Renault's latest performance
versions of the Clio and Megane are all forcibly induced, with more doors and
clutches than are strictly necessary. But down in Argentina, it still offers
one for the ages.
It's the Sandero RS 2.0, a model which is sold (sans
the Renault Sport treatment) in other markets as a Dacia. Now introduced at the
Buenos Aires Motor Show as the Racing Spirit edition, it packs 17-inch alloys,
Michelin PS4 tires, red brake calipers, and other heart-rate-quickening touches
both inside and out.
The Sandero RS is powered by a 2.0-liter atmospheric
four-cylinder engine that produces all of 145 horsepower, channeled to the
front wheels through a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission. In fact it'll take 8.5
seconds to reach 100 km/h and top out at just 198 km/h. But the Renault Sandero RS is
about more than outright performance, it's about the driving experience, and
we wish we didn't have to go all the way to South America to drive one.
