Renault Clio V6 Mk2 - A Fabulous Driver’s Car (Part 2)

Wheels, tires and bodywork

Body panels are expensive. The car rides low, so it’s easy to catch the front bumper; you’re looking at about $2,175 for a new one. SG Motorsport charges $828 to repaint and fit it.

Transmission

Unlike the original Clio V6, the Mk2 uses a clutch with a dual-mass flywheel, which isn’t as tolerant of unsympathetic treatment. A replacement clutch, including a new slave cylinder and gear oil, will cost around $1,350 from SG Metorsport.

Unlike the original Clio V6, the Mk2 uses a clutch with a dual-mass flywheel, which isn’t as tolerant of unsympathetic treatment.

Cabin

The Mk2 is better made than the Mk1, but the leather on the steering wheel can look tatty after a few years. A less expensive alternative to a genuine replacement part is to fit the steering wheel and airbag from a Clio 197.

Engine

The ignition coils are the 3.0-liter V6 engine’s weakest link. Replacing the original Sagem coils with ones made by Valeo improves reliability. Many owners will have already made the change, but SG Motorsport charges $99 per coil, including labor.

Chassis

The front lower ball joints on some Mk2 cars are beginning to fail. “It’s something we’ve started to notice in the past couple of years," says Scott Glander of SG Motorsport A replacement front lower ball joint costs $357, including fitting.

Renault Clio V6 Mk2 - inside

What to look out for

Check the service record to make sure the car has been serviced every two years or 12,000 miles. Some diligent owners will have carried out an oil and filter change annually.

Make sure the original cambelt has been replaced. This is due after five years or 72,000 miles. You’ll pay $1,499 with SG Motorsport, including a replacement water pump.

The Mk2 is easier to drive close to the limit than the Mk1. Any car that feels wayward should have the alignment checked on all four corners. SG Motorsport charges $135.

Look under the car for any sign of leaking fluid from the rear dampers. Replacement dampers cost $432 each from SG Motorsport.

If you want more cornering support than the standard seats offer, some owners swap them for the Recaro chairs from the Clio 182 Trophy.

What we said then

Second-generation mid-engined V6 hot hatch gets the muscle to match its demeanor

Design and engineering

Development was entrusted largely to Tom Walkinshaw’s TWR, with some polishing carried out by Renaultsport. Visually, that new nose does wonders for the Clio V6. But the changes under the skin - a stiffer chassis and a reworked engine - matter most.

Renault Clio V6 Mk2 - Design and engineering

Interior

Out goes the cheap silver trim around the center console, replaced by more somber but better-looking dark plastic. At $6,000, the price of a full-leather interior is the only thing more outrageous than the car’s styling.

Performance

Even allowing for the motor’s greater poke, the power-to- weight ratio of 182bhp per tonne is still good, rather than great. That said, performance has improved, as the new 5.8sec 0-62mph figure (down by 0.6sec) and 153mph top speed (up 6mph) indicate. Tapping into this new-found urge is a less onerous task than before, thanks to a slicker shift action and a much closer set of ratios.

Ride and handling

It’s now a tolerant chassis in the dry, and even a clumsy mid-­corner lift can be sorted out with no more than a quick flick of the wrists. Drive it quickly in the wet, however, and the V6 demands the respect its specification suggests you give it. An extra 15mm in the wheelbase notwithstanding, there’s still not a lot of car between the front and back wheels.

Buying and owning

A $40,500 outlay gives access to a range of quick and tasty cars, but Renault knows that, aesthetically and conceptually, nothing can touch the V6. This alone will be enough to shift the 200 or so units it intends to sell in the UK.

Verdict

Still one of the most amazing-looking cars on the road. Now it’s got the trousers to match its big mouth.

Renault Clio V6 Mk2 - Still one of the most amazing-looking cars on the road

Ones we found

This looks like a keen price for a car with a full service history and just two previous owners. Seller says it was last serviced at the end of January, so it should be in fine fettle.

Price $19,495 (2003/53, 51,465 miles)

This car has been upgraded with Recaro seats, new brakes, a new exhaust and a front-end re-spray. There are lower-mileage cars around, but the condition looks very good.

Price $21,675 (2004/04, 55,800 miles)

The selling dealer describes this car as being in “excellent all-round condition”. It’s certainly among the lowest-mileage examples we could find, and the price isn’t too ambitious.

Price $22,495 (2005/05, 20,250 miles)

This car was originally black and gold, but is now a pearlescent white, making it very rare. A lot of money has been spent on the brakes, exhaust and interior, too.

Price $23,925 (2005/05, 62,000 miles)

This car’s Illiad Blue paint is the most popular color for a Mk2. It looks immaculate and the car comes with a full service history.

Price $26,925 (2005/54, 18,000 miles)