The car – 2004 Renault Sport Clio V6 Phase 2

Every now and again, a car manufacturer will do something extraordinary.

The Renault Sport Clio V6 was built for many reasons: firstly as a one-make race car, later because a designer at Renault had a penchant for mid-engine hatchbacks, and lastly because the public begged and jeered Renault into building it.

So it did, with the help of Tom Walkinshaw and TWR. Where the first-generation car made poorly in Sweden and featured a crude chassis, phase two cars were a different thing.

The second-generation car – like this one – had its wheelbase and suspension geometry corrected.  To quote someone who made the car, “was designed to no longer ride on the bump stops.”

Phase one cars had a heinous reputation for pirouetting people into ditches; something that was fixed with the second car. Aside from being re-engineered to be better, Phase two cars were also hand-built in Dieppe, France, by Renault Sport themselves.

The 3.0-litre V6 engine was tweaked to produce more power, or 187Kw/300Nm. When it comes to looks, nothing really compares to the madness that is a Clio V6. Its widebody treatment is simply tough; and interestingly it drives much the same, too.

Consider the fact it has zero traction aids and a six-speed manual transmission. There aren’t many factory cars this wide, low, or mean on the road – including one-off modified cars. It looks like a concept car or something that belongs at a motor show. It’s characterful to drive, fast, and unusual in Australia.

Recent changes to Australian import laws have seen the Clio V6 fall off the SEVS list, meaning currently you cannot import another one into Australia.

This is your chance. Renault Sport only produced 354 examples of Phase 2 Clio V6, and just 74 were finished in ‘267 – Black Gold’. This car was factory optioned with both the I.D Touch leather package and I.D Visual leather package.

The first introduces leather seats embossed with Renault Sport and leather door panel inserts, the second a leather steering wheel, leather gear boot and leather facia inserts. It is unusual to find a car with both options.

It comes with a full and documented service history and related paperwork.