Renault Clio Renault Sport

The Renault Clio Renault Sport, called the Clio RS for short, is a hot hatch built from 1998 to 2019 by Renault Sport, the high-performance division of Renault, on the basis of the Clio supermini. Through most of its life it kept the same engine and layout: a naturally aspirated 2.0-litre straight-four petrol engine driving the front wheels in a three-door hatchback body. Only the last generation changed this, with a turbocharged 1.6-litre engine and a five-door hatchback body. The first officially branded RenaultSport Clio was the 172 of 1999, the third Clio from the RenaultSport division after the Clio 16V and the Clio Williams. It was based on the three-door Clio II shell with wider arches, restyled bumpers, side skirts and 15-inch alloy wheels, and its 2.0-litre 16-valve engine made 172 PS. A facelifted version followed in 2001 with a revised engine, electric throttle and more equipment as standard.