The latest clio sport to arrive in Australia is the third reinvention of the french hatch. The 197 suggests there has been an increase in power. the engine does infact produce 147 kw at 7250 rpm. The increase in power over the previous model is 16 kw and 16 kw makes a big difference in a hot hatch. the car really is in it's own league when it comes to hot hatches. the new clio is a whopping 1.5 seconds faster to 100km/h over the Ford XR4 and the Polo Gti. These are fast cars this is a Porsche beater.
This car has an entirely new design which is assembled in the french renault sport factory. Thats right these cars aren't built in the same faactory as the other Clio's they are mostly hand built in france. the body is longer and wider than the standard Clio three door. It has a sporty body kit and a diffuser which houses the twin exhausts. I really like the look of the front guards and the vent they have behind the wheel. This look reminds me of the Clio V6 that never made it to Australian shores. Wheels and tyres are on a wider track to give the car more high speed stability.
The Clio Sport uses a 2 litre naturally aspirated engine like all other Clio sport models. The original car made 124 kw which was enough to keep up with most hot hatches, infact the car got from 0 to 100 in 7.2 seconds. The new car does it in just over six seconds. The powerful 16 valve twin cam engine uses variable valve timing and a high compresson ratio to deliver the 145 kw. it is a high revving engine and really sounds hellish when you put the foot down. The Australian model only comes with one gearbox. A manual six speed gearbox which is well suited to the engine.
The brakes and suspension have also been improved. The clio uses bespoke suspension in front, an well designed double axis modified MacPherson strut design developed from the Clio II Cup racecar. It also uses the same brakes as the current Clio cup racer ventilated 312mm front discs with Brembo four-piston calipers, the rear discs are 300mm. ABS is standard, though the Clio does not specify Emergency Brake Assist. The wheels are 16inch with low profile sports tyres.
As far as competitors go the clio will take anything on in it's league and probably some that aren't. The fact is a Clio sport III would take a porsche Boxter or a current WRX on and win. This is a classic car that is somewhat over looked by buyers. Even though the car sells for around $37,000 it is a fantastic car. I hope it sells well.
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