Back in May, Renault surprised everyone with the reveal of the Clio R.S.16 concept, a faster, badder version of the popular hot hatch powered by the same powertrain found in the outgoing Megane RS.
The company’s engineers found a way to shoehorn the turbocharged 271hp 2.0-litre engine under the bonnet of the Clio, together with its six-speed manual gearbox, turning the Clio RS from hot to extra-extra fiery hatch as a celebration for the 40 years of RenaultSport.
Our spies caught this black prototype out being tested next to the also upcoming Alpine mid-engined sports coupe. Many of the design elements featured on the concept are missing, including the square twin tailpipes of the Akrapovic exhaust, the funky DRLs and the wider fenders, probably as a way of disguising itself as a regular Clio RS.
That big wing hanging out at the back though, combined with the wider tracks and the lack of a rear seat is giving away Renault’s intentions of bringing the R.S.16 Concept into production, albeit in limited numbers.
The chassis of the concept featured the Perfohub struts on the front suspension, known from previous generations of the Clio RS, to better cope with the power, while the rear axle is coming straight from the rally R3T version, offering a 50 per-cent increase in roll rigidity. A set of expensive Ohlins dampers along with bigger brakes are also present.
Our intel tells us that Renault will build no more than 500 units of their ultra-hot hatch at the Alpine factory with production to start even before the end of the year. The deletion of the rear seat will likely be an option.
If you really want one though, you better be prepared to fork some money out as it’s expected to cost around 40,000 euros (around $45,000 in current exchange rates).
Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoops
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