RE: Paris 2012: all new Clio Renaultsport

RE: Paris 2012: all new Clio Renaultsport

Thursday 27th September 2012

Paris 2012: all new Clio Renaultsport

It'll be steak hache all round for lunch, given all the sacred cows Renaultsport has slaughtered



So, what are the things we love most about the outgoing Renaultsport Clio? That wedgy three-door body - wider than the standard Clio to the extent it doesn't fit down the standard production line, and has to be built in the old-school Alpine factory in Dieppe? That classic, high-revving, naturally aspirated power delivery and soundtrack - rare in this all-turbo age? The crisp, short-throw manual gearbox that rewards those willing to put the effort in and really drive the Clio like they stole it?

Or is it just the pervading sense that there's nothing false, contrived or out to flatter your ego here? The Clio 200 is raw and pure: what you get out of it is what you put in. Been there, done that. The hooning bit, not the TWOCking, we mean.

OK, so it doesn't look like a five-door
OK, so it doesn't look like a five-door
And now we have a new one. It's five-door or nothing. Turbocharged. Dual-clutch auto only. And - uh-oh - it simulates an exciting engine note through its speakers.

Plus it's launching at the same show as the 208 GTI, Peugeot's first concerted attempt to live up to the considerable reputation of its defining hot hatch, the 205 GTI.

Some work for the PR department, then. We'll be talking exclusively with Renaultsport to get the inside line on exactly how the new Clio 200 can hope to live up to, and exceed, the considerable talents of the outgoing car. Watch this space.

In the meantime, some numbers. The 1.6-litre turbo - which shares family genes with the comparable Nissan motor used by cars like the Juke 1.6 DIG-T and, er, Deltawing - gets a bit of Renaultsport fairy dust and now puts out 200hp. The significant character shift is the turbo-enhanced torque delivery, dumping the peak 177lb ft in your lap at 1,750rpm rather than the 5,400rpm the current 200 demands for its weedier 158lb ft. Which, coincidentally, is just 200rpm away from where the new car's torque curve starts tailing off.

That, along with the paddle-shifter operated EDC twin-clutch (six gears, three modes), is going to make for a very different character. Likewise the fact that the purity of the outgoing car is replaced by gadgets like the R-Sound Effect that - brace yourself - "simulates the noise of one of a range of iconic engines through the car's speakers." This is, claims Renault, a "fun and realistic" way of tuning the engine noise. Shall we mention the PH response to the M5's similar function now, or later? Gulp...

Red bits less worrying than shifter paddles
Red bits less worrying than shifter paddles
Chassis set-up is, of course, one area where Renaultsport really shows its class. Thankfully, it's avoided the temptation to go for a fangled multi-setting damping set-up, and has instead stuck with the previous system of fixed-rate Sport and Cup chassis options, the latter being 15 per cent stiffer and five per cent lower.

We'll await our Renaultsport man's comments with interest. In the meantime Renault UK has confirmed that pricing will be announced in February, with sales beginning early Summer.

Author
Discussion

ukaskew

Original Poster:

10,642 posts

220 months

Thursday 27th September 2012
quotequote all
Power is irrelevant if they don't tell us how much the thing weighs, how that fact isn't near the top of every stat list these days is beyond me.

I've got every faith in the Renaultsport engineers, but they appear to have a mountain to climb (speaking as somebody who owned various RS Clios but has moved onto a Sportka as I was fed up of the ever increasing lard).

Tom1312

1,015 posts

145 months

Thursday 27th September 2012
quotequote all
Oh dear.

So what is its USP now?

EDIT:

' simulates the noise of one of a range of iconic engines through the car's speakers. '

Something tells me the sound of one of these wont be an option....



.... Would be good though.

Edited by Tom1312 on Thursday 27th September 12:36

folos

900 posts

141 months

Thursday 27th September 2012
quotequote all
That is disgusting, I owned a 197 r27 for 12 glorious months and loved it. Not a chance i'd have one of these - i'd take a corsa VXR over one of these and thats saying something!

Previous RS clios were very special things and dare I say it quite nice looking too. Shame they've ruined it :-(

Cant wait for the fiesta ST though!

Edited by folos on Thursday 27th September 12:31

Frimley111R

15,538 posts

233 months

Thursday 27th September 2012
quotequote all
folos said:
i'd take a corsa VXR over one of these and thats saying something!
Why? They are supposed to be excellent?

StottyZr

6,860 posts

162 months

Thursday 27th September 2012
quotequote all
The front end looks terrible.

Turbo'd, auto only, 5 door only and a fake engine noise :/

On the face of it, doesn't look very promising.

Hellbound

2,500 posts

175 months

Thursday 27th September 2012
quotequote all
I understand the overall package, but the lack of manual box just baffles me. It sounds like cost cutting has gone too far here.

Jamesp24

309 posts

169 months

Thursday 27th September 2012
quotequote all
Oh dear....the cliosport is dead.

Richie C

637 posts

205 months

Thursday 27th September 2012
quotequote all
Looks like game over.

Papa Hotel

12,760 posts

181 months

Thursday 27th September 2012
quotequote all
That. Is ugly.

Wrong engine.

Do not like.

I know it'll be brilliant though, I just don't want one, it's not the RS Clios we know and love.

Kitchski

6,514 posts

230 months

Thursday 27th September 2012
quotequote all
Fail. Even if it drove as well as the outgoing model, I couldn't live with that nose!

Gutted. One of the 'proper' hot hatches is no more.

[AJ]

3,079 posts

197 months

Thursday 27th September 2012
quotequote all
Yuck!

If you have a current RS Clio, keep it, it's about to become more valuable!

dazsmith69

284 posts

191 months

Thursday 27th September 2012
quotequote all
the front looks like a clown

framerateuk

2,730 posts

183 months

Thursday 27th September 2012
quotequote all
I like it.

The verdict remains out on the simulated engine noise, but I think the car itself looks great.

bagseye

111 posts

176 months

Thursday 27th September 2012
quotequote all
I was planning to upgrade to this after my RS Twingo. Untill I read the article. It looks nice. Real nice. But I have a feeling they have softened it.

But if they do a proper stripped out "Cup" version I may be persuaded otherwise. Other than that the outgoing model may be the one to get.

Sicob

478 posts

227 months

Thursday 27th September 2012
quotequote all
Bloody simulated engine noise bks. Ridiculous.

rwindmill

429 posts

157 months

Thursday 27th September 2012
quotequote all
It reminds me of Elvis in his final days, bloated and way past his prime.

I guess the only silver lining is that Renault will now be able to do the same thing that VW did with the Golf i.e. after years of producing duller and duller models, they will be able to strip away all the excess and release a lightweight raw street racer errrrrrrr just like original Reanultsport Clio.

A Scotsman

1,000 posts

198 months

Thursday 27th September 2012
quotequote all
Rumour is that there won't be a Clio Cup race series in 2013. Anyone else heard this?


Steve vRS

4,836 posts

240 months

Thursday 27th September 2012
quotequote all
I could forgive the engine compromise but the lack of a manual gearbox is unforgivable!

Steve

Djw John

99 posts

148 months

Thursday 27th September 2012
quotequote all
The turbo I understand, and blame legislation for.

The 5 door, I dont like but wouldnt be a dealbreaker for me.

The simulated noise, not a fan at all but nothing a quick disconnecting of a speaker wouldn't sort out I'm sure.

The auto only? Not a chance. Thats what will stop me ever having one. Which is a crying shame as I've had/have too many RenaultSports!

Streps

2,445 posts

165 months

Thursday 27th September 2012
quotequote all
Hahaha How massive is that Renault badge on the front?