Renaultsport has built a concept version of next year’s Clio Renaultsport 2.0 as a teaser. It calls the Clio Renaultsport Concept "the ultimate development" of the Clio III.
Today's Clio production is due to end soon, including the somewhat bonkers rear-engined V6 three-litre version, and the new Clio III goes on sale in October. The concept seems to be pretty close to the production model due out in 2006.
Renaultsport said that its engineers were tasked with "retaining the original spirit of the Clio while enhancing its dynamic capabilities" to combine "performance, excitement and driving pleasure". So the concept includes ideas rarely seen in the hot hatch segment, for example, an underfloor air diffuser. It also gets extractor vents in the front wings, and independent mountings for the front suspension for precise handling.
It gets the 2.0-litre engine that drives through a six-speed 'box -- though this is surely not the last word, given the potent V6s that went into previous Clios.
Styling cues include enlarged front and rear wings, a lowered stance and profiled side skirts, along with seven-spoke, 18-inch wheels with body-coloured highlights. The front air intake consists of a large, chrome-zinc-coloured grille flanked by a pair of fog light surrounds which are chromed along with the door mirrors, diffuser and the twin exhausts.
The rear diffuser's downforce negates the need for a rear roof spoiler while the dual exhausts are fitted within its side channels to maximise its efficiency. The extractor vents in the front wings reduce turbulence, while also improving hot-air extraction from the engine bay. According to Renault, the grilles are positioned to direct air along the sides of the car to optimise performance. Hmmm...
Renaultsport’s aluminium front suspension components lighten the system while the wheel-at-each-corner stance helps traction, roadholding, ride and handling. It sits on 215/40 R18 tyres around which bulge slightly distended wheelarches. At the front, red brake calipers have four aluminium pistons and cross-drilled 330mm Brembo discs, 280mm at the rear.
Inside, you get chrome and leather, a panoramic sunroof and four bucket seats separated by a chrome-zinc centre console below a leather-covered dashboard. Upholstered in red and grey leather with built-in headrests, the seats are said to be "comfortable yet supportive". The separate rear seats seem almost certain not to survive into production, though.
White-faced instruments sit in the dash and include a gear ratio indicator within the rev-counter while wheel is covered in red and black leather with a flattened lower section above aluminium pedals and footrest.
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