CompleteCar

Renault plots monster hot Clio for Monaco

RenaultSport will use the F1 race in Monte Carlo to launch the hottest Clio since the V6…

What's the news?

All we know for certain, right now, is that RenaultSport will launch a new, much more powerful version of the Clio Sport at the Monaco Grand Prix, using the newly-reformed Renault F1 team as a backdrop.

What can we expect? Well, some startling yellow paint work to match in with the F1 car is probably a given. Some stickers too, most likely. Mechanically? Ah, that's still a mystery.

The most likely course is a boost of around 50hp over and above the current car's 200hp, making it more competitive with extreme versions of the Peugeot 208 GTI and the Fiesta ST220. There are also rumours that the Clio Sport will get the manual gearbox from the outgoing Megane GT (the current Clio Sport 200 only comes with a DSG-style transmission as standard).

There are crazier rumours though. Rumours that the newly embiggened Clio Sport will get the full-house 276hp turbo engine from the the most powerful GT versions of the old Megane. Which would be quite something, even up against 900-odd-hp F1 cars. It would probably sound better too.

Patrice Ratti, Managing Director of Renault Sport Cars, said: "We successfully completed the project of a slightly crazy car. It was a joint effort by the Renault Sport Cars and Renault Sport Racing teams. This Clio R.S. refines the expertise of Renault Sport engineers whilst exploring new avenues for the future".

All we know for certain, right now, is that this is going to be fun...

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Published on May 24, 2016