RenaultSport Clio Mk III RS Radicale coming?

[NLxAROSA]

Belgian website DRIVR, who were one of the first sites to announce the Renault Mégane Mk III RS Trophy (even though they were 10hp off ), have posted supposed specifications of the suspected to be upcoming Renault Clio RS Radicale. The Clio MkIII RS Radicale is supposed to have the following specifications on top of the already-loaded 'regular' Clio RS Cup, already one of the finest sub-compact hot hatches around:

- Modified Cup-chassis and suspension;
- 230hp from the naturally aspirated 2.0 litre engine;
- Carbon hood;
- Plexiglass windows;
- Special wheels;
- Modified exhaust sytem;
- RenaultSport monitor;
- Five-point harnesses;
- Stripped interior;
- Under 1200kg;
- 0-100 km/h (0-62 mp/h) in 6 seconds;
- Top speed of 240 km/h;
- Recaro racing seats;
- Limited to 300 pieces edition with numbered serial plate.

​

Apparently, Renault doesn't want to let the last atmospheric engine in their subcompact segment go out of service unnoticed, as it will be replaced by a turbo-charged 1.6 engine (which we have already seen in the Nissan Juke) in upcoming versions.

If this is indeed true, this is going to be one fun little track toy, and very exclusive on top. The regular Cup version already handles extremely well, mostly due to the excellent suspension and LSD, and was already stripped of things you don't need, like A/C. 👍

 

[homeforsummer]

Crikey. It's not going to be too far off the Clio Cup racers then. In some respects even more advanced, the Cup cars certainly don't use carbon bonnets. All it needs is a sequential gearbox and it'd be there.

Still, Renault will only be knocking it's own Megane off the top of the hot hatchback tree!

Edit: Also, damn you. You've got me looking at second-hand Clio 197s now...

 

[NLxAROSA]

Still, Renault will only be knocking it's own Megane off the top of the hot hatchback tree!

Well, that one doesn't have a Radicale version yet. And I think Renault will be very careful that it's placed properly in their line of hot-hatches (or is that hotter-hatches?).

Edit: Also, damn you. You've got me looking at second-hand Clio 197s now...

And that is bad why? (For the wallet maybe )

 

[homeforsummer]

And that is bad why? (For the wallet maybe )

Got it in one! I'm looking to save more money, not spend it all

 

[Moot]

No way will it have 230bhp. I bet they will be 10bhp off again, 220bhp at most.
It would just be too expensive.

 

[NLxAROSA]

It will be a hardcore exclusive with only 300 built, I doubt price will be an issue. BTW, price indication for Belgium is 30,000 euro including VAT.

 

[Horde_R35]

No way will it have 230bhp. I bet they will be 10bhp off again, 220bhp at most.
It would just be too expensive.

Yeah! Renault is not Honda (the most powerfull 2 liter engine ever made and 1.6)!

 

[Moot]

It will be a hardcore exclusive with only 300 built, I doubt price will be an issue. BTW, price indication for Belgium is 30,000 euro including VAT.

I think 30,000 Euro (about £27k) is too cheap for a 230bhp 2.0 NA. If they had a mass produced 230bhp engine, then they could afford it.
Renault are very strict on profits too, they don't just do cars for promotion, they will want to make a very good profit on these 300 cars.
Though having thought about that a bit more and checking the current RS price, that's £10k more, which would be enough to pay for a new engine type.
Now i'm 50/50 lol.

£27k is also the price Renault charged for similarly powered V6.

 

[homeforsummer]

Yeah! Renault is not Honda (the most powerfull 2 liter engine ever made and 1.6)!

You're right.

Honda wouldn't make an NA engine with that specific output any more... Renault would.

 

[Danny]

Why is it that Renault can pump out brilliant hot hatches with apparent ease, and yet companies like Toyota and Vauxhall can't?

Severe case of want.

 

[NLxAROSA]

Well, Opel/Vauxhall is at least trying with the Corsa OPC/VXR and Astra OPC/VXR. The Corsa OPC didn't actually do bad at all compared to the similarly-specced Clio III Sport.

 

[homeforsummer]

Why is it that Renault can pump out brilliant hot hatches with apparent ease, and yet companies like Toyota and Vauxhall can't?

To be fair to Opel/Vauxhall (and you won't hear me say that very often), they do at least try (edit: tree'd). The products just appeal to a slightly different customer though. Less about the finesse of the Renaults and more about brute power and wild bodykits. They don't even look too bad, but having driven a standard Corsa and given how most Vauxhall drivers drive, nothing about the VXR models makes me want to own one.

As for Toyota, they're in a tricky position. The Auris totally isn't suitable as a Megane rival, and the Yaris doesn't have a big enough potential hot hatch market, I don't think. Might see a turbocharged one coming along but I doubt it'll be up to Clio standards.

The more pertinent question would be what in merry hell have the Peugeot lot been doing since about 1998?...

 

[NLxAROSA]

Less about the finesse of the Renaults and more about brute power and wild bodykits.

Having owned a 2009 Corsa OPC and owning a Mégane Mk III RS Cup, I can confirm this description is spot on. 👍

The Corsa OPC was a very nice car, but it's not subtle in any way whatsoever. Masses of power, insane rolling sprints, but also masses of torque steer and understeer. I enjoyed it a lot though, but the Renault is the exact opposite: no torque steer, hardly any understeer and the power is very well matched to the suspension, so it loves corners rather than straights.

 

[Jondot]

Why is it that Renault can pump out brilliant hot hatches with apparent ease, and yet companies like Toyota and Vauxhall can't?

Severe case of want.

I don't think Toyota can be bothered anymore. In any way whatsoever. Which is something that becomes fairly apparent when you look at their range of MPVs surrounded by cars that look like MPVs.

 

[Moot]

Thought I would post about this Autoexpress article here, Williams Renault tie in looks to be heading towards a new Clio Williams car.

Will be fully specified, not a stripped out model. Rumoured 240bhp from the 2.0 NA. Though they say Renault wont want it to step on the toes of the 247bhp Megane RS.
Will have race type sachs dampers, bigger brakes and wheels, Bridgestone potenza tyres and Recaro seats
Price tag of around £25,000 so they say.
The Megane RS is £25,000 (£24,000 Cup) so quite why Renault would expect customers to pay more for something less able I don't know. If I paid £25,000 for a small car, I would want it to fully break the toes of a bigger car costing the same...

 

[Danny]

I hope this Clio Williams has more to do with Williams F1 than the first one did...

Chop job looks good.

 

[Moot]

Williams have said they would like to collaborate, and say they not exclusively working with their Jaguar car project as it's not a class competing model.
But a clio does not represent what a clio was when the first Williams clio came out.
150bhp was crazy fast in that car, now they are needing 240bhp to have a similar effect, I don't like it. Williams and Renault should do a small hatch like the Twingo with a 1.6 Turbo, as that is more related to F1 too. A well specced Twingo with 180bhp would do the job, in blue with gold wheels if they like, or with whatever colour scheme Williams F1 are running at the time.
But maybe they can do both..

 

[TheCracker]

I hope this Clio Williams has more to do with Williams F1 than the first one did...

What, the epitome of being average and a shadow of one's former self?

 

[Stevisiov]

What, the epitome of being average and a shadow of one's former self?

You make a fair point.

 

[Jondot]

It's also worth bearing in mind that when the original Williams appeared there weren't already 1200 variations of fast Clio floating about. There's the Clio 200, the Clio Cup, the Clio 200 Cup, the Clio Gordini, the Clio 20th Anniversary, the Clio Silverstone and soon enough the Clio Ange et Demon.

STOP MAKING SO MANY POINTLESS SPECIAL EDITIONS RENAULT YOU'RE RUINING IT.

 

[Moot]

I don't think Renault are ruining anything, they don't have anything to ruin, they are making good use of their best model types.

 

[Jondot]

Maybe 'ruining' is a strong word, but each additional special edition (with barely discernable differences from the previous) just dilutes how 'special' they all are.

This one does at least (like the original) have 40bhp more than the next model down, so can't complain too much I suppose.

 

[Clark]

What, the epitome of being average and a shadow of one's former self?

Never a truer word spoken. The original Willy is one of the best hot hatches ever, any new version will just dirty the name.

A great car dosn't need some gimmicky name, just make it look like the normal Clio RS 200 but take any excess weight out of it. I'd love a road-going Clio Cup car

 

[TheCracker]

Never a truer word spoken. The original Willy is one of the best hot hatches ever, any new version will just dirty the name.

Well, that's true, but i was referring to William's current form rather than Renault's current hot hatch form (which is actually rather good).

 

[Moot]

The current clio is much better than the old clio, So the car will improve the name. But they were different classes of car back then. The 2.0 Williams was 1010kgs the current clio RS is about 1210kgs. 200kgs is a lot of weight to sling around using a steering wheel.
Even though it's 20% heavier, it has 33% more power (with 200bhp). So actually the current clio RS is much more of a beast than the original Williams. So a new Williams with more than 200bhp should be a very strong hot hatch.
But as I said before, to give the best feel/fun they should make a Williams Twingo, they could even make it the same weight and power as the original Williams clio.

 

[Clark]

Well, that's true, but i was referring to William's current form rather than Renault's current hot hatch form (which is actually rather good).

I know you were referring to the team, but I don't think a modern day Willy will do any justice the original.

 

[TheCracker]

I know you were referring to the team, but I don't think a modern day Willy will do any justice the original.

Ah, get what you mean.

It is pretty pointless resurrecting the name again. After all, Williams had nothing to do with the original one, except putting a name to it.

 

[NLxAROSA]

Nice find Moot. 👍

It's not going to be called Radicale if it's loaded rather than stripped. Not sure about Williams though, perhaps Trophy? Though I doubt it will have 40 HP extra.

 

[Clark]

It's in the way I think about if all the rumours of the past few years of Renault reviving the Alpine name for a sports car. No matter how good it wouldn't do justice to the original as they won't be the same and they're from different eras.

I don't understand why they can't call it the Trophy, that's what they did with the ultimate iteration of the old 182.

 

[Moot]

You could call it the Williams Trophy?