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Written by Stephen Dobie
Renault has used the Monaco Grand Prix build up to unveil this, the Clio RS16. Its name and livery both nod to Renault"s F1 car, while the entire car is a celebration of 40 years of Renault Sport.Officially a concept for now, it"s a Renault Sport Clio with the oily bits of the Megane 275 Trophy R shoehorned under it. That means a 271bhp 2-litre turbocharged engine in place of a 197bhp 1.6, and a six-speed manual gearbox in place of the current Clio"s much-maligned paddleshifter. Smaller and lighter than the Megane, it means you"re likely looking at Renault"s fastest ever car.It"s a properly serious thing: highlights of its spec sheet include suspension components from the Clio R3T rally car, adjustable Ohlins dampers, track-biased tyres and a pair of bucket seats with six-point harnesses. There"s also a bespoke Akrapovic exhaust, which for the Monaco show car, has straight-through pipes for maximum aural drama.What there isn"t is a rear set bench or air conditioning, with a 1,200kg target weight applied to the RS16. Its engine is heavier than a standard Clio RS"s, but the gearbox lighter, so it ought to tip the scales at a similar level.
Date written: 27 May 2016
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 3604
Renault has used the Monaco Grand Prix build up to unveil this, the Clio RS16. Its name and livery both nod to Renault"s F1 car, while the entire car is a celebration of 40 years of Renault Sport.Officially a concept for now, it"s a Renault Sport Clio with the oily bits of the Megane 275 Trophy R shoehorned under it. That means a 271bhp 2-litre turbocharged engine in place of a 197bhp 1.6, and a six-speed manual gearbox in place of the current Clio"s much-maligned paddleshifter. Smaller and lighter than the Megane, it means you"re likely looking at Renault"s fastest ever car.It"s a properly serious thing: highlights of its spec sheet include suspension components from the Clio R3T rally car, adjustable Ohlins dampers, track-biased tyres and a pair of bucket seats with six-point harnesses. There"s also a bespoke Akrapovic exhaust, which for the Monaco show car, has straight-through pipes for maximum aural drama.What there isn"t is a rear set bench or air conditioning, with a 1,200kg target weight applied to the RS16. Its engine is heavier than a standard Clio RS"s, but the gearbox lighter, so it ought to tip the scales at a similar level.
Date written: 27 May 2016
More of this article on the Top gear website
ID: 3604