The Renault Clio V6 celebrates its 20th anniversary as one of the most iconic, admired and respected cars in the world. Happy birthday, you little pocket rocket!
We love when a car manufacturer dares to create something unconventional, bold… and original. After the R5 Turbo, Renault created one of the most interesting utility vehicles. Nobody expected that the Renault engineers could develop something even more special than its predecessors, a rare vehicle like the Renault Clio V6 that is now celebrating its 20th anniversary.
Shown as a concept at the 1998 Paris Motor show and released two years later, the Renault Clio V6 owes its existence to the Clio V6 Trophy racing series. In fact, it had more to do with the racing model than with the second generation Renault Clio.
The Renault Clio Sport V6 was equipped with a 3.0-litre naturally-aspirated V-six engine. The engine block came from the Renault Laguna but was modified with new pistons, a higher compression ratio, and a new injection system. The result was a more than decent: 230 hp at 6,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 300 Nm available at 4,650 rpm.
Renault engineers added a six-speed manual transmission that directed all power to the rear axle. The Clio Sport V6 needs just 6.4 seconds to reach 100 km/h and a top speed that was limited at 237 km/h.
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The Renault Clio Sport V6 is 171mm wider and 66mm lower than a standard Clio. The front and rear tracks were widened by 110 and 138 mm. It has 17-inch OZ Superturismo wheels with 205/50 front and 235/45 rear tires and 330mm front and 300mm rear brake discs.
The suspension was exclusively developed for the Renault Clio V6, although the front stabilizer bar was taken directly from the Clio V6 Trophy. Other exclusive car parts were the front and rear bumpers, and the side panels, while the roof, tailgate, hood and bodywork were borrowed from the Renault Clio 172.
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The Renault Clio V6 also offered air conditioning, a sound system, and tinted windows.
In total, 1,631 Renault Clio Sport V6 units were built by Tom Walkinshaw Racing, in Sweden.
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