When you’re buying a relatively affordable hot hatch, the sheer amount of performance you are offered is hugely important, especially if you are the kind of person who really likes his or her car, and wants everybody to know just how much.
Currently, the Renault Clio RS 200 EDC, with a 1.6-liter turbocharged petrol engine is the king of the supermini-based hot hatches, when it comes to how much of its power it can put to the ground.
For instance, it has no trouble beating a Peugeot 208 GTi over a standing quarter mile, despite the fact that the similarly-powered Pug gets more torque – the dual clutch gearbox definitely helps here, as does the Clio’s perfect wheel-spin-less start. We found two videos of the new Clio dragging similar hot hatches, courtesy of Motorsport Magazine. One is of it beating the 208 GTi, while the other pits it against its highly-regarded predecessor.
Sadly for the 2.0-liter engined old Clio RS, the discrepancy between it and the new car is more than that recorded between the new car and the Peugeot, so despite having more displacement, a higher rpm red line and a more connected feel, the progress of the fresh Clio RS is evident.
Still, regardless of their performance here, any of these three cars would make a petrolhead happy, as they all offer genuine sporty thrills for not a lot of money, especially if you go for the previous-gen Clio, which you can now get cheaply second hand.
By Andrei Nedelea
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