2004 Renault Clio V6

History

Renault’s Clio is an excellent little car, in production for over 30 years and selling somewhere in the gazillions. It is elevated basic transportation generally sold with an efficiency-minded four-pot and front-wheel-drive. Then there is the Clio V6. Though related to its generic stable mate, this fire-breather is a whole different animal.

Renault Sport, the automaker’s performance arm, applied their uniquely special sauce to the Mark III Clio starting in 2001 and ending with the Phase 2 model – like today’s example – in 2005. Channeling their outrageous R5 Turbo from the 1980s, Renault went wild.

A V6, tuned by Porsche, is mounted where the rear seats used to be and pairs with a six-speed manual to power the rear wheels. A beefed-up footprint necessitated the outrageous bodywork, not to mention heavily reworked suspension. All of this resulted in high praise, including Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson putting it on his personal Top 10 list.

Fewer than 1,500 of these mid-engine hatchback exotics were built and the gorgeous Iliad Blue Phase 2 example up for auction today has been the recipient of meticulous upkeep, both aesthetically and mechanically. Don’t miss this chance to make your rally-racing dreams a reality.