Sports and Classic Cars

Is the Renault Clio Sport one of the last true hot hatchbacks?

The Renault Clio needs no introduction as a favourite small hatchback on UK roads, being a bestseller since it first arrived in 1990. First generation cars ran from 1990 to 1998, spawning the first versions of the hot Clio with the Williams badged models pushing 150hp. In 1998 the second generation arrived, and as the range grew so did the power output. First up was the Clio Sport 172, followed by the Clio Sport 182, producing… you guessed it. 172hp and 182hp respectively.

Although the Renault Clio will always be associated with the V6 engines, the Clio Sport 172 was only half a second slower to 60mph than it’s 300kg heavier big brother. Where the Sport 172 would top out at 138mph, the V6 would keep going towards 150mph. Where the V6 was a collectors item the moment it left the drawing board (1300 PH1 cars and 1500 PH2), the Sport 172 and 182 were far more numerous… However this doesn’t necessarily make finding a good one easy.

wizard classic renault clio v6
The Clio V6.. worth the premium over the 172, 182 and Trophy…?

Hot Hatchbacks are loved by all for their cheap to buy, cheap to run place in the market, and this ease of access makes it all the more likely that these cars will achieve high mileage, use and abuse. The capable engines with engaging chassis make them the perfect ‘boy racer’ car, and as with any other car favoured by this demographic within the car world, the available supply of good usable cars is quickly plundered. On a balance of probability, a Clio Sport is far more likely to have endured a lifetime of abuse than to be cherished from new by careful owners!

Our Sport 182, now in stock… Click to view

What we have here is a car with real pedigree, handling prowess and pure, innocent, automotive fun. A car that appeals to multiple generations for it’s engaging drive and simplicity.

With a 2.0 litre 16v engine, front-wheel drive, 180hp and a kerb weight of just over 1,100kg, the Clio Sport is entertaining. 0-60mph takes just 6.7 seconds but a Clio Sport isn’t really about pure speed – it’s the way the car does it. The Clio Sport 182 bounces through the rev range like a manic whippet, it can pin a grin on your face, is easy to drive quickly and fun at any speed.

This is a car that is supposed to be raw fun, cut from the template that the Peugeot 205 GTi moulded 20 years earlier. The arrival of the PH3 Renault Clio signalled the end of the hot hatch in the spirit of what the Hot Hatch was always meant to be about…. Modern hot hatchbacks offer more space, more power and more gadgets but are they actually better cars? We think not.

The Clio Sport is from that magical era in the early 2000s before car manufacturers started adding complex technological advancements that most enthusiasts just don’t see as necessary.

We love it.