Remember the Renault Clio V6? It’s one of those
proper mad French moments, where things like logic flew out of the window when
the Renault executives decided to build a mid-engined, rear-driven, wide-bodied
version of their compact city car, the Clio.
It’s also one of those cars that never officially
crossed the Atlantic, with the specific one being a 2003 Phase 1 model claimed
to be “imported legally around 2010 and then registered in LA Habra, Ca in
2011”, per the seller. The car is accompanied with a clean Florida title and
Carfax.
These Phase 1 Clio V6s were built by TWR (Tom
Walkinshaw Racing) in the UK, with the later Phase 2 models assembled at
Renault’s own Dieppe facility. Power comes from a 3.0-liter V6 with 230 hp but
straight-line performance was only a tad quicker off the line from the
sportiest of the regular Clios -the RS 172-, because the bespoke chassis turned
out to be significantly heavier than the Clio RS 172.
Despite the weight penalty, the Clio V6 offers a
very memorable driving experience, thanks to the mid-engine, rear-drive layout
and its short wheelbase, with press at the time comparing it to early Porsche
911s thanks to its tendency to snap oversteer.
Real Muscle Classics in Miami is asking US$ 69,000 for
this one, which might probably be the only one of its kind currently in the US.
Whether the asking price is worth the exclusivity or not is up to you to
decide, as long as everything is as legal as described.
