels through a 5-speed manual transaxle. Independent double-wishbone suspension at all four corners, coil springs, anti-roll bars, and ventilated disc brakes give the chassis an architecture far closer to a dedicated race car than anything else carrying road registration at the time. No power steering. No ABS. No power-assisted brakes — Renault Sport removed those aids on purpose, leaving the driver with an unusually raw mechanical connection to the road. Per the seller, an engine oil and filter service was completed approximately 100 miles ago.
A clean title accompanies this sale. The car is located in New Jersey.
