A real Meccano game ! Indeed, this car is build without any machine or robot but by very skilled technicians of Alpine factory at Dieppe. Spider is build as Alpine Berlinette fourty years ago. Renault Sport uses here totally this skilled team.

Proof with 12 pics for 90 hours of work:

• Assembly of the 3 aluminium parts of the chassis and of the steering column,
• Assembly of front suspension and radiators,
• Asembly of rear suspension, installation of engine and final ajustment of the front suspension,

• Painting and preparation of the bodywork

• Montage de la carrosserie

• Final ajustments of the hinged panels and road tests

Production:

Like Alpine A110, perharps because Spider is made at Dieppe, several production numbers are known. An easy readikng of official Renault documentation, we can announce the true numbers.

• 524 in 1996
• 675 in 1997
• 380 in 1998
• 61 in 1999

Identification :

A little panel is screwed on the chassis, behind the right seat, on the right side. It indicates the date of production, the chassis number and the color code.

Codes Couleur :

Spider haas been painted in just 4 differents colors. Yellow, blue, red, and grey are official Renault Sport colors. Titan Grey has been choose at the end of the production. Coulors numbers are :

• Sport Yellow Pearl 535
• Sport Blue Pearl 250
• Sport Red Pearl 273
• Titan Grey 647

Options :

Few options for this very exclusive sport car. But we find :

• Airbag only for the windscreen models
• Hood for windscreen models
• Radio
• Car cover
• Carpet
• Luggage-rack
• Special rims 

Compétition :

Sure, Spider Trophy was a natural evolution of the Renault tradition created several years before with Alpine GTA, Renault 5 Turbo and Renault 21 Turbo.

In Europe, Spider Trophy was often organized the Formula 1 Championship weekends.

Powered the a 180bhp version of the Clio Williams engine, Spider was equiped with a 6-speed, non synchro gearbox from Sadev, a cage side bar, specific brakes with 2 independant master cylinders and OZ wheels.

The french driver, Frank Lagorce won the first Spider Trophy championship, in 1996, the sweden Tommy Rustad won the second in 1997.

Evolutions :

With a very strong and well designed concept, Spider supports many evolutions. Many people consider Spider is very heavy when we compared it to a Lotus Elise. But they forget to say Spider chassis can support others engines with 550 bhp !

RJ Racing, Fior et Nogaro Technologies have used this superbe chassis for many evolutions.

In 1997, RJ Racing with Renault developped Helem. 6 cars an 1 road prototype for homologation by Matra, have been build.
The road model (below) was equiped by a V6 bi-Turbo Renault Safrane engine, and had 262 hbp.

The race car weighs only 950 Kg, was powered by the same engine with 550 bhp. Renault stopped the project one year later.

This car has viewed in Britany GT Championship, then in BPR Campionship in France.

In 1999, Nogaro-Technologies developped Spider F99. 30 cars was mmade and sent to Zuaï Circuit in China, 6 others cars were sold in France, with 2 stay at Nogaro.
Specifications are very interesting and make this sport car a very pleased car. 

Aerodynamics is very worked, body used a fiber set, the gearbox-engine set comes from Spider Trophy, and provides 180bhp, the weight is under 650Kg.

In 1999 too, RJ Racing disappears, Helem cars too...

In 2000, Nogaro-Technologies bought Helem mark by Fior, and recovered many specific tools. Then in 2001, Nogaro-Technologies built, from the Spider F99 chassis, a new Helem prototype for French GT Championship (Muratet V6 3.0 litres engine, 280 bhp, sequential 5 gearbox).

In 2002, Nogaro-Technologies produced 15 Helem GT Spider V8 (Ferrari F355 engine modified for 400 bhp) The body raised the Ferrrai 333SP. These cars were sent to Belgium Ferrari Club.

We have to thank Nogaro Technologies and Bruno Tourmen for all these informations.