Renault Clio sport V6

...it before (maybe except the Renault 5 GT Turbo), and I doubt there ever will be again.

Renault took a shopping trolley, chucked out the back seats, and fitted a whopping 230bhp 3 litre engine in it's place, and gave it the sort of outlandish styling that means you see dropping jaws everywhere you go - it's just like having Elvis sat on the roof!

The first time I saw one of these cars (on the cover of Auto Express in ...
...Servicing is surprisingly cheap at Renault garages, and there are one or two independent specialists now also who offer probably a better level of service than Renault as the Clio V6 is a very different beast to work on than the run-of-the-mill cars most Renault dealers have in every week.

Parts can be mega expensive though. Some are shared with the more humble clios, and are priced very reasonably, but bespoke parts to the V6 (such ... more

The Clio V6 is a unique driving experience. There's never been a car quite like it before (maybe except the Renault 5 GT Turbo), and I doubt there ever will be again.

Renault took a shopping trolley, chucked out the back seats, and fitted a whopping 230bhp 3 litre engine in it's place, and gave it the sort of outlandish styling that means you see dropping jaws everywhere you go - it's just like having Elvis sat on the roof!

The first time I saw one of these cars (on the cover of Auto Express in 1998) I knew I had to have one. I've owned 2 Escort Cosworths in the past, and this was the only car that finally gave me something to replace them with!

I finally got my hands on one in April 2005. At that time the cheapest Clio V6's were still changing hands for £13k+, but I hunted long and hard and found one lurking in deepest darkest Devon, a 2001 example with 37,000 on the clock and going for a measely £11,000!

The Mk1 (cost £26000 new - 2001-2003) has the older rounded-style headlamps, and has the earlier grey interior with silver trim around the centre console. This version produces 230bhp, and in my opinion is the original & classic - and you've guessed it, that's the version I have!

The Mk2 (cost £28000-£32000 new - 2003-2005 - production just ended) has the newer pointy-style headlamps, with the newer black interior, more trim options, better spec and produces 255bhp.

Now this is not the sort of car you have as your only car - as it has virtually no boot (just enough room for a briefcase/laptop) has only 2 seats, with a small amount of on-show stowage behind them, and has a small under-bonnet stowage area. You can probably use it for going away for a weekend, but is certainly no family transport.

However, as we also have a Zafira as our main car, the Clio is all mine, and although we have a child & a dog, mostly the Clio is just used by me. That doesn't mean it has an easy life though, I travel the length and breadth of the country for my job, and the Clio is my work car now. Used every day, it has racked up 12,000 miles in just 6 months, and they are some of the most enjoyable miles I have ever spent behind the wheel!

OK, at first glance, the future did not look too good for my mini-supercar - no stowage, 1 passenger max, 26MPG, expensive parts, noisy engine - I thought I'd have the car for a few weeks, then come to my senses and sell it on. But 6 months later, the reverse is true.

Yes 26mpg isn't great, but then again, it's not bad - when you consider many other cars of this ilk return 16-20mpg. The engine is noisy, but hey, what a noise! I could listen to that unit rev all day long - it is the most glorious sounding engine I have ever heard, and to be fair, it's not all that loud, and you do get used to it. The car is surprisingly comfy, even on a long journey, and it has 6 gears so it cruises nicely on the motorway at close to 30mpg.

Then you pull off the motorway, and if you find a nice country road, you realise why you bought this car. In the dry it is quite simply the best handling car I have ever driven. Traction is quite astounding, the engine revs beutifully to the 7000 red line, and you can realise the phoenomenal results the 230bhp mid-engine RWD layout offers. Accelleration isn't quite as devastating as perhaps an Evo or Impreza offers, but the overall package of pace, handling & noise is an experience to behold!

A word of warning though - in the wet it's very different - hit the power too hard mid bend, and the rear end can quite easily overtake you - you must pay this car respect -it can bite!

For all it's impracticalities, in comparison with say an Elise or VX220, it is a more comfortable mode of transport. The suspension is perfectly set up for handling, yet it's still a comfortable ride, and doens't crash over bumps or potholes. ABS and Traction Control are standard, and inside you get the luxuries of leather/alcantara seats, air-conditioning, electric windows, electric mirrors - all the sort of things the Lotus or VX220 don't give you. The factory stereo includes a 6 CD changer, and isn't too bad, though I've replaced it with a Sony setup in mine.

In the mk2 you get extra goodies such as cruise control, climate control, optional leather (even headlining & engine covers on some models!).

The car is low, so you have to be careful over speed humps, though you can pass them with care. The most difficult thing to get used to is the poor steering lock. The big 17" alloys mean that the turning circle is quite poor, and tight corners do sometimes need a 3-point-turn to navigate successfully. Not a problem on the open road, but negociating car parks, and tight city-centre roads can present a challenge, though not an insurmountable one!

To say it's racking up the miles at a fair old rate, it's thus far proved very reliable starting first time every time, though it did need some work when I first bought it to replace coil packs (very common fault) and also CATs. The oil does need topping up regularly like all high-performance cars, but the V6 takes relatively inexpensive semi-synthetic oil.

Servicing is surprisingly cheap at Renault garages, and there are one or two independent specialists now also who offer probably a better level of service than Renault as the Clio V6 is a very different beast to work on than the run-of-the-mill cars most Renault dealers have in every week.

Parts can be mega expensive though. Some are shared with the more humble clios, and are priced very reasonably, but bespoke parts to the V6 (such as engine, suspension & body panels) are VERY expensive, and now production of the V6 has finished, they'll probably be harder & harder to come by. Again the independent garages can help you here, and things such as brake pads, CATs, exhausts, clutches should NOT be sourced from Renault, but through the independant garages instead, who offer far better value for money.

In summary, this is not a car for the faint-hearted, but for the committed driver will provide a driving experience which is very hard to better, whilst still offering the luxuries and comfort of a propper family car.

There is no particular point to the car - there are faster, better looking, better handling, more economical, more practical cars on the market, but choosing a Clio V6 is something done from the heart not the head, and if you're heart is set on a V6 - then just do it - you'll never regret it! 

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