2002 RENAULT CLIO

A spin-off from the 'Clio Trophy' race series and first previewed at the Paris Motor Show in 1998, the Clio V6 230 was in many ways the spiritual successor to the mid-engined 5-Turbo. Launched in 2001, the wide-hipped, mid-engined 'baby supercar' was broadly based on the Clio Mk II but the V6 variant actually shared very little with its standard counterpart. Where the rear seats would normally be nestled, a tweaked version of the proven and unstressed 3-litre, 24v, V6 unit from the Laguna saloon offering access to 227bhp (230PS) fed to the rear wheels and enabling 0-60 in 6.2 seconds and 146mph, not for the faint-hearted in such a diminutive 'rocket ship'. The Phase 1 cars were assembled by hand at the Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) workshops in Uddevalla in Sweden, using parts shipped from France, producing just 1,513 examples between 2001 and 2003.

The car presented here is a 2002 example which has been fully re-engineered and built, over two years, and almost in the vein of the motorsport-build, by Dave Tassell, the highly skilled 'behind-the-scenes' mechanic of TV’S popular Car SOS. This particular car was built for him to use, so no area of its creation has been compromised or skimped on, it’s that good – 'it has been extensively uprated during its restoration and now incorporates many more modern features'.

Always 'up for the challenge' and with the engineering prowess to back it up, Dave has obviously restored some very special cars over the years. During lockdown he threw his skills and effort at a very special Phase 1 Clio Williams, where the attention to detail was simply astonishing. With a soft spot for French sports cars, Alpine & Renault in particular, the Clio V6 had always been a 'hero' car of his – he’d always wanted one. With Clio V6 values having risen, and his ability to make any car simply 'better', Dave thought about a V6 becoming his next project – a car he could restore/enhance to his own expert standards to then use and enjoy himself – and this is how this car was created. The whole process and completed car were rightly featured in Classic.Retro.Modern. magazine (with the article attached); the car was also a Pride of Ownership Finalist at the 2022 NEC Classic Car Show: https://www.necrestorationshow.com/pride-of-ownership-finalists-2022/dave-tassells-2002-renault-clio-v6

The previous owner of this car has invested c.£50,000 into it in a bid to create his ultimate track day car, but was let down by his garage and had simply overspent on a project that was languishing. Dave stepped in and set about creating a Clio V6 'in his own vision', and so it began, the fastidious process of souring scarce parts, the careful choosing of a Clio 172 donor car, and the exacting engineering often working late into the night - it became Dave's 'thing' and nothing was left untouched or unimproved; a real labour of love that needed to be good enough for him to own and also for him to put his name to. Part of this process and the skill-set is to think 'outside-the-box' when it's required, looking for solutions and making them happen – hence, the engine used in this car. Dave chose to use the lighter, but also chain-drive, Ford Duratec 3.0 V6 24V, an engine primarily designed by Porsche with cylinder its heads engineered by Cosworth. It was found to be an easy fit, being almost the exact same size, only requiring some minimal adaptations and engineering solutions to make it work perfectly. The rebuilt engine was then properly mapped to 234.6bhp @ 6,000rpm, with torque of 206.2lb/ft which gives the car a really useable low-down 'pull'.

The rest of the mechanical specification is equally as impressive: Getrag MMT6 gearbox housing the Quaife ATB differential, a twin-cable revised gearshift mechanism, a Helix Autosport (Noble) clutch, bearing and lightened flywheel, an electronically controlled Davis Craig electric water pump, Canems engine management and a Janspeed exhaust system. Dave commented: 'This setup is much lighter than the original unit, which can be felt when cornering, also it has a timing chain rather than a belt so no more engine out services!'.

The brakes and suspension set-up are similarly impressive: 330mm discs all round, Renault Sport Megane 275 Brembo 4-pot front callipers, high-spec billet 4-pot rear callipers with integrated handbrake, new hoses, lines and master cylinder. Rebuilt galvanised subframes, new driveshafts, new bushings and ball joints, BC coil-overs, alignment at Spires Motorsport and adjustable electric power steering.

The bare bodyshell was painted in the classic (but extremely rare for a Phase 1 car) Clio V6 Illiad Blue (549), a NOS front and rear bumper fitted, an alloy bonnet, an early tailgate handle, NOS badges, plus genuine alloys wheels (refurbished and fitted with Michelin PS4 tyres). The interior is trimmed in Alcantara (including the headlining), with a retrimmed steering wheel, electrically adjustable seats, a Blaupunkt radio (with a retro Bluetooth DAB head unit), and a genuine windscreen. To top it off, the registration ‘C10 TWR’ adorns the car.

Like all engineers, the thrill is often in the 'doing' and so, having meticulously built, set-up and shaken-down his V6, Dave hankers for the next project. With tens of thousands of pounds spent to create the ultimate Clio V6 in his own vision, it is now, reluctantly being offered for sale. Dave has emphasised that he would be keen to stay in touch with the new owner of the car, to answer any questions or to give advice – he is that confident about this car. No, it is not an original low-mileage example, but these are often not used and enjoyed as they really should be – not so with this car; it has been designed and built to be driven, a bespoke build by a brilliant engineer.