RSS Share 28/02/2006
Saul bitten by Renaultsport Spider passion

In the first of our series marking 10 years of Renaultsport, we will begin at the beginning with the car that drew gasps when launched in 1996. Renaultsport Spider was the first in what has become a long line of vehicles to raise the passions of those who own them.

For Graham Saul, the love affair started a decade ago when he watched the Renaultsport Spider UK Cup races in support of the British Touring Car Championship at Oulton Park. “I thought it was an amazing car and so different to everything else that was around at the time,” says Saul, who owns three Spiders including the model with chassis number one.

He continues: “It was outrageously different with its Lamborghini-style doors and was a fantastic piece of equipment for its day. A lot of cars looked the same, like the Fiesta XR2 and XR3 and the Peugeot 205 GTI and then along came this mad Spider. When I wanted to buy a race car in 2001, I didn’t want any common or garden car, I wanted a Spider.”

Early experiences for Saul, who lives in Stockport, were not too encouraging but once he figured out the problem, the fun really began. “The trouble was, it would spin on a sixpence without any warning,” he explains. “Once the back end started to come around, that was it. But we softened the suspension and got the balance right for racing hard but with enough softness to keep control.

“The car is renowned for being tail-happy because all the weight is at the back. But anyone who says it’s not driveable just hasn’t worked out what to do yet. They are the most fantastic fun once you get the setup right.”

Saul competes with team-mate Kingsley Ingram in the Northern Saloon and Sports Car Championship, which has given him his most memorable Spider moment so far. “In the wet at Oulton Park I was up against some two-litre V8s,” he recalls. “The Spider is so well set up it handles virtually the same in the wet or dry, so not only did I win my class, I split the V8s as well. That was really special.”

“Another weekend, Kingsley broke his suspension in the warm up. I lent him my car for both races because it was his birthday and he ended up winning both. It was quite surreal though because the commentator didn’t realise he was driving my car, so I watched from the grandstand as ‘I’ won both races!”

One of the prized cars currently for sale boasts Benoit Jacob as a former owner. Jacob is the man responsible for designing the Spider, effectively the cause of Saul’s current passion. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of the cars, it’s a lifelong passion for me,” Saul admits. “I’m hoping to buy a fourth car soon, but one that is roadworthy.” Making reference to the Spider’s lack of roof, he adds: “Then I just need to wait for the sun to shine!”

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