Renault Launches Rally-Ready Clio RS R3T

Renault has officially made its new Clio R3T available for purchase. It’s a rally-ready variant of the hot hatch, and one that ditches the 2.0-liter naturally aspirated engine of the regular Clio R3, replacing it with a development of the 1.6-liter turbo engine from the road car.

In this application, the unit has been tuned to produce 240 hp and 480 Nm (354 lb-ft). All the power is sent to the front axle via a six-speed sequential gearbox operated via steering wheel paddles.

One neat feature of this new R3T are its longer than usual service intervals – the car needs to be checked every 4,000 stage kilometers, which as Renault themselves boast, it’s “a category record for running time.”

The manufacturer has already sold 380 examples of the naturally-aspirated R3 model, so this more powerful turbocharged one should have no problem finding amateur rally driving wannabes that want to start off in a new car.

Future owners/users will be treated to are revised front and rear suspension geometries with adjustable dampers on all corners, plus a choice of two rim sizes (15-inch for gravel, 17-inch for tarmac).

By Andrei Nedelea

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