After launching in the UK in 1991, the Renault Clio hits the 25 year landmark. This is actually a car which has featured in more than period of my life. My dad and stepmum owned one and I remember how I would fall asleep in it as a child on trips home from our summer holidays to Littlehampton. Roll the years forward to 2012 and I had my very own Renault Clio Dynamique TomTom which was rather nice to be in but it was too sluggish to enjoy driving.
I was going to write about the highlights of the little French hatchback but as this model has provided some cracking hot hatches down the years I would rather have a look at those. So here is a look at the hot variants of the Clio we have seen down the years.
Clio Williams
We start this journey in 1993 when I was still a toddler bouncing around the front room in my childhood home in Sutton, Surrey. The Clio Williams was made in limited numbers of 3,800 to begin with, but after popular demand the French car maker built more than 12,000 with the introduction of the Williams 2 and Williams 3.
Despite its name being derived from the Formula One team, Williams had nothing to do with the development or engineering of this model. Awkward. However, it was used as the safety car for Formula One in 1996 so at least it gained a more credible F1 link... three years after being introduced.
Iffy naming aside, this car was a gem and is still sought after today, although examples are few and far between. Even if you do find one, the chances are that it will not be a prime example. A quick look saw me find one for £22,500, which is fair bit for a hatchback over 20 years old. On to the matter of performance now, the Clio Williams had a straight-four 2.0 litre engine which was able to produce 144 bhp.
This was able to take the Clio to a top speed of 134 mph, which is still respectable by today's hot hatch standards. The Clio Williams also saw suspension upgrades, an uprated gearbox, plus the iconic gold alloy wheels. The first model of the Williams also sported a metal plaque stating the build number.
Clio RS
In 1999 Renault launched the Clio Renaultsport (172) which was based on the Clio Mk2. This model was easy to spot from a regular Clio thanks to its wider arches, sporty bodykit and the 15" OZ alloy wheels. Under the bonnet sat a 2.0 litre 16-valve engine with a VVT system that gave 170 bhp. Mated with a 5-speed manual it drove the RS to 0-60 mph in just over 7 seconds and a top speed of 138 mph.
In 2002 a Cup version was introduced which was lighter and more track focused. Sacrifices were made to get the desired results, with all the usual creature comforts ripped out. Thinner glass were put in and the soundproofing was also taken out so it couldn't have been the best car to live with day-to-day. If this still wasn't extreme for you then you could go for the insane Clio V6 RenaultSport.
V6 Renaultsport
Launching in 2001, Renault produced the mid-engine rear-wheel drive V6 Renaultsport. Despite having the back seats stripped out, this particular model was a whopping 300kg heavier than the 172 Cup. This is due to the needed changes to the car's structure to make it rear-wheel drive and mid-engined. Even with this heavy handicap the V6 was faster than the Cup, with a top speed of 146 mph and a 0-60 time of 6.2 seconds, compared to the 172 Cup's 138 mph and 6.7 seconds.
Ok, so it's not a massive leap forward but just the unique nature of the car was enough for the car to be popular. After it's second model launched in 2003 it held the title of the world's fastest serial produced hot hatch in the world thanks to a power output of 255 bhp. Like the Clio Williams, the V6 Renaultsport is considered a classic and is sought after. If you're looking to buy one used then expect to be looking at a price of around £25,000-£27,000 which in today's market would get you Fiesta ST with plenty of change, or you could get a Golf GTi. But hey, it's a pretty cool car which will always draw attention.
Clio 197
The Clio 197 was released in 2006 and was based on the Mk3 model of the French hatchback. Like the 172, it featured a 16 valve 2.0 litre engine offering 194 bhp. Despite this it was a little slower than the 172, with a speed of 134 mph compared to the 172's 138 mph. The 197 did get a 6-speed manual gearbox though, which got the 197 to 62 mph in 6.9 seconds, an improvement on the 172.
A Clio 200 model was introduced further down the line which offered 197 bhp, improving the top speed to 141 mph whilst maintaining the 6.9 0-62 time. Other improvements include upgrades to the exhaust system, ECU and valve timing. The Clio 200 also saw a handful of special editions including the Gordini, Silverstone GP, Australian GP, 20th Anniversary, Raider and Red Bull.
Clio IV RS
This model is the odd one out as Renault changed tact with the latest Clio RS. Unlike other Clio RS models, this comes only with a 6-speed automatic gearbox, no manual. That isn't the only limitation however, this Clio RS comes only in five door guise. Both of these factors have upset fans and this allowed the Fiesta ST to take the crown of the best compact hot hatch on the market.
This Clio also features a 1.6 litre turbocharged engine, ditching the 2.0 litre naturally aspirated unit used in other Clio RS models. The engine does provide 197 bhp which provides a competitive top speed of 143 mph. 0-60 comes in 6.5 seconds which again is very competitive. It's not been a huge success however, so it will be interesting to see what Renault do with its next Clio hot hatch.