Color me Matte: New Renault Clio RS 200 “Ange & Démon” Edition to be Produced in…666 Units

Renault is playing the good versus evil card with its new limited run Clio Renaultsport 200 “Ange & Démon”, which is French for Angels and Demons. Deviously, the bespoke version of the Clio RS will be produced in a…fiendish 666 units worldwide - as most of you already know, that's the number of the Beast in the Book of Revelation.

Buyers can choose among three different matte shades, including Toro Red, Givre Nacré and Hologramme Grey, all of which feature a gloss black finish for the roof, upper tailgate, rear spoiler, rear diffuser, F1-style blade in the front bumper, the door handles and exterior door mirrors.

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SPIED: Next Generation 2013 Renault Clio Test Mule Shows New Snout

Having already received a mid-life facelift in 2009, four years after its introduction at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show, the third generation of the Renault Clio is paving the way for the presentation of an all-new model that is expected to break cover at the next Paris Motor Show in September of 2012.

Our spies caught a test mule of the fourth-generation Clio combining the front end and chassis bits of the new model with the rest of the body panels sources from the current version.

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MR Car Design Spiffs Up the Renault Clio RS

The Renault Clio RenaultSport or RS 200 for short is considered to be one of the best small hot hatches in Europe. German tuning house MR Car Design believes it can make it a little bit better with a selection of very mild modifications.

MR Car Design starts with the Renault Clio RS 200's 2.0-liter, naturally-aspirated four-banger that produces 200-horses in factory tune. After the fitting of an optimized ECU and a custom exhaust system that includes the Akrapovic-Evolution-System, output is pushed to a more potent 220-horsepower.

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Renault UK’s Facebook Competition Winner gets to Meet Rihanna and win a Clio

The greatest exploit of marketing is convincing people that it does exist. As Madonna sang once upon a time, we are living in a material world, so marketing execs are always trying to discover new ways to promote their products –and keep their high-end salaries and bonuses intact.

When it comes to cars, things get tricky: the target group isn’t always clearly defined like in other products. That’s because, even though automobiles are considered more of a male hobby, both men and women buy and use them.

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New Renault Twingo RS 133 and Clio RS 200 Silverstone GP Limited Editions

British consumers will have one more choice when it comes to Renault’s Twingo Renaultsport 133 and the Clio Renaultsport 200 hot hatches as the French firm has added yet another trim level to their range in the form of the ‘Silverstone GP’ limited editions.

Named after the country’s most famous motor racing circuit and home of the British Grand Prix, both models were specifically created for the UK market, with only 50 of each offered for sale from July 1.

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Renault's French Dealers Offering 45 Percent Discounts on Clio to Offset Plummeting Sales

The Renault brand’s sales are down 35 percent since May 1 in France and this has forced local dealers to offer hefty discounts to customers on certain models, a French radio station reported. According to the BFM radio station quoted by Reuters, dealers are offering discounts as high as 45 percent on some versions of the Clio supermini. For instance, certain dealers are selling the Clio for €7,990 ($11,400), even though the factory sticker is €14,100 ($20,120). Read more »

Top Gear Spotted in Italy with Three Hot Hatches

If there is one television crew that is almost impossible to go by unnoticed (at least by the male population) anywhere they go in the world, it is the hosts of BBC’s widely popular Top Gear program. This time, Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond were spotted in the medieval town of Lucca in Tuscany, central Italy. Read more »

Renault Rolls Out 1000th Clio Gordini RS

The Renault Alpine plant in Dieppe produced the 1,000th Clio Gordini RS model this month, less than a year after its introduction. Built since May 2010, the Clio Gordini RS is sold in 18 countries, most of them in Europe.

Renault revived the Gordini name at the end of 2009, when it presented the Twingo Gordini RS. Other members of the Gordini family include the Twingo Gordini and more recently, the Wind Gordini, which premiered at this year’s Geneva Motor Show.

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Le Chic...Renault “XV de France” Clio and Megane Editions

For the third year in a row, Renault will have “XV de France” editions of the Clio and Megane models in its lineup, marking the automaker’s involvement in rugby as a sponsor of the French national team. The difference is that this year, the “limited editions” have become full-fledged “versions”, fully integrated into the brand’s catalogue and available for purchase all year-round. The Megane is available in estate, hatch and coupe body styles, while the Clio can be ordered as a 3-door, 5-door and estate.

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Renault Clio Gordini RS 200HP Storms into Geneva Show

Following last year's presentation of the Twingo Gordini 133, Renault shook the covers off it latest Gordini-badged-painted product at the 2010 Geneva Salon, this time based on the RenaultSport Clio.

To the disappointment of Gordini fans, the treatment is essentially a styling package. On the outside, the Clio Gordini RS features a Malta Blue bodywork embellished by two hallmark white stripes, black 17-inch alloys, gloss black highlights on the front bumper and rear diffuser plus mirror housings and F1-style front bib finished in white.

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New Renault Clio S: It's all About the Looks

Renault's UK division has brought back to life the Clio S formula from the early 1990s and applied a similar treatment on its latest generation supermini for an all-show, no go result. Based on the standard variants of the Clio, the new three-door S models hark back to the original Clio S through their trademark white 16-inch 'Polar' alloy wheels.

Additional cosmetic upgrades include a white front bumper insert, white rear spoiler and exterior mirrors, and white racing stripes on the sides and the rooftop, plus tinted rear windows and tailgate.

The sporty theme continues on the inside, with all Clio S models featuring 'S' embossed upholstery with white seams, leather steering wheel and a white finish for the centre console, dashboard inserts and instrument dials.

All Clio S models are based on Expression trim level with buyers having a choice of three engines, a 1.2-liter petrol with 75HP, a 1.2-liter turbo with 100HP and a 1.5-liter diesel with 86HP.

Pricing for the new Clio S versions range between £11,209 for the 1.2 16V and £13,458 for the 1.5 dCi 86 A/C. Buyers have a choice of four colors including Glacier White, Pearl Black, Capsicum Red and Extreme Blue.

Renault Launches Clio RS 197 LUX

For those that like to spice-up their hot hatch with a touch of more refinement and added comfort, Renault U.K. has introduced a new version of the Clio RenaultSport (RS for short) 197 named "Lux". In addition to the leather upholstery and automatic climate control, the Clio RS 197 Lux's standard equipment includes automatic headlamps and wipers, cornering lights, 'extra' tinted rear windows, a 60W radio MP3 CD player, Renaultsport carpet mats and satin chrome finish to the fascia air vents. On the outside, the Lux boasts brushed 'Raider' alloy wheels and a satin chrome finish to the door mirrors and to the air vents in the front wings.

Pricing for the Clio Renaultsport 197 Lux has been set in the U.K. at £16,995 with first deliveries expected in early January 2009. Renault claims that the Lux offers £2,000 worth of equipment for just £1,000 more than the standard RS 197.

The Clio Renaultsport 197 Lux is available in a choice of five exterior colors: Ultra Red, Racing Blue, Renault i.d. Glacier White (this will cost you an extra £150), metallic Deep Black (+£375) or metallic Albi Blue (+£375).

If you're still not satisfied with the standard equipment, Renault will gladly accessorize the Lux with electrically folding door mirrors (£100), an electrically operated panoramic sunroof (£600), xenon headlamps (£550), Speedline wheels in either white or black (£100) and the sporty Cup chassis (£400).

Renault Clio RS R3 Gains new Entry Level Rally Kit

Everybody knows that taking part in rallies isn’t a cheap sport. With that in mind, Renault decided to introduce a new entry-level version of its Renault Sport Clio R3 Maxi called Access that has been developed for customers wishing to compete in tarmac rallying. The Clio R3 Access shares many of the Maxi's basic features, including a full roll-cage incorporating, a six-speed sequential gearbox and limited slip differential as well as the steering rack and the Magneti-Marelli ECU which incorporates the data acquisition system. -Continued

Power comes from a slightly revised version of the road-going Clio Renaultsport 197’s 2.0-liter engine that develops peak power of 200HP and features a specific camshaft and exhaust manifold, while the flywheel is the same as that seen on the Maxi version.

The Clio Renault Sport R3 Access uses the same suspension of the standard car with strengthened struts and specific kinematics for the independent steering axis front suspension. The one-piece aluminium alloy 17-inch Speedline wheels and Michelin 19/62-17 tyres are identical to those of Clio Renaultsport R3 Maxi as is the Sabelt safety equipment

The Clio Renault Sport R3 Access kit, including all the specific parts to be fitted to the car, comes at a pre-tax price of €32,600 in France while according to Renault, the cost of competing is estimated to be €17 per kilometre.

New Renault Symbol – Thalia Sedan to Debut at Moscow Show

Renault has released the first official photos of the new-generation Thalia sedan that will also be called Symbol in some markets when it goes on sale later this year. The French automaker’s low-cost sedan is based on a stretched version of the Clio hatchback’s platform and it measures 4.26 metres in length and 1.43 metres in height.

While few (if any) of our readers will disagree with us when we say that the Thalia / Symbol is one ugly duckling, Renault’s press release talks about “harmonious styling which is worthy of that of a prestigious saloon” and “a new three-box car that boasts expressive lines and seductive appeal.” Apparently the author either had one too many cognacs or was looking at another car at the time he wrote the press release. -Continued

The new Thalia / Symbol will make its debut at the forthcoming Moscow Auto Show in Russia which opens its doors to the public on August 26. According to Renault, it will be sold in Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, Turkey and the Maghreb (Northern Africa) countries.

Fifth Gear Video: MINI Cooper S JCW vs Renault Clio RS Cup

In this episode Fifth Gear compares two of Europe’s hottest superminis, the 208HP MINI Cooper S JCW and the 197HP Renault Clio RS Cup to find out which is the most rewarding car to drive. Along with the usual race track lap, Fifth Gear's journalists also perform an unconventional test in a tight circuit. Find out who wins in the video after the jump. -Continued

Via: Autoblog.it

Europe’s Top 10 best selling cars in 2006: GM’s Opel Astra knocked the VW Golf off the top spot!

GM might be having serious issues here and there but in Europe, things are starting to look promising to say the least. GM’s subsidiary Opel, not only swerved pass Renault to take the second place overall in the European market for 2006 –despite a 2,3% drop in sales, but its Astra model also managed to knock VW’s Golf off the top spot and become Europe’s best seller for 2006.

While rival VW must be pleased not only for maintaining first place but also for broadening the difference with the competition, I’m sure that they are quite unhappy with the fact that the Golf slipped from 1st place to 4th. On the contrary, Renault must feel very proud for its new Clio hatch (+28,0%) but not for its overall performance as sales dropped by 12,6%.

Fiat on its behalf recorded the largest increase in sales from the top 10 group with an 18.7% rise in sales, mainly due to its well-received Grande Punto hatch, which saw its sales double in 2006.

Finally, even though Toyota managed to rank 9th overall, there’s not one Asian model in Europe’s Top 10 best sellers list. In my opinion that won’t happen neither in 2007, but don’t be surprised if Toyota surpasses Citroen or Fiat (though less probable due to the introduction of the Bravo) at the end of the year.Via: Jato Dynamics

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