Over A Decade On, Is Renault's Clio V6 Even Now A Delight To Operate A Vehicle?

Prior to asking for Renault’s immaculate Clio V6, I’d seen one on your way three times. Once within the M25 near Brentwood; was formerly, I think, for the A243 going previous Chessington World associated with Adventures, and additional time it has been Renault’s own car again with an earlier visit for you to Autocar HQ.

Anecdotally, subsequently, they’re rare. And rare in truth too because based on the internet, less than 300 were registered in england last year. So this means you’ve got more prospects for coming across some sort of Ferrari 599 GTB.
Rarity includes a way of generating something covetable needless to say, yet that hardly accounts for all you affection lavished for the car by passers-by.

Indeed, it’s still a sight to determine - nearly several years spent off the shelf has not yet made the protruding arches or sills seem to be any less unusual - but I favor to think the many smiles and thumbs-up undoubtedly are a salute to the particular outright silliness (and thus, innate brilliance) from the thing.

Ripping in place and rebuilding this humble Clio since mid-engined, rear drive coupe still seems like the automotive comparative of motorizing the pogo stick: it absolutely was fine before, enjoyment even - it’s at this point unapologetically bonkers. And every one of the better for the item. To drive, the V6 remains one steer: possessing an almost unique combined an unweighted nasal, dinky wheelbase, reduced weight, slow steering and also a 252bhp powered, pre-loaded backend. I owned the 172 Cup from the same vintage, along with the similarities end on the dash layout.

The car is much more remarkable for the point that Renault needed another go to obtain it right -the first version famously indicating too wayward inside the wet for a number of buyers. What we wouldn’t get for have been provide at either assembly: first to check out the French professionals merrily green light the idea of a hand-built, V6 powered Clio without having boot, and your second to see them convinced that this zany concept nonetheless had legs if perhaps the engineers might dial in enough understeer for this not to tumble off roundabouts pretty so easily.

Such controversial choices seem less and unlikely now. Manufacturers have zero problem whatsoever having extracting ever greater outputs from the hatchback’s engine clean - the Mercedes A45, as an example, has more power when compared to a 1995 Porsche 911 Carrera RS - provided that said engine remains firmly at the cab end and the car involved rolls down a similar production line as anything else. The idea of dramatically trying out architecture for anything at all low volume, or even reasonably fettling something somewhat special away through the factory, is right now considered industrial kryptonite.

Such adamancy positions paid to the thought of any mainstream brand following in the V6 with whatever quite as willfully odd. Although if you will discover any disco lights towards the end of the present tunnel, they surely still are part of Renault. Not in Clio costume needless to say - that rainy squib has sailed - but alternatively in the completely new Twingo, which regarding packaging reasons, explores a similarly non-traditional rear-engined, rear generate layout.

Encouragingly, the business didn’t even loose time waiting for the standard model to become launched before it showed over Twin’Run - some sort of, yes, V6-powered strategy built mostly via motorsport bits. No one’s recommending that car is anything in addition to hat-tipping exhibition item, but let’s trust that any forth-coming Renaultsport version in the Twingo (denied, yet widely forecast) captures a lot of the unconventional verve in the Clio.

And next perhaps if we all get excited plenty of, and hop from foot to foot with glee, Renault could just be tempted to start out bouncing ideas unusual at another of people long meetings.