It was the most radical Renault Clio ever, with a mid-engine and rear-wheel-drive.
It was a tribute paid for the famous Renault 5 GT Turbo rally car from 1980.

In 2000, Renault dared to launch the Clio V6 with a mid-engine. It was developed together with Tom Walkinshaw Racing and the car was not built in France but in Sweden. The facelift (or Phase 2 as Renault named it) appeared in 2003 and it was handbuilt in France by Renault Sport.

There was a huge difference between the small family hatchback Clio and the Clio V6. First of all, the car was wider. The enlarged front fenders and the massive rear quarter panels that hosted the air-intakes for engine cooling were characteristic of the model. The Phase 2 featured new headlights, with a triangular shape. In the back, a roof-spoiler was added to the tailgate and two exhaust pipes went through the rear diffuser.

Inside, the car was fitted with sport-bucket seats, Alcantara, a radio-CD, and an air-conditioning system. But the car was not made for comfort. It could barely get some trunk under the front hood. It was tiny and fit for placing the race-helmet and the racing overall in it.

The car was built for racing in the late ’90s for a special Renault Clio V6 Trophy. The project was so successful that customers asked if they could have such a car for the road. And Renault said yes. Unlike the race-car, which offered 300 hp, the street version had 255 hp for the Phase 2 version. But both were mated to the same 6-speed gearbox and a limited-slip differential.