Classic pearls of the future - Renault Clio V6
08/21/2015
Fast hatchback minis have always had a lot of sex appeal, and Renault had already taken this concept to the extreme with the Renault 5 Turbowith mid-engine, built between 1980 and 1985.
In 1988, the company went one better and presented a study at the Paris Motor Show that turned the mid-engined Renault Clio small car into a runway robber that hardly needed to fear comparison. The response was so positive that Renault built the Clio V6 with the help of Tom Walkinshaw Racing.
Although visually related to the front-wheel drive Clio, the mid-engined Clio had little to do with it. Behind the two-man crew, a 3.0-liter V6 with 226 hp did its duty and accelerated the compact car, which had grown considerably in width, to around 235 km/h. However, the car also gained weight (around 1355 kg), which also gave it a significant increase in comfort compared to other fluffed-up hatchback cars. The driving pleasure and acoustic enjoyment of a Clio V6 are great.
While the first series was produced from 2000 to 2002, the second series remained in production until 2005 and even had 28 hp more, but also gained in weight (around 1400 kg).
Although there was great interest, particularly in England, where a considerable proportion of the production went, only a total of 2935 units were produced.
The largely hand-built mid-engined car was priced at 38,500 euros or CHF 51,500, with a largely complete range of equipment and a clear choice of colors. Variant 2 was then slightly more expensive, but was somewhat toned down, especially in terms of handling, because not all owners were able to cope with the mid-engined dynamics typical of the first generation.
Today (2015), well-preserved Clio V6s with five-digit mileages are traded at around Euro/CHF 25,000, with top examples certainly commanding higher prices. There is a considerable fan base and the likelihood that the mid-engined Clio will soon appear at prominent auctions is high, just as it should be for a classic pearl.
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