A powerful stance
New Renault Clio’s original, hallmark looks have been revised and place the accent on more athletic curves. The wings are 30.5mm wider to accommodate the wider front and rear tracks which have been extended by 48 mm and 50 mm respectively. The more aggressive front end incorporates a generously-sized, low-positioned air intake, the mission of which is to feed cooling air to the normally-aspirated 147.5kW 2.0 16V engine (203hp). The sills, extractors and wider front and rear wings all highlight the sporty calling of New Clio Renault Sport which features Renault Sport’s new styling cues in the form of the Renault Sport Design Pack: a two-tone colour scheme based on a choice of Gloss Black or Cold Metal Grey for the front bumper mouldings, exterior mirror housings and diffuser which incorporates the twin exhaust tailpipes. New Clio Renault Sport sits squarely on the road thanks to its wide tyres (215 / 45) mounted on 17-inch aluminium alloy rims, through which it is possible to see the Brembo brake callipers and big brakes responsible for its powerful, durable stopping power. Renault Sport badging is visible on the tailgate, on the satin-finish chrome inserts of the side protective mouldings and under the bonnet on the intake manifold. New Clio Renault Sport sees the introduction of a brand new, exclusive Alien Green metallic paint finish which joins the catalogue’s four other metallic body colours (Monako Blue, Sirius Yellow, Makaha Grey and Platine Grey), alongside pearlescent Deep Black and the non-metallic Dynamo Blue and Toro Red.
Aerodynamics derived from Formula 1 technology
New Clio Renault Sport’s aerodynamics include a front splitter, front-wing air-extractors and a rear air diffuser, a development which is unique for this segment. Thanks to these features which take their inspiration from Formula 1 technology, New Clio Renault Sport’s CdA has been cut by 0.02 compared with that of its predecessor to 0.753.
The more aggressive front end incorporates an F1-type aerodynamic splitter.
The extractors visible on the front wings contribute to the car’s aerodynamic performance by neutralizing the turbulence produced by the wider wings and play a part in improving the model’s CdA. They also facilitate the extraction of hot air from underneath the bonnet, while the vents are angled to channel airflow along the sides of the car for enhanced performance.
New Clio Renault Sport is also equipped with an air diffuser. This aerodynamic feature is only standard equipment on the very highestend sporting cars. The diffuser uses the air which passes underneath the car to keep the car glued to the road. This air is channelled by the flat bottom to the diffuser where it accelerates before being expulsed at a faster speed. Combined with the forms of the diffuser, this creates a zone of depression under the car which sucks the chassis to the ground. Compared with a conventional wing, diffusers generate significant downforce without resisting forward movement. At 130kph, lift is reduced by almost 40 kg. The diffuser is designed to function in association with the rear flat bottom which leaves space for the exhaust silencer and side-mounted tailpipes.
A sporty interior
New Clio Renault Sport’s sporty calling is mirrored in details such as the aluminium pedal covers and footrest, as well as by the perforated leather steeringwheel with visible stitching and yellow centre-point marker. The specific Renault Sport seats are exceptionally comfortable and ensure a high level of body-hugging lateral support. The yellow rev-counter includes an audible and visible gearshift indicator to help optimize gear changes. The size of the figures displayed on the rev-counter increases as the needle approaches the red zone which is set at 7,500rpm. As with all models developed by Renault Sport Technologies, Renault Sport badging is visible inside the cabin on the rev-counter background, sills and front seats.
A range of interior finishes
A choice of three interior trims (Argentй Grey, Yellow and Dark Charcoal) enables customers to select the colour of the seatbelts, dashboard trimming and / or upholstery according to their personal taste. Bucket seats designed and developed in association with Recaro are also available for New Clio Renault Sport. They are equipped with lateral airbags, plus a rigid, glass-fibre / polyamide-injected shell which provides the sort of all-enveloping experience associated with motor sport. The slots for the harness belts and integrated headrest add a further sporty touch, while at the same time serving to hold occupants firmly in place. Customers looking for additional chic will be tempted by the alternative leather seats.
THE PRECISE, EFFICIENT, HIGH-PERFORMANCE HOT HATCH
New Clio Renault Sport benefits from all the ingredients that have helped forge the success of previous Renault Sport models, including the availability of two types of chassis (‘Sport’, and ‘Cup’), a high performance engine and specific brakes. The combination of the independent steering axis front suspension arrangement and reinforced rear suspension provides rigorous, balanced, sporty handling. The new Renault Sport Technologies-developed 2.0 16V 203hp (147.5kW) engine brings out the very best in New Clio Renault Sport’s potential, while the Brembo callipers and big brake discs deliver powerful, durable stopping power.
The ‘Sport’ chassis: efficiency and comfort
The development of the Sport chassis was guided by a bid to strike the best possible balance between performance and comfort when driven on a day-to-day basis. New Clio Renault Sport marks an improvement in terms of comfort over its predecessor thanks to:
- new damper settings (15 per cent softer),
- the use of hydraulic double-effect dampers. The energy which needs to be dissipated is absorbed in part by an additional level of valving. The performance of these new dampers is particularly appreciable on longer journeys and motorway drives.
Meanwhile, body movement is kept in check thanks to the bigger diameter of the front anti-roll bar which has been raised from 20 mm to 21mm. Compared with New Renault Clio, the stiffness of the rear suspension has been uprated by 25 per cent thanks to the fitment of a 30mm-diameter anti-roll bar. Specifically-developed Continental Sport Contact 3 tyres (215 / 45 R17) ensure swifter, more precise steering response, while their rolling resistance has been reduced by five per cent compared with the tyres which equip Clio III Renault Sport. Certain aluminium alloy wheels are now 1kg lighter and the ensuing gain in terms of inertia further contributes to the new car’s enhanced steering response and crisp acceleration.
The ‘Cup’ chassis: glued to the road
New Clio Renault Sport is alternatively available with the Cup chassis which has been engineered to deliver an exacting ride and uncompromising driving enjoyment. Its ability to corner flat is enhanced by:
- uprated dampers (15 per cent stiffer) compared with New Clio Renault Sport’s predecessor,
- stiffer springs compared with the Sport chassis (plus 27 per cent at the front; plus 30 per cent at the rear) for more satisfying performance and an even more extreme ride.
The ride height is 7mm lower than that of the Sport chassis and the resulting lower centre of gravity ensures improved cornering performance because of reduced weight transfer. Torsional rigidity has been improved by 10 per cent, too, enabling the potential of the independent steering axis front suspension to be fully exploited. Last but not least, the Cup chassis comes with closer ratio steering (7.5 per cent closer compared with the Sport chassis) which, combined with other specific development work, favours feedback to the driver in
conditions of varying grip.
Versions equipped with the ‘Cup’ chassis are 36 kg lighter than New Clio Renault Sport Luxe (‘Sport’ chassis). Indeed, the design of certain components (transmission, seat frames, wheels) and the dropping of certain items of equipment allows the Cup version to boast the best weight-to-power ratio of its class (6 kg / hp).
Independent steering axis front suspension and reinforced rear suspension
Compared with New Renault Clio, New Clio Renault Sport’s grip and cornering ability have been upgraded, with the front and rear tracks widened by 48 mm and 50 mm respectively. The wheelbase has been extended by 10 mm to 2,585 mm for greater stability, while the front suspension’s independent steering axis layout is unique to the B segment. This technology significantly reduces the phenomenon known as torque steer under acceleration. Unlike a MacPherson-type arrangement, the steering axis of the front suspension is totally independent of the damping function. To minimize weight, New Clio Renault Sport’s independent steering axis front suspension employs aluminium components and guarantees precise handling and outstanding traction whatever the conditions. The rear suspension is based on that of New Renault Clio and features a programmed deflection torsion beam which has been reinforced by 25 per cent to complement the efficiency of the front’s independent steering axis layout for precise, immediate turn-in response.
Powerful, durable brakes
New Clio Renault Sport’s powerful, durable brakes combine with the Continental Sport 3 tyres (215x45) to guarantee stopping distances identical to those of very high-end sporting models. Pedal travel is progressive and easy to gauge. The 312mm-diameter vented front discs are paired with four-pot Brembo callipers, while the 300 mm-diameter rear discs function with single-piston TRW callipers.
A specific power output of more than 100hp / litre
New Clio Renault Sport is powered by the latest-specification normallyaspirated 2.0 16V engine (F4R RS). With a specific power output of more than 100hp / litre, this powerplant delivers an extremely high level of performance for the hot hatch segment. In addition to the gains achieved at low revs, peak power has been increased by 2.5kW to 147.5kW (203hp) at 7,100rpm. Meanwhile, the low-end torque (below 3,000rpm) boasted by New Clio Renault Sport has been upped by an impressive 20 per cent over that of its predecessor thanks to a new cylinder head, the use of continuously variable intake valve timing and fine-tuning of the engine mapping. The first, second and third gear ratios have all been shortened for punchier acceleration and to facilitate motoring in builtup areas. This engine drives through a manual six-speed gearbox (TL4) and claims maximum torque of 215Nm at 5,400rpm (compared with 5,500rpm for Clio III Renault Sport). New Clio Renault Sport accelerates from standstill to 100kph in just 6.9 seconds and covers the 1,000 m standing start in 27.3s. The top speed of 225kph is 10kph higher compared with that of the former version.
An eloquent illustration of the development work that has gone into this powertrain is the fact that its fuel consumption has been reduced by 0.7 litres / 100km (equivalent to 14g of CO2 / km) compared with Clio III Renault Sport which was launched in June 2006. Combined cycle fuel consumption consequently stands at a reasonable 8.2 litres / 100km, equivalent to 195g of CO2 / km.
TWO DISTINCT VERSIONS, FOR CHIC AND SP ORTY APPEA L, OR OUTRIGHT PER FORMANCE
To meet customer demand even more closely, the Clio Renault Sport range takes two distinct lines:
- chic, sporty appeal, for customers looking for a comfortable, well-equipped, status-enhancing car which places the accent on driving enjoyment.
- or outright performance, for exacting connoisseurs who are passionate about their driving.
This new hot hatch shares its genes with the other members of the New Renault Clio family, and is versatile, safe and extensively-equipped: the integrated Carminat TomTom® satnav system.
The Clio Renault Sport story continues with customer demand taken closely into account
Since 2000, the successive variants of Clio Renault Sport have led to it becoming the best-selling performance hatchback of its class, with worldwide sales totalling more than 70,000 cars. The strengths of Clio III Renault Sport’s chassis, brakes and steering combined with the precision of its gearbox have resulted in the model being widely praised as the most efficient of its class, by the media and exacting owners alike. To match the demands and needs of its customers even more closely still, the Clio Renault Sport range is today based on two distinct approaches:
- the chic and sporty versions,
- or the ‘Cup’ version which place the emphasis on outright performance.
Customers can chose between chic, sporty appeal (with the ‘Sport’ chassis)…
The chic and sporty version is aimed at customers looking for a comfortable, well-equipped, status-enhancing car which places the accent on driving enjoyment. This version features the ‘Sport’ chassis which, like the car’s acoustic performance, has been upgraded with a view to delivering an even higher standard of comfort. Vehicle customization is particularly popular with buyers of this type of vehicle and Renault Sport has produced a range of options and equipment that enable owners to match their Clio Renault to their individual taste.
…or a version engineered for outright performance (with the ‘Cup’ chassis)
The Cup version will especially appeal to exacting connoisseurs who are passionate about their driving. Equipped with the ‘Cup’ chassis, it is 36 kg lighter than its chic, sporty ‘sister’ version and delivers a particularly efficient, satisfying ride.
[Source: Renault]
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