Renault confirms Clio RS 18 for Oz

RENAULT Australia will bring the recently announced special-edition Clio RS 18 to local showrooms in the second half of this year, packing a number of Formula 1-inspired goodies over the standard go-fast light hatchback.

Although the number of Clio RS 18s available to Australians and exact pricing is yet to be determined, the new Renault is based on the 220 Trophy variant that kicks off at $42,990 driveaway.

A number of visual tweaks set the RS 18 apart from the 220 Trophy including variant-specific badging on the front doors, grey decals and an RS double diamond logo on the roof – the latter of which is a direct reference to Renault Sport’s 2018 Formula 1 car.

Finished in a Deep Black exterior paint, the RS 18 is contrasted by Renault Sport’s signature Sirius Yellow on the front splitter, side sills and wheel centre caps.

Exclusive to the RS 18 are other body parts that have been blacked out including the rear badging, front bumper, and Renault diamond and RS logo on the front bumper, while black touches have also been afforded to the rear diffuser and alloy rims.

Inside, the RS 18 gains numbered, RS-branded door sills, Alcantara and leather-trimmed steering wheel, and carbon-fibre-effect air-vent surrounds.

Performance enhancements include tweaks to increase steering sharpness, hydraulic compression stops for the front dampers, an Akrapovic exhaust system and a stiffened Trophy chassis that has also been lowered.

The RS 18 employs the same powertrain as the Trophy, which uses a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine producing 162kW of power and up to 280Nm of torque with an overboost function that adds an extra 20Nm when needed.

Power is sent exclusively to the front wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Renault Sport Clio RS product manager Quentin Audiffren said the RS 18 represented the bond between its production cars and Formula 1 team.

“With this limited-edition model – which is based on the technical foundations of the Clio RS 220 EDC Trophy – we are proud to be able to offer (customers) the very best of our engineering expertise,” he said.

“Its sporting credentials are expressed by a number of design flourishes drawn directly from the world of Formula 1.

“The Renault Clio R.S.18 is an eloquent illustration of the close bond that exists between our motorsport activities and our road cars.”