Renault's 'angry' Clio

The trusty Renault Clio was given a facelift at the end of 2001 and since arriving on Australian shores in 2002, it's received nothing but praise.

With an engine line-up that defies its stated displacement numbers, providing more real-world 'go' than they should, exceptionally nimble handling, impressive fuel efficiency and more features than you shake a stick at, it's no wonder Renault is selling more and more of these small cars.

The Clio's popularity is not limited to Australia and in Europe, where the car has been around for much longer, and if you thought the name or even styling was a bit girly, take a look at this baby bruiser...

While the stock Clio has a rather effeminate name and styling best described as 'cute', the just-released 2003 model Renault Clio Sport V6 is no shrinking voilet, with more than enough poke to make an Aussie V8 blush.

Initially developed for motorsports, Renault decided to try and sell a raod-going version of the V6 Clio Sport in Europe, and the results were favourable.

The second generation Clio Sport V6 has a number of changes compared to the superceded model, all of which result in a more pleasing, though highly impractical vehicle.

To start with, while the bodywork is similar, it's based on the current model Clio, so it gets newly designed headlights, tail lights, bigger front and rear aprons, side skirts and flared wheels arches to fit the bigger rims - now 18-inch compared to the older 17s.

The car is also much wider, and together with the de rigueur twin-exhaust system - a must on any hot-hatch - the car's given a much more aggressive, muscular look.

The 2002 model was no slouch, capable of reaching 100km/h from rest in under 7.0 seconds, but the '03 model is even quicker.

Even though the Clio Sport V6 is a hatch, the engine is of the mid-mount persuasion, which is somewhat unorthodox, yet very trick nonetheless.

While you won't see too many hatches with an engine bay in the boot, the small car's weight distribution is improved, as is its centre of gravity, which relates to more responsive handling characteristics.

Nestled where the rear passengers would normally sit, the engine is fed air via two rather outrageous intakes located just behind the doors.

The new 3.0-litre bent six, with dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder, drives the rear wheels only and, thanks to its short wheel base, would make for one helluva burnout tool.

Antisocial behaviour aside, the new Renault mill is more powerful than the same sized 3.0-litre powerplant it replaces, though torque has remained constant, as has the high 11.4:1 compression ratio.

Even so, the new Clio Sport V6 is more than a half second quicker to 100km/h than its precursor, despite its significantly heavier kerb weight.

The older '01/'02 Clio V6 made the dash in 6.4 seconds, while the current model accelerates from 0-100km/h in just 5.8 seconds.

That's seriously fast for a hatch, quicker than even Alfa's manic 147 GTA and VW's R32 Golf, quite possibly making it the world's 'hottest' hatch.

Shifting through a six-speed, close-ratio "PK6" manual transmission, the rear-wheel drive V6 hatch makes 190kW @ 7150rpm and 300Nm of torque @ 4650rpm.

The transmission has been heavily revised for 2003, and much of the cars new-found speed is due to a shorter final drive. Internal gear ratios have also been revised, while shorter selector movements make for quicker manual shifts.

Redline is @ 7200rpm, and the Renault can complete the quarter mile in 14.3 seconds, with a suggested top speed of 245km/h, though it must be said that this is quite a conservative measure.

Thanks to the new chassis donated from the base-model '03 Clio, and a fairly major tune-up of the current suspension settings, the V6 Sport provides linear and predictable handling.

A larger-diametre anti-roll bar is connected with drop-links up front, and again at the front, castor angle has been increased to improve turn in.

In addition, the Clio Sport V6 sits on massive 18-inch OZ wheels - shod with fat 205/40R front and 245/40R rear Michelin Pilot Sport rubber - offering the kind of traction akin to a go-kart with slicks.

Deceleration is provided by a rather tasty quartet of disc brakes: 330mm front and 300mm rear brakes, all hooked up to an anti-lock braking system.

The ventilated discs are covered with four-piston calipers, and other safety features include twin adaptive front airbags plus head/thorax side airbags.

Inside, there is only room for two, though leather and suede upholstered bucket seats ensure that both are well looked after and 'sporty' extras are included, like a fancy gear shifter and colour coded interior accents.

Renault only plans on building about 1000 Clio Sport V6 models per year, and the chances of even one of them making the trip to Australia is highly unlikely.

But the idea behind such a raucous hatch has been well-thought out and the result is very impressive. Cars like BMW's M3 would be hard-pressed to beat one of these fire-breathing pocket rockets convincingly, and while a two-seater hatch with no boot space isn't the most practical of vehicles, it sure would be exciting to drive...