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Renault Clio RS 16 could soon go into limited production – report

The Renault Clio RS 16 concept revealed earlier this year could make it to production, albeit in limited numbers, a new report claims.


According to French website Caradisiac, Renault will make an official announcement at the Paris motor show in October.

The report claims production will be limited to 500 units, with a price tag of around 40,000 euros ($59,186). By comparison, the current Clio RS 220 Trophy flagship retails for $39,990 plus on-road costs.

Sitting under the RS 16’s bonnet is the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine from the larger Megane RS 275 Trophy R, producing a meaty 201kW of power and 360Nm of torque, channelled through a six-speed manual transmission.

However, in order to make the Clio RS 16 production-ready, Renault will need to modify the front axle in order to fit the larger 2.0-litre powerplant into an engine bay that was developed around a 1.6-litre unit.

Performance figures were not released for the concept revealed in Monaco, though it’s a reasonable assumption the RS 16 will be significantly quicker than the current RS 220’s 6.6-second 0-100km/h claim.

Such a hi-po Clio would give the brand a spiritual successor to the manic 2001 Clio V6, which squeezed a 3.0-litre V6 into the rear of the light hatch, giving it a mid-engine, rear-wheel drive layout.

Generating 169kW/300Nm in Phase 1 and 188kW/300Nm in Phase 2 forms, the Clio V6 was capable in hitting 100km/h from a standstill in under six seconds on its way to a top speed of over 240km/h.

Patrice Ratti, managing director of Renault Sport, said the RS 16’s development team drew inspiration from the V6-engined Clio, when the concept was revealed in May.

“We all recalled the impact made by the Clio V6. We wanted to create a technical concept car with extraordinary performance levels, but which was more realistically priced,” he said.

Design elements of the RS 16 have trickled down into the regular range as well, with the recently-revealed 2017 Clio RS adopting the RS 16’s front bumper design and chequered flag-shaped LED foglights.

Stay tuned for more Renault Clio RS 16 updates as part of our coverage at the 2016 Paris motor show.

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