Renault has fielded another F1-inspired hot hatch as part of its Killarney offensive this year; the Clio RS R27. Will this diminutive firecracker have what it takes to tear up the tarmac?
Based on the existing Renault Clio Sport, the Clio Renault Sport R27 features a number of styling additions that distinguish it from other RS models, such as electrically folding side mirrors that are colour-coded to the car, extra-tinted windows, headlights with cornering function and 17-inch alloy wheels in an exclusive anthracite finish. Other key visual features include a race-derived rear diffuser that creates rear down-force to aid stability and an enlarged pair of front fender air vents.
Much like the Megane R26, this model’s interior also plays host to a pair of sculpted Recaro racing seats, sporty trim accents, and a commemorative plaque inscribed with actual vehicle number (as befitting the name, only 27 of these cars will be made available locally), and the signature of Renault F1 racing drivers Fernando Alonso and Nelson Piquet.
As welcome as these touches may be, they are just the icing on the cake – a number of features underpinning the Clio RS R27 give it some serious track-duty credentials.
Power is provided by the normally-aspirated 2,0-litre lifted from the Clio RS. This four-cylinder unit develops 145 kW at 7 250 r/min and 215 N.m of torque at 5 500 r/min, and is capable of propelling the Clio R27 from 0-100 km/h in 6,9 seconds. The car’s red-painted callipers are part of a braking system virtually identical to that of the Mégane Renault Sport R26, comprising four-pot Brembo callipers on the front 312 mm vented discs, with single-pot callipers on the rear 300 mm vented discs.
The Clio R27 is underpinned the much-vaunted Cup chassis. Developed by Renault Sport Technologies, this chassis brings with it a 7 mm reduction in ground clearance that lowers the car’s centre of gravity to improve composure under heavy cornering. The suspension has also undergone a number of modifications; the springs have been stiffened by 27 percent at the front and 30 percent at the rear, while the damper settings have also been adapted to match the new spring rates. The result is a torsional stiffness up 10 percent on that of the normal Clio RS.
With serious hardware in its category, such as the Opel Corsa OPC and Peugeot’s 207 GTi, the little French firecracker will have its work cut out. But if the giant-killing potential of its Megane stable mate is anything to go by, this car could well be one to watch.
You can read South African circuit racing stars Hennie Groenewald and Philip Kekana’s track appraisals of the Renault Clio Sport R27 in the January 2009 issue of CAR magazine, in which we put 18 of South Africa’s hottest hatches to the test at Killarney.
Listen to hot hatch exhaust notes.
Download wallpapers from the Track Shootout here: Batch 1, Batch 2 and Batch 3, or Batch 4.
Watch two Ultimate Hot Hatch Shootout videos
You can also view the behind-the-scenes or the Franschhoek Pass Shootout galleries.
