2005 Renaultsport Clio 182 Trophy

Highlights

• Limited edition - No. 106 of 500
• MOT to July 2025
• Extensive service records
• Family owned since 2011
• Just 3 previous keepers

Overview

Here in the UK, we adore hot hatches. We particularly love a French hot hatch, bringing as they do a dose of extra style to proceedings, as well as the occasional cocked rear wheel. Of course, ever since the iconic 5 Turbo, Renault have been masters of the black art of extracting maximum ooh-la-la from even the dinkiest motors. Usually by shoe-horning a turbocharged or over-sized engine into a small city car and tuning the suspension for maximum attack.

And so it is with the 182 Trophy, a celebration of the joy gained by sticking a massive engine in a tiny hatch, and wrapping it up in a slathering of Gallic style. Lovely. Always intended as an exclusive special edition of 500 units for the UK market (although, apparently, the Swiss convinced Renault to make 50 for them), it’s now a much-loved and highly sought after modern classic. Powerful, well-balanced and ferocious over 5,500rpm, it rightly holds a place in the hot hatch Hall of Fame. In fact, PHers voted it ‘Hot Hatch of the Century’ back in 2019. It really is that good.

Here we have a very fine example that has clearly been both enjoyed as it should have been, but also well maintained and cared for. Presented pretty much in factory specification (barring one or two mild upgrades we’ll mention later), it’s a very fine example of a true B-road legend. Not just that, as one of only 500 ever built for the UK, it’s now a very rare machine indeed – fewer than 200 remain on the road in the UK according to ‘How Many Left’.

As an example of what makes for a truly great hot hatch, not much comes close to the Clio 182 Trophy. It’s a true driver’s car, the like of which simply isn’t made anymore. Best not let this one get away then, eh?

History and documentation

• Registered 2 August 2005
• No. 106 of 500 made for the UK
• Believed to be fewer than 200 on the road in the UK (Source: How Many Left)
• 3 former keepers
• Current owner since September 2019, previously owned by their son since 2011
• Full document pack, plus two keys
• 8 service stamps in the official service book, showing services as follows: Apr 2006 @ 11,996 miles, Nov 2006 @ 24,540 miles, Jun 2007 @ 35,929, Mar 2008 @ 47,998 miles, Nov 2008 @ 60,067 miles, Dec (we think, not entirely clear) 2010 @ 66,566 miles, Dec 2011 @ 83,242 miles, Jul 2012 @ 97,836 miles, stored 2012-2020, recommissioning service May 2020 @ 111,912 miles
• Current mileage 118,123 miles
• Will be freshly serviced prior to sale
• There’s also an expansive collection of invoices for servicing and maintenance, as well as old MOT certificates
• Two keys
• Current MOT expires 14 July 2025
• 118,055 miles on the clock
• V5 present in owner’s name
• HPI clear (checked August 2024)

Interior

• Half leather upholstery, with Alcantara seat centres
• Recaro front seats are in very good order for their age, with minimal evidence of wear and no damage or tears that we could see
• The numbered plaque is present and correct on the side of the driver’s seat
• The rear bench has been retrimmed in leather and Alcantara to match the fronts
• Electrically operated windows and door mirrors
• Air conditioning
• The original CD/radio system has been replaced with a Renault Update List original
• A replacement OEM Renaultsport steering wheel has been fitted
• A new OEM heater control panel has been fitted after the original cracked
• The gearshift gaiter has been refurbished
• All of the switchgear and instrumentation looks to be in nice condition, with some light wear consistent with the car’s age and use
• No faults or issues are reported with any of the cabin equipment
• Original black carpeting runs through the cabin and appears to be in good order, with genuine black rubber Clio overmats
• The light grey headlining is in excellent condition, showing no evidence of sagging, staining or any damage
• At the back, the parcel shelf is intact and in place, and the boot is finished with black carpeting
• Underneath the boot carpet, the floor looks very clean and tidy, with no signs of damage repair or corrosion

Exterior

• Capsicum Red Metallic paintwork looks to be original and reasonably well preserved, with an attractive shine
• There are some stone chips across the car, with the majority concentrated on the front bumper, as well as some small scuffs to the near-side corner of the rear bumper and some light paint wear to the off-side door handle
• We discerned no evidence of damage, corrosion or any other issues with the bodywork – all the panels look to be clean, straight and neatly aligned
• Looking at all the usual places where issues may lurk – door bottoms, door shuts and boot lip – the metal work looks to be exceptionally clean and tidy
• There is one very small dent (about 1.5cm) on the passenger door but, as far as we can tell, the paint isn’t broken
• All of the external badging, trim, glass elements and light lenses look to be present and in fine fettle, with no obvious warping, cracking or damage
• The car is wearing the correct ‘Turini’ Speedline 16-inch alloy wheels, finished in Anthracite and looking to be in good order
• There are some marks and blemishes to the wheels, but nothing that would concern us
• A matched set of Yokohama AD08 tyres (205/45) are fitted, the rears being new and the fronts being slightly older but still in great condition with plenty of tread
• Underneath, the car continues to show very well for its age, with straight, clean floors and sills and just a smattering of surface corrosion to some of the suspension components

Mechanical

• 1,998cc naturally aspirated, 16-valve, four-cylinder, DOHC engine
• 180bhp and 148lb ft, delivered to the front wheels
• Factory performance figures: 0-60mph in 6.5 seconds, 138mph
• Kerb weight of just 1,075Kg
• Five-speed manual transmission
• Front wheel drive
• Power assisted steering
• Anti-lock braking system
• Sachs remote reservoir dampers with hydraulic bump stops for exceptional handling
• Engine bay looks to be standard and is clean and tidy, with no evidence of leaks or issues, just a little surface corrosion to the rocker cover and some bracketry
• The rear dampers have been replaced with new units (July 2024), while the front dampers have recently been refurbished
• A new off-side ball joint was fitted in July 2024
• A new stainless steel Prospeed exhaust system has been recently fitted
• New Brembo front brake discs and pads
• We’re assured that the car starts, idles, runs and drives just as it should, with no mechanical faults or issues to declare

Summary

On Britain’s narrow, twisting and slightly broken tarmac, a muscular hot hatch is the perfect choice for any driving enthusiast. Of all the options available in the hot hatch space, we think the Clio 182 Trophy offers a damn near perfect sweet spot of power, agility, low weight and modernity.

Highly collectible, well maintained, a joy to drive and, let’s face it, a load more fun than a small Renault has any right to be, why on Earth wouldn’t you want this delectable pocket rocket?

Seriously, why wouldn’t you want this? We sure as hell can’t think of a reason…

To arrange a viewing, please request this in the Q&A section. You can click through to the seller's profile and use the 'Email Me' function to arrange a viewing privately. This seller is located in Chepstow, South Wales.