Yesterday

Renaultsport Clio V6 255 | PH Private Area

Swooned over this V6 at Gaydon yesterday? It's for sale...

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In much the same way that fast Fords are most desirable in Imperial Blue, and Type R Hondas are best in Championship White, there’s something irresistible about Liquid Yellow Renaultsports. It transformed humble hot hatches into glamorous performance cars with its lustre and depth. Even the EDC Clio that everybody moans about was a whole lot more covetable with a splash of LY.

Twingo, Megane or Clio, it was (and remains) a hugely desirable colour. Not least because it cost so much new as an I.D. pearlescent paint: it added about 10 per cent to the price of a 133 back in the day. Having one of those for sale would be interesting enough - but a Liquid Yellow Clio V6 255, the ultimate crazy Renault of the 2000s, is a very special occasion.

This is one of just 18 such cars to have existed in the UK; probably as the little V6 looked brilliant whatever the colour, but also as I.D. paints only came along in 2005, the last year of Clio V6 production. So there are only 45 globally in yellow. According to the seller (who’s a font of V6 knowledge - thanks Graeme!) the original owner wanted Inferno Orange, but with production having already ceased they had to accept Liquid Yellow. And got a discount for being so understanding… 

Some of you may recognise this car from its time with evo back in the day, so that’s a nice little part of the history. (Its fame doesn’t end there in fact, as this one is the cover star of Duncan Powell’s The Clio V6 Legacy.) The current keeper has owned it since 2014, and is responsible for just under half its current (very modest) mileage tally of 33,000. He’s kept the Clio exactly how you would hope for such a significant Renaultsport product: the paint has been protected with PPF, the services have always been at SG Motorsport, and it’s only driven in the summer months.

Even the modifications are common V6-specific ones: the seat has been mounted a little lower thanks to custom-made runners, and an uprated exhaust has been fitted to bring the 3.0-litre to life. For XXL, the latter is actually an Orbisoud item, believed by its current owner to be the only one in the UK. 

So if you want a Clio V6 (and who doesn’t?), then Phase 2 #264 has to be one of the very best out there. As the Turbo 3E nears, so interest in the mid-engined Renaults of old will surely only increase further. This one appears to want for nothing, and Liquid Yellow is an appropriately exotic colour for everyone’s favourite shrink-wrapped supercar. Be sure to bring it along to future Sunday Services, please, just as Graeme did…

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See the original advert 

[GreatScott2016]

Spookily, I was just looking at this one, I then saw the price and smiled .

[ex-devonpaul]

I looked at one of these about 16 years ago - the wife thought I was mad so we bought a Maserati Gransport instead (4 seats!).

They were sub £20k at the time. A mate bought it, and sold it on about 8 years later for twice the price.

[heisthegaffer]

I had a Blackgold 182 years ago and there was a Blackgold V6 for sale in Worthing for £11k. How I wish id bought it.

[TrevorHill]

The modern classic market, if that is the correct term, is absolutely bonkers. You can buy a lot of car for £77k.

[thehardman07]

Test drove an Iliad Blue one on sale for about £16.5k from a local Renault dealer back in 2007/2008. Had proper supercar presence and drove reasonably well, if not as quick as the looks and noise would suggest. Was tempted but decided my £16,500 was better spent on a nearly new Megane R26 than a 6 year old Clio with no back seats. Probably ranks as my worst car buying decision considering what both cars are worth now...

[andy43]

TrevorHill said:

The modern classic market, if that is the correct term, is absolutely bonkers. You can buy a lot of car for £77k.

Modern classics do seem to have gone crazy.. There's also a red one on AT for.... 85 grand.

[TinpotTintop]

heisthegaffer said:

I had a Blackgold 182 years ago and there was a Blackgold V6 for sale in Worthing for £11k. How I wish id bought it.

I worked at Tates Renault in Brighton from 2024/25. We had a Black Gold example as our showroom car. Even though the 182 was faster in the real world, and (subjectively) better on a B-road than these could ever hope to be, driving a V6 felt properly exotic, if a bit scary. Better than the phase 1 but still unpredictable and had a woeful turning circle.

A bit like owning a semi-tame tiger.

(And 'yes, I would')

[LotusOmega375D]

Remember an old R5 Turbo (1 & 2) owner I knew bought a liquid yellow Phase 2 Clio V6 new. He hadn’t had it long when I went to visit him at his home in Brasted. Looked nice enough, but not as interesting as an R5 Turbo 1 or 2.

[Purple Jazz]

heisthegaffer said:

I had a Blackgold 182 years ago

I misread this. I didn’t realise they were that old.

[Earthdweller]

I've been in a shed on a farm that has four of these in it plus some other rare sporty French stuff .. all tucked away behind the milking shed

[nismo48]

Earthdweller said:

I've been in a shed on a farm that has four of these in it plus some other rare sporty French stuff .. all tucked away behind the milking shed

Proper barn find material there

[nismo48]

I remember Nick Trott stating at the time he had this particular Clio it was up there in life experiences along with the birth of his child

[whp1983]

Nearly bought one for £14k and £40k….. can’t be worth more than £80k in a few years right?!?!?!

Just ace, terrible interior but what a thing

[Its Just Adz]

What a car!
I'm sure it's not the best dynamically, but surely that would just make the driver (and others) grim from ear to ear.

I don't think the price is too bad, I expected it to be more.

[disco666]

I'm guessing the seller knows the market, but I would have guessed this was worth about £40k.

[MyV10BarksAndBites]

Nothing but pure hatred and laughter at that price......... and it's a car I absolutely LOVE!!!

Just no........

[jimmytheone]

Love it!
"cheap" tax band too

[kambites]

I seriously considered one of these 20 years ago but eventually ended up buying my Elise instead; you could get a good one for under £20k back then. Fabulous car, especially in that colour, but I'd rather have a cheaper, scruffier one which I wasn't afraid to use.

ETA: Mind you, even "cheap" ones seem to be about £50k these days!

Edited by kambites on Monday 9th February 17:22

[AndrewNR]

I'm in the 'almost bought one' gang.
Think a mid-mileage phase 1 was about 12k, and a phase 2 about 15/16k

[RSstuff]

Wouldn't be one in my lotto garage, would be a RS500 Cosworth and a TME Mitsubishi. The Renault is all mouth and no trousers really, isn't it.