Renault levels of equipment ans perceived quelity. [...]

Expand range of exclusive sports models with revamped Clio V6.
New Clio V6 dedicated to automotive passion and driving pleasure.

An exclusive sports model carrying the Renault Sport badge, Clio V6 showcases the styling of the last-generation Clio. Blending sportiness with flowing lines, the unique design also boosts efficiency. Thanks to a host of new developments, New Clio V6 combines pleasure of use with unusually hight performance, with a 0-100kph time of less than 6 seconds.
New Clio V6 features a new chassis together with 18-inch wheels. Fitted with a completly new to end, the 3-litre 24-valve V6 engine delivers 255bhp at 7.150 rpm and 300NM at 4650 rpm. The six-speed gearbox benefits from specific developments, including a shoter final drive, revised internal gear ratios and shoter selector movements.
Assembled at the Alpine facility in Dieppe, New Clio V6 will go on sale in Europe at the end of 2002, with enhnaced

The kinmatics of the rear suspension have been completly revised with the adoption of a new sub-frame. Thanks to new mounting points and longer arms, the rear wheels are moved further aft. The addition of an anti-roll bar attached via drop-links significantly improves the perception of loads as well as acheiving more progessive response in the transient plase and in extreme conditions of use.

The balanced distribution of roll stiffness between the front and rear suspension ensures optimum control of body movement, which has allowed the increased in spring rates to be kept to a minimum. These new springs thus provide a hight level of ride comfort combined with excellent handling.

This new chassis runs on 18-inch Michelin Pilot Sport tyres specially developped for New Clio V6. They provide greater directional stiffness for improved precision, ans good feedback of steering fell for the best possible driving pleasure. A popular feature in the former version, the ABS-equiped braking system benefits from the higher level of grip provided by these new tyres.

Thanks to new rear subframe and new front suspension geametry associated with the 18-inch wheels, the front track and the wheelbase are incresed. These new larger dimensions significantly increase cornering speed potential and improve stability under cornering loads. Together with aerodynamic developments, they also optimize straigt-line stability.

The 3.0 V6 24V engine has been extrensively developed to ad its sporting character. Developing 255bhp at 7150rpm, this engine lloves being at high speeds. It isn however, equally confirtable at more normal speeds with a very flat torque curve and a high maximum value of 300Nm at4650rpm.

The upper part of the engine, from the air intake to the combustion chambers, is new, and designed to favour cylinder filling at medium and high speeds. A plenum chamber with integram trumpets and short, machined intake dicts, and a 'performance' type intake camshaft have been developed. The camshaft embodies profiles which result in quicker and greater valve lift. The valve springs are updated for better control of lift. The intake valve timing variators are carried over.

The fuel supply system has been improved with a new twin-passage injection ramp and injectors with a higher flow rate. The engine management computer power has been increased and its new calibration is notablee for its finer control in transient conditions and better control of response to the accelerator. [...]

In New Clio, the six-speed 'PK6' gearbox has been specially adapted. The shorter final drive lowers the overall gearing to the benefit of response ans acceleration. The internal gears are more closely spaced with new ratios for first, second and third. The developments are accompanied by a shift mechanism which has been redesigned for more sporting operation : slector movements have reduced by 20% and the stops are more pronounced. These changes significantly improve the ease and precision of gearchanging.

The acoustisc of the New Clio V6 have been the focus of especially close study, resulting in a metallix and sporting exhaust note which contributes to the overall pleasure of driving. A resonator modifies intake noise at high speeds and the adoption of a damped windscreen allows booming to be elimated. Noises emanating from the drivelin are filtered bye a damped twin-mass engine flywheel.

Intended for the same customer base thaht was won over the previous version - 1630 units of which in 20 months - New Clio V6 - is assembled at the Alpine facility in Dieppe using bodies supplied by a special department within the Fins factory. New Clio V6 thus benefits from the quality standards applied to fullscale production and from the know-how of workers at Alpine's Dieppe plant for a production rate of 12 car per day. (...]

To go on sale in Europe at the end of the year, New Clio V6 will be available at launch in three body colours: Titanium Grey, Iliade Blue and Mars Red.