The challenge faced by Renault Sport Technologies' engineers when first penningNew Clio Renault Sport was to respect the original personality of Clio III while atthe same time highlighting the newcomer's own intrinsic qualities and dynamism.The result is an outstanding car which puts the accent firmly on performance,passion and driving pleasure.New Clio Renault Sport stands out as a worthy successor to Clio Renault Sport2.0 16V and features a groundbreaking first in its segment in the form of a rearair diffuser which uses technology derived directly from Formula 1. In associationwith the extractor vents in the front wings, it ensures excellent aerodynamicperformance.Sportier than ever, New Clio Renault Sport is powered by an evolution of thenormally-aspirated 2.0 16V engine, the power of which has been increased to197hp. This is equivalent to 100hp/litre, making it the highest specific poweroutput of its category. This has been achieved partly thanks to an increase in itsvolumetric efficiency which has not only improved engine power but has alsotaken torque to a best-in-class 215Nm at 5,550rpm.Coupled with the new six-speed gearbox, this powerful, responsive engine offersfirst-class sports performance and driving pleasure.The double-axis strut system guarantees rigorously precise handling.New Clio Renault Sport is built at Renault's Dieppe plant, which specializes inthe production of the brand's sports models.

2007 Renault Clio Rs

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2007 Renault Clio Rs
  • Horsepower: 197@7250
  • Torque: 5550

Designed for performance

Clio III’s distinctive, original lines have been further enhanced by the use of more athletic curves, while New Clio Renault Sport’s specific side design exudes extra power and energy. The wider front and rear wings, lowered stance, profiled side skirts and semirigid under-bumper splitter combine with the extractor vents and diffuser to assert the new car’s advanced aerodynamic engineering and sports heritage. New Clio Renault Sport comes with generouslydimensioned tyres (215/45) and 17-inch light alloy wheels which barely conceal the Brembo brake callipers and big discs that ensure powerful and durable stopping performance. Developed jointly by Renault Sport Technologies and Renault’s Powertrain Engineering Department, the powerful, normally-aspirated 2.0 16V calls on wide, bumper-mounted air intakes for additional engine cooling. The front and rear bumpers, side protective mouldings and exterior mirrors are all body-coloured, while the door handles are in satin-finish chrome. New Clio Renault Sport will be available in five exclusive colours: two non-metallic colours (Toro Red and Dynamo Blue), plus three metallic colours (Monako Blue, Deep Black and Makaha Grey). New Clio Renault Sport reveals its sports heritage both inside and out. The exterior design features specific body parts which accentuate Clio III’s racy, muscular styling.

Styling modifications

New Clio Renault Sport features specific bodywork, including larger front wings (+42mm) designed to house the wider track and generously-dimensioned tyres, while the additional 28mm left and right at the rear have prompted a specific side design. The standard Clio III floor – which incorporates a well for the spare wheel – has been replaced by a flat panel designed to free up space for the exhaust silencer and twin-rear tailpipes. Meanwhile, the spare wheel has been replaced by two tyre repair aerosols.

Sporty interior

New Clio Renault Sport’s interior trim echoes the car’s exterior styling. The “drive it” spirit is immediately apparent in details such as the aluminium pedals, footrest* and perforated-leather steering wheel with red centre-point stitching. For added comfort and efficiency, the design of the steering wheel itself assists perfect grip for the hands.Designed and positioned for optimal clarity, the instruments feature white data on a black background. The rev counter incorporates a gear-change indicator light, while the size of the figures increases as the needle gets closer to the red zone at 7,500rpm. The overriding dark charcoal colour scheme is offset by the chrome-zinc centre console and dashboard inserts which echo technology and sports performance. Specially designed Renault Sport seats ensure outstanding comfort and effective lateral support which enable the driver to feel totally at one with his or her machine, while the metallic grey seatbelts are in perfect harmony with the new dark charcoal and metallic black “Entresol” upholstery. As with all Renault Sport Technologies-developed models, the exclusive “Renault Sport” logo appears on the instrument backgrounds, on the door sill and on the front seats. “Renault Sport” badging is also visible on the outside; on the hatch and on the satinfinish chrome side moulding inserts.

Recaro bucket seats

From the summer of 2006, New Clio Renault Sport will be available with optional bucket seats designed and developed in association with world-renowned Recaro. Perfectly in keeping with the vehicle’s sporty interior ambience, they are trimmed with “Entresol” upholstery in harmony with the rear bench seat. In addition to housing lateral airbags, these seats feature a rigid, polyamide and fibreglass-injected shell for the sort of all-enveloping experience normally associated with competition driving. The seatbelt slots and built-in headrest add the final, distinctive sports touch.

Air diffuser: racing technology

Both visually and technologically, New Clio Renault Sport’s most striking technological innovation lies in the design of the rear bumper which incorporates an air diffuser. Derived from Formula 1, this feature has only ever previously been seen on range-topping, high-priced sports cars.The diffuser’s purpose is to prevent rear-end lift and maintain stability at high speed by channelling air flow in such a way to increase the suction effect. The radius of the diffuser’s curve is engineered to create a zone of low pressure beneath the car. The downforce generated by the diffuser means there is no need for a rear spoiler to counter the phenomenon of lift. For optimal stability, the system reduces lift by a factor of three and produces the equivalent of 40kg of rear downforce at very high speeds (on track) without detracting from the car’s carefully honed aerodynamics designed to achieve a low CdA. To maximize the diffuser’s effectiveness, the flushfitted dual exhausts are housed within the outer channels. Positioned in this way, they do not interfere with the efficiency of the aerodynamics. The aerodynamics of New Clio Renault Sport have benefited from extensive development work. In addition to front wing extractor vents, the new car features a groundbreaking first for this type of vehicle in the form of a rear air diffuser.

Extractor vents for optimized performance

The front wing extractor vents also have an aerodynamic function by reducing turbulence to optimize the car’s drag coefficient. The extractor vents facilitate both the flow and hot air from under the bonnet. At the same time, the vents direct air flow along the sides of the car to further enhance performance. New Clio Renault Sport also comes with a specific bumper and grille, as well as a semi-rigid aerodynamic splitter which restricts the amount of air that passes underneath the car.

Diffusers in Formula 1

Diffuser is one of the most significant features of modern Formula 1 aerodynamics technology and exploits the speed of the air that passes underneath the car to draw the chassis to the ground.Airflow passing underneath the car at the front is channelled by a flat bottom to the diffuser where the air is accelerated before being forced out at the rear, thereby creating a zone of low pressure which “sucks” the car to the ground. Like a conventional wing, the diffuser generates significant vertical downforce but without impeding the car’s forward movement.Renault Sport Technologies’ engineers have exploited the same principle to ensure that New Clio Renault Sport stays “glued” to the road.

A high-performance chassis

For enhanced stability, the wheelbase of New Clio Renault Sport has been extended by 10mm compared with Clio III to 2,585mm. At the same time, grip and cornering performance have been optimized thanks to the new car’s wider front and rear track which have been extended by 48 and 50mm respectively in comparison with Clio III.Innovative front suspension, strengthened rear suspension New Clio Renault Sport comes with a double-axis strut system, a technology which guarantees precision and optimal traction in all situations. Driving pleasure is further enhanced by the car’s frontal grip and an absence of torque-steer, whether in the middle of a tight turn or when travelling in a straight line.New Clio Renault Sport benefits from a new type of double-axis strut system which comprises aluminium components for reduced weight compared to the standard Clio III which was MacPherson strut architecture.Derived from Clio III, the programmed deflection, torsion beam rear suspension has been strengthened to match the potential of the double-axis strut system and to ensure precise, immediate response when turning into corners. The stiffness of the sports version’s rear suspension has been uprated by 25% thanks to a 30mm anti-roll bar. The new concept, single-piece stub axles feature reinforced bearings and have been lengthened in order to widen the rear track. Their diameter has also been increased by 5mm to 30mm (instead of 25mm in the case of Clio III).Suspension of New Clio Renault Sport ensures a first-class compromise between efficiency and filtering performance. Front and rear shock absorbers feature specific valving developed to optimize body control.New Clio Renault Sport’s exacting, balanced sports handling combines driving pleasure at speed with advanced safety. The dimensions of its chassis have been modified compared with those of Clio III, including a longer wheelbase and wider front and rear tracks. New Renault Clio Sport also comes with a doubleaxis strut system and aluminium components for greater driving precision. Meanwhile, the stiffness of the front and rear springs and the use of polyurethane bump stops favour positive car control on very rough roads. The subframe is the same as that used for Mégane Renault Sport and includes transverse strengthening for improved front-end rigidity. The front subframe bushes and rear suspension mountings are also stiffer, as are the upper front shock absorber mountings. All these features combine to favour feedback to the driver as well as a heightened sense of precision at the wheel. The calibration parameters of the electric power steering are specific to New Clio Renault Sport, while the model’s Continental Sport Contact 3 tyres (215/45 R17) also contribute to the suspension’s excellent directional stability. Uprated braking Derived from that of Mégane Renault Sport, New Clio Renault Sport’s braking system ensures effective, durable stopping power, plus progressive, easy-todose pedal travel. The system comprises 312mmdiameter cross-drilled front discs with Brembo four-pot callipers and 300mm diameter discs at the rear.

Double-axis strut system

The double-axis strut system ensures a significant reduction in the effects of transverse, engine torque-induced forces as the car accelerates under cornering. The steering axis of New Clio Renault Sport’s front suspension is totally independent of the damping system, in contrast to a MacPherson-type set-up in which the steering axis is linked to the lower arm. The rotation of the wheel around its axis is ensured by a pivoting link between the hub-carrier (1) and the aluminium pivot carrier (2). The stub axle offset (the distance between the centre of the wheel and the intersection between its rotational and steering axes) has consequently been reduced to 34mm compared with 48mm in the case of New Clio’s MacPherson-type suspension. The pivot carrier is located on the aluminium rectangular lower arm (3). It is prevented from rotating by a rod (4) which links the two components.

A specific power output of 100hp/litre

New Clio Renault Sport’s normally-aspirated 2.0 16V engine delivers 100hp per litre.A sporty, responsive normally-aspirated engine New Clio Renault Sport is powered by the F4R RS normally-aspirated 2.0 16V engine which delivers 197hp at 7,250rpm and maximum torque of 215Nm at 5,550rpm. Based on the engine which forged the reputation of Clio Renault Sport 182 2.0 16V, it boasts a specific power output of 100hp per litre which ensures exceptional performance for New Clio Renault Sport in the hot hatch segment. The normally-aspirated engine combines performance, dynamism, flexibility, immediate response and excellent re-acceleration from all engine speeds. It is also easier to adapt for competition use in derivatives such as the Clio Group N and Clio Cup onemake race versions.At low revs and at engine speeds below 5,000rpm, New Clio Renault Sport ensures a level of response and driving pleasure adapted to day-to-day motoring.At higher revs (more than 5,000rpm), the performance and “bark” of New Clio Renault Sport’s engine are unleashed to reveal the car’s true sports heritage. The uprated power and torque figures stem from a number of modifications and optimizations to the powertrain: - as in Formula 1, the inlet acoustics have evolved to take volumetric efficiency to more than 100% thanks to the optimization of the sections and lengths of the intake tracts. - to permit the intake of additional air and to optimize gas flow, extensive work has also gone into the valve seat aerodynamics. The calibration of the camshaft has also been modified with a view to producing a longer and bigger aperture of the valves (11.5mm of valve lift instead of an average 9mm). - the design of the combustion chamber and the piston has resulted in a high compression ratio of 11.5:1 for enhanced combustion and performance, plus lower emissions.The quest for performance which was a hallmark of New Clio Renault Sport’s development means the normally-aspirated, Renault Sport Technologies designed 2.0 16V engine is able to realize its full potential. Coupled with a six-speed gearbox, this responsive (215Nm at 5,550rpm) and powerful (197hp at 7,250rpm) powerplant provides top-class sports performance and driving pleasure.- continuously variable valve timing improves performance at all engine speeds by varying the camshaft angle to optimize the opening and closing of the valves.