If you look at the license plate / registration date, you can see that it says May of 2021. Judging by how sweaty Doug is in this video, I'd bet that this was recorded in the Summer of 2020. He has been sitting on this video for approximately 2 years. It was something discussed in Super AutoQuirk Dougposting; and if memory serves, I believe Doug actually touched on it as well.
He must've done it in the same trip when he did the Multipla back in July-ish? you can tell as he's sweating like crazy, must've been dead heat of the summer.
I love the body design of the clio v6. The body panels are spot on and with that curved rear hatch window it gets a really awesome stance. Car is bonkers and French had balls to pull that off.
Bizarre car really. Put together initially by Tom Walkinshaw I believe, and mainly for the French and Brit market, only a few sold in other countries; Germany, Japan Switzerland etc…
The reason for the beeping with every button press on the radio is simple. Because the battery was disconnected, the radio requires a 4-digit code (as a anti theft thing) that can be entered using the station buttons. As a 5th key you have to press and hold the 5 or 6 to confirm. After that the radio works as usual and also plays received stations and so on. After that, the keys will no longer beep when you press them. You're Welcome!
Great review Doug, I helped the museum import this car back in 2012. I was able to drive it quite a bit and loved every minute of it. Thanks for sharing. I will soon have a 2018 Renault Alpine if you want to check that one out as well :)
Mais la Renault alpine elle déchire sa race cette voiture ! as an American living in France that’s how I came to Doug’s channel when he reviewed the Peugeot 3008 !
How were you guys able to import this and the alpine? I thought they made more than 500 v6 clios so it doesn’t qualify for the show and display rule. Would love to know as this is an all time favorite of mine and I’d love to have one someday.
Being from Portugal, I always rejoice when I see normal regular European cars on Doug's channel. I know this version of the Clio is rare, (and you just don't see it over here too), but 2nd gen Clios are a dime a dozen once you leave your house. Doug, now, just go for the Clio Williams ;) PS: Kudos for all the classic Citroens in the back (GS, Ami, etc), plus the NSU and the original R5 GT Turbo!
I love that as Doug is talking about how intimidated by the car he is and how cautious he is being…. He’s just casually in and out of traffic blasting past car after car 😂
If you ever drove any rear-heavy car, you will get this. Like, any. Rear-loaded truck, for example. Thing just doesn't want to go straight. You turn the steering just a little to change a lane, but the car clearly wants to do 180 - and you are feeling it. This is called dynamic instability. Except an rearloaded truck has most of the weight on the foremost and rearmost, and such cars as this Clio has most of the weight on its center, so there isn't even much inertia to dampen that behaviour. Always wanted an 1988 MR-2. But alas, there's only a truck.
@@nickythespacebiker the wheelbase is another major problem: theese things are quite twitchy and not everyone has the skill to even trackday them on a more chill pace. They're absolutely evil cars and will turn you into paste if you dare believe that you're better than them, but thoose capable of driving one can go way faster than you would ever expect from a hatchback, RWD or not.
The predecessor Renault 5 also had this conversion as the Renault R5 Turbo. It also competed in the legendary Group B series. There, the car had a 1397 cm3 inline four that produced 180 to 210 HP (from 1984 1527 cm3 and 285 to 360 HP). The car won races such as the Monte Carlo Rally in 1981 and the Tour de Corse in 1982 and 1985.
Brings back memories. Waiting for a fix of my Megane the Renault dealer felt sorry for me and allowed a test-drive in a pristine R5 Turbo (30k km's, in 2008). Mind you, it was a sweaty hot summer day, with every press of the pedal you felt the engine beaming out heat to your back! Of course there was no airco and the windows could hardly open (plastic like cup windows of some kind). Never head such a sweaty driving experience. Terrifying overall.
It was a racing failure anyways (the original R5 turbo). Had a few podiums but that`s all. Lancia tricked it`s way into winning races with the outdated 037 then switched to s4. Peugeot had the 205 and post group B the 405 t16, Ford was a bit late to the party with the RS200, even Opel was in development of the Kadett 4S. In my honest opinion, the R5 was not even in the top 5 of the prettiest Group B cars.
The V6 (255) was/is faster than both the 172 and 182. 0-60 was quicker and also the top speed. The 2.0lt ones are quick, but not as quick as the V6 (255). Having driven both variants and owned a V6 255 I’m strong in the know that I’m correct. The truth is.. many, many 2.0lt owners have never driven a V6 and assume that their 2.0lt Clio is just as fast. It isn’t. *Bonus tip* It’s worth looking out for a nice MK1 version (TWR). They’re the ones that’ll very soon be rocketing in value!
2 L Clio was also available as a regular non-sports car and it always felt incredibly oversized engine by non-american standards :D Considering the entry engine later was a 1.2 L 3 cylinder (right ? Or was it 4 cyl ?) Then a 0.9 L 3 cyl for recent models I don't know any other city car that rocked a 2 L 140 HP CVT well into the 2010s
About the body kit : the reason why the front fenders are tailor made is, they’re polycarbonate on any Clio of that gen. (Which is great when they get hit because THEY DON’T DO DENTS ; they either break or not). Renault was actually pretty proud of it when this gen came out in 1998 (originally), to the point where it was a sale argument in their brochure. Fender benders are almost unavoidable on a city car being used regularly for city driving in France.
The French in the big City's literally use the bumper to push other cars away so they have room to park. No joke. If you are ever in Paris almost all cars have bumper damage.
I have the privilege of currently owning both a Clio V6 Phase 1 and a Renault R5 Turbo 2. Both exhilarating cars to drive. The Clio V6 is so reliable with AC as well. The Renault R5 Turbo 2 runs on the Bosch KJetronic system like the old porsche and mercedes. What can I say Kjets are great when everything is perfect and working together. Love both Cars. Still holding onto them.
I had the privilege of owning a 172RS ph1 for about 5 years. Still the most fun car I've ever owned despite the usual French electrical problems that turned up every now and again. It is surprisingly quick starting from around 4k to 7k RPM. I can imagine the v6 is even quicker despite being being 300kg heavier than the 172/182. The cup models had stiffened suspension and different wheels. 182 with the facelift looked much better than the babyface 172 but loved it nonetheless!
I really wish more manufacturers did things like this. So many hot hatches are just economy cars with a little more power, stiffer suspension, and stylistic upgrades, but this was genuinely different. I fully expect Doug to buy one in a few years, it seems right up his alley.
@iNSTAGiB yesn't. They were not that much more expensive than a Megane RS is right now. The reason why is because theese things are death traps and you don't want your brand to take a bad reputation for that, especially renault since they also have the Gordini R8 and 5 turbo that are both well-known steel coffins
Renault have a history of putting silly engines in the middle of cars that shouldn't have them Look at the Renault 5 Turbo, or the Renault Megane Trophy Oh, and definitely check out the Renault Espace F1 - The easiest way to explain that to an American is probably to say "Imagine a Dodge Caravan with a mid-mounted 90s F1 engine."
@iNSTAGiB yeah, that definitely makes sense. Although given that they're charging almost double for a slightly upgraded car, you wish that they could do a little bit more.
@@dyent It was the golden ages of Renault Engineering. At that time, they also released a coupe-van, the Avantime. A concept nobody understood, but which was really cool because of that.
Should definitely get a 9 or a 10 from styling and +1 in cool factor, this clio looks super cool for a factory car and is really iconic, especially in European car culture
I used to use that car in Forza Motorsport and it was a force to be reckon with. light, nimble with great weight distribution and power to weight. It was a Supercar slayer and a hidden gem.
Love this car too!! I used this car in NFS Most Wanted if I’m correct. Much like your experience, it was a force to be reckon with. I could drive that car with controlled insane speed. This comment made me laugh!!
The first generation of these (like the one in your video) were assembled by TWR in Uddevalla, Sweden in the same factory where Volvo and TWR had built the first generation C70. I live farily close to Uddevalla and I remember seeing them out on test drives among the ordinary traffic, looking like little road going UFO:s. Sometime you also caught a glimse of parked cars ready for shipping. Great video!
@@nightmare8292 that wide and low and sounding like that, they sure looked like they had come from outer space compared to the ordinary Swedish traffic, that at the time was mostly station wagons from Volvo, Saab and VW. 👽
My father is a Renault Sports aficionado and owned a Renault 5 turbo 2 in the 80's. When the Phase 2 version of the Clio Sports V6 came out he bought it in a heartbeat and still has it in impeccable condition. The phase 2 is definitely a huuuge upgrade over the phase 1 model, especially in the interior. But a fact that Doug missed is that in order to jump from 230hp to 255~hp, Renault outsourced their engineering to... none other than Porsche! I have to say, every time I've been allowed to drive it, I was scared to death!
Seems like a Renault-Porsche tradition. :D The 1.7 Liter Renault engine with 73hp, which I had in my R5 GTX for example, went through Porsche's engineers hands and ended up as a (soft) Turbo with 120hp in the Volvo 480, which I owned years later and learned about that fact. Greetings to your dad btw., he seems to be a very cool guy.
Actually it was Peugeot that outsourced to Porsche as it’s a PSA engine, mostly used in the 406 coupe, 605 and citreon c5. Renault took the engine from Peugeot and freed up the intake and exhaust and changed the cams and map to get the extra power for the Clio. I had a 406 coupe with the phase 1 engine and did a bit of research into what was needed to bring it from 197 up to the 230 Renault spec, but the parts weren’t really available at the time.
@@KarimErrytouny they're both amazing cars. It's really funny how much of a sleeper they are nowadays, cars have such extreme desings that theese just pass as regular old hatchbacks with aftermarket bodykits, then you explain to people that it's mid engine RWD and they just crap themselves.
@@jessebb193 if the Clio had headlights something like a VW GTi Golf or a BMW E30 M3 instead, would that be more aggressive looking? Hmmm....that would look pretty sick. Or better yet, if it had a front end that looked like an actual rally car. Edit: or should the headlights be long vertically and pointier like a Lotus Exige or something where the headlights are shaped like devil horns?
Doug, regarding the two horns - the more basic Clio steering wheel didn't have the buttons on the steering to activate the horn, only the Airbag - hence they made available the horn on the turning stalk, as it was very common with older Renaults from this era. After that, they made available the steering wheel with the horn, as this Clio V6 has, but for cost reasons, they kept using the older turning stalk with the horn instead of making a new one without the horn - hence the three options for the horn, something only a French quirky car could do :)
It was very common for French cars of this period to and earlier to do so. I've owned a 1996 Peugeot 106 GTi, 1997 Peugeot 605, 2000 Citroen Xsara and a 1995 Renault Twingo, and if my memory serves me correct, they all had the horn on the turn signal stock, which has resulted in me messing it up in other cars when looking for the horn.
Holy hell! This was absolutely fantastic 10/10. Again one of those pieces of content that I wish I could give several thumbs up to. Thank you so very much for this! Completely made my day! I wish you all the very best!
Saw one of these in my local supermarket car park about 7 or 8 years ago, and I nearly lost it. They really are quite rare here in the UK, especially since a decent amount of the first model were wrapped around trees.
This is why when people complain about cars being stored and not driven how they're supposed be driven is short sighted. If everyone drove their cars and there were no collectors. We would never see certain vehicles ever again because they would all be crashed or in disrepair. Thank the person who did have foresight that Doug can review this car today. 😏
Radio is not beeping when used, it was beeping to you because someone probably took the battery out recently and then the first time you are starting radio you have to input 4 digit UNLOCK code. I assume yours was locked, therefore beeped. Regarding the OIL OK, it is displayed on other Clio MK2 (and restylings) but the time is much shorter, it could be that something is wrong on the electronics part, since these models are well known for weird electrical issues.
If I remember correctly (used to have a Clio back in the early 2000s) the oil indicator is supposed to display bars (basically zeroes) on the odometer readout to display the oil level in addition to the OIL OK text, which is why the odometer isn't readable while it does the oil check. This car might indeed have some electrical issues, which sounds pretty familiar to a previous owner.
I'm glad you mentioned that it was a Renault thing to build mid-engine hot hatches based on mainstream models. The most famous was the Renault 5 Turbo, which this Clio is the virtual heir of. It was developed for rally, and it became a thing for Renault.
That example is a Phase 1 but has Phase 2 rear lights. The front guards are made of plastic on the standard Clio so it's pretty easy for them to change them for the wider track. The Clio is one of only a few cars (BMW E39 5-Series, E60 5-Series and Nissan Almera Tino) that have left hand drive windscreen wipers fitted to both left and right hand drive examples, presumably to save cost. The wiper 'jumps' on a pivot on the RHD versions to cover more of the screen.
Awesome video and great car! Just an FYI, hot hatches with V6s of that era also included the VR6 GTI and Corrado, and albeit small, the Mazda MX-3. Of course none were mid-engined as you stated.
My family has had two '04 Nissan Sentra's, and while they're total shitboxes, one thing Nissan did right is make the intermittent wiper control continuously variably adjustable. It's a smooth adjustment with a nice hefty feel... Which might be the nicest-feeling part of the whole car.
@@vovap9257 One annoyance of my sister's Micra is that because it's not the base model you get automatic intermittent wipers instead of manually adjustable intermittent, so if you want intermittent wipers you have to rely on the auto wipers working.
It's a shame you didn't get the chance to review the "Phase II" version, it has a really neat facelift, and the interior is awesome. I had the regular Sport 172 (as in 172 bhp) as my first sport car and to this date it's still my favorite car I've had owned. The Phase I was known to be very dangerous to drive, and they somehow fixed it in the Phase II, but I still beat them in autocross on mine because they tend snap-oversteer if you lift mid corner.
My second car was that 172 (first Clio RSi) and I can't agree it is the best car I ever owned... I have an M3e92 manual 2010, a GCL43 2022 and Levante GTS 2019 (And had Leon Top Sport 2004 in yellow, a M235i 2015) and that Clio RS2 172 was the best of all my cars.... And in my country are impossible to find.
I am fortunate enough to own a Clio V6 Phase 2 which is currently in the shop getting a little refresh - after watching this excellent video, man I can't wait to get it back and have a drive! Always great to see the V6 in a new video on here. Thanks Doug! :D
@@symun02 A garage is what’s attached to your house where you park your car inside, I know that’s a foreign concept in the mud huts you clowns live in.
@@symun02 he could be from anywhere else in europe too, where most people sadly don't have private garages. My dad is lucky enough to have one with the little house he lives in on the middle of nowhere and does work himself on the car (hyundai accent 2003/4) but if you don't have your own garage working on your car is kind of a problem here.
A lot of vehicles keep their bonnet release on the left for RHD markets. The Ford Focus Mk3, Ford Transit Custom, Mercedes Sprinter among others. With the Sprinter it's obscured by the passenger door and cant be activated when the door is closed. That door can't be unlocked when the battery is flat, preventing jump-starts. What Renault didn't change for the RHD market on the Clio was the windscreen wiper pattern, they're still configured for LHD.
Here's a quirk/cheapout on Renault's side which you missed. All RHD clios from that generation not only had the hood release on the passenger side, but the wiper blades were also unchanged from the LHD version. Meaning only about half of your field of view gets cleared by them.
The mechanism of right hand wiper arm is a quirk all of its own though and largely solves the issue with field of view. In the phase 2 Clio remote locking was standard so they only included a physical door lock on the driver's door, this remained unchanged for the RHD market so we ended up with our lock on the passenger side.
Absolutely remember grinding out this car in need for speed carbon and it was and has always been one of my favorite cars. Doug really proved it finally reviewing it, thanks Doug
I always loved these and for a time they were even affordable in the UK.. before people realised just how special they were and prices went through the roof. The Clio 172/182 shouldn't be overlooked though..
I reeeaalllly wanted one when I was about 20. Think they were going for about 15 grand at the time. Bugger. I’d have probably wrapped it around a tree before it had chance to appreciate.
Cheers from Greece! There was a championship for them here in Europe and was really impressive! This car is for me the most extreme pocket rocket ever made considering also the engine layout and size and the idea to be a combination of a super mini hatchback with a Go Kart fitting a huge engine for its size. It has the same engine that Venturi cars had an evolution of PRV series that your American DeLorean also had. If you find a Venturi Atlantique 300 or 400 review it you will not regret it!
There's more storage space in the front when you remove the plastic tub they have hiding the suspension and electronics... but then your cargo isn't very secure, and smaller items can fall down into the works of the vehicle. My suggestion is to remove the factory tub, and self fabricate a tub that conforms more closely to the workings beneath the factory tub. There's more space under there, just be sure to be careful how you stow items when the tub is removed
Very odd that Renault didn’t put together a mould that was more space conscious yet still covered the inner workings of the car as you stated. That clunky plastic takes up half the space 🤣🤣
Nice one Doug, Fun fact about this car, it was built in France complete with a 1,2L 4 cylinder engine and then sent to Uddevalla in Sweden to be converted into the Clio V6 by Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) in the same factory that also built the Volvo C70 convertible at the time.
Friend of mine worked at TWR in England when they were rebuilding engines for those. Fun fact, I've put a slightly less powerful version of this engine to my Delorean.
Not even watched the video yet but I'm so glad you're reviewing this. This has been one of my dream cars since it came out and I was a kid. That and a CLK DTM have always stuck with me
At 19:15 you do not have to wait for the mileage to appear. If you press the button on the end of the wiper stalk it will display the oil level and once pressed again the odometer will appear.
@@publicidad420ahaha. 😂 I only know this as I own a Renault Scenic RX4. The oil level display is a pretty nice feature but still prefer to use the dipstick.
I've got a regular clio and it's very cool for what it is. The reason they made so many horn buttons is that first models had different steering wheel without any buttons and the only horn was on top of a turn signal switch.
19:44 The radio beeps with every button press because the security code needs to be entered. Pretty much all Renault headunits have a 4-digit code that needs to be entered every time power to the car is cut off (ie. when the battery is changed), until then the radio is locked and beeps until it's entered. I know this because my mum's Clio III does the exact same thing lol
Loved your comment about how the car's front felt disconnected when accelerating... In fact, the ohase 1 had its chassis built in TWR workshop, and so were not exactly as "finished" as they should have. It was so bad that for the phase 2, Renault Sport brought back the chassis building in-house, and it became less of an handful to drive... Which, again, is not saying seeing from where it went XD
I love every time Doug goes to the Lane Motor Museum. Being from middle Tennessee, I can tell almost exactly where he is driving. Also, this car is amazing and I’m jealous of anyone who gets to drive it.
This car was a love/hate. In it's own right, FAST car! That said, they give you this car to beat the Viper, Aston, Lister, Jaguar etc. And that was impossible.
The regular clio with a few modifications can be a very fun car to drive My brother has one, it weights basically nothing and make turns incredibly fast
Seconded. I had Clio II 1.6 16v phase 2 (107 hp) with upgraded suspension. It had really short gear ratios, so from traffic lights it felt much faster than it was. Never had any problems keeping up with BMW's and Audi's in twisty roads, it felt like it was glued to road in corners. Straights were a different thing 😉
Despite the fact that the taillights are from the Phase 2 and this is Phase 1, the exhaust and the air scopes (or how they're called) being painted in black (should be the same colour of the car) its an amazing car :)
The tacked on body kit actually looks very well thought out. I've seen a Clio V6 from 20ft away before, never knew it was made that way. I like this a whole lot better than the hacked up rear 1/4's you see on wide body kit conversions today. I cringe when the saws come out on perfectly good cars, this looks completely reversible.
Did you have any idea that the function of a widebody is A) to cover wide wheels B) to make room for larger diameter wheels; most often both. If you have a stock fender underneath, it's 100% non functional. edit: C) to make room for wider track width which this has too. The rear subframe is from a big Sedan; the Laguna.
I'm not sure it is completely reversible, the rear fenders must be opened a bit for the tire and suspensions to fit. But yes most of the body seems here!
@@piuthemagicman Exactly, they took the entire drivetrain from the V6 Laguna and moved it into the back of the Clio. Of course the Laguna has a wider track so the entire bodykit is necessary for technical reasons. Its a transverse V6 with gearbox attached. Same type of concept as the Fiat X1/9 and the Pontiac Fiero.
This car was manufactured in Uddevalla, Sweden, by TWR or something similar. Same factory buildings as Volvo C70 models were made before and then afterwards. I lived a few kilometers away and saw them every day. Sometimes you would bicycle around the factory area and see them on the small test track accelerating and such. Cool car and nice memories.
Great video Doug. I've never had the pleasure of driving a V6 Clio (though I've driven the Laguna with the V6 engine). I actually owned both pre and post facelift front engined Clio's in period. The car you have there is a pre facelift but has tail lights from a phase 2 car. The front fenders on all MK2 Clio were polycarbonate and Renault still use this method today. The phase 2 cars also incorporate the Renault diamond into the tailgate release with the button in the middle. The phase 1 was built with TWR and were notoriously tricky to drive. The facelift car had the wheelbase lengthened to help aid stability. The Oz Super Turismo wheels look awesome and the early 2.0 RS172 also used Oz F1 wheels. The seats in this car also featured in the front engined RS172 and later 182. The quirk with the oil gauge is the same in my 1997 Renault Mégane Coupe.
I had a late 2002 Clio as my second car (Sadly just a 1.2 Expression) and absolutely loved it! Also a right hand drive model for the UK, another thing Renault also never swapped over was the window wipers… so they only cleared half of the windscreen in view of the driver 🙃
You wouldn't wanna drive one of theese though, they're evil machines that will attempt to murder you the milisecond they get the chance. It really is important to be a skilled driver if you want one of theese.
The most important interior change: Higher gear shifter. This is the only Renault Clio to have it. I had the Renault Clio Sport 2.0 and it doesn't have the higher shifter, but it really should have. Glad they put it in the V6 version. Btw, the 2.0 sport or 172 is also an amazing hatchback, especially if you put adjustable coilovers and a higher short shifter. That thing hugs the corners and becomes absolutely crazy at +4000rpm.
When I was at uni studying automotive engineering, a previous student, who was working for TWR who developed it for Renault stopped off with a development one on his way back from hot weather testing in Barcelona. You can imagine the excitement among me and my fellow students, it was so cool!
No joke I have been waiting literally years for this video to come, because I know that you love quirky cars and hothatches as well . Doug please review more French cars they are amazing especially when it comes to hot heaches. Similar cars being the Peugeot 205 T16, Renault 5 turbo
Thing is he stays in the US and there are not many french cars there. When I did the Route 66 I only see 2 Renault Encore becoming derelict behind a fence. 2 cars on the whole trip. lol
@@slowery43 why are you attacking Mr. Burrito? You gotta calm down little guy, he’s simply just talking about his experience with the vehicle. Nothing wrong with that especially considering it is the subject of the video.
This has always been one of my favorite looking hatchbacks and I piloted it frequently in racing games of the 2000s and on. So glad you finally got to do a review of it Doug!
Back when this came out here in Germany my Dad considered getting one. Other option was the Renault Sport Spyder, which is even more insane. But as he realized it would be his only car and he had to daily it, the Spyder was off the table. The Renault dealer at that time wasn't really able to get one of the clio V6, so in the end he turned to a Peugeot 306 s16, which also was really fast for its time.
Ahh, legendary Renault mid-engined deathtraps. Amazing cars. I have no idea how many of these are still alive (R5 Turbo is even rarer), but I would imagine not many. There's one in my country and I know for a fact it had been totaled twice and rebuilt, it's still on the road from time to time. R5 is even scarier, though.
Yes! I was always curious about this car since playing Gran Turismo 4 back in the day as a kid. Being American I didn’t know much about it. Leave it to Doug to review a car I forgot about my curiosity for. Thanks for this sir, brought back good memories of playing that game.
"It may not look all that insane on the outside" - uh, yeah it does! If you grew up somewhere where every fifth car was a Clio, the V6 really stands out and looks absolutely awesome and totally insane.
So heavier brakes and wheels than stock in front, with a few more wheel bearing and tie end rod replacements than your regular euro and she sounds reliable enough 😎🥳🤙🏼
I remember seeing a twin engined Clio somewhere in the internet before. It started as a regular clio with the front engine, front wheel drive layout, and they stuffed another engine in the back, mid mounted rear wheel drive. They then had to synchronize the throttle cables and gear shift cables so that both engines will run more or less the same speed.
Also. The original MK2 Clio which this was based upon didn't have buttons for a horn on the steering wheel, neither did the airbag depress. It was only available on the stalk. This is an addition for this model it seems.
Doug: "I love how they combined the perfectly balanced weight distribution of a mid-engined sportscar with the practicality of a hatchback" Also Doug: "The weight is all in the rear making the handling scary, and there's virtually no cargo space at all."
Doug is an idiot. I tried watching this bc I love the Clio, but he's so awestruck by the mundane, and unnecessarily repetitive, that i couldn't get halfway thru the video.
did anyone tell you that Doug knows about cars? first, he is American. second he is an American with a pair of shorts. third he is an awkward American. yes, he knows about greasy burgers, coke and KFC
Not sure if it's the same for the V6, but in the standard Clio from that era, you could skip the "OIL OK" display and go straight to the mileage by shortly pressing the reset trip button. Also I don't recall the radio ever beeping for every button press (but I only ever saw it with an CD slot not a tape one), might be a specific model.
From the Clios I've had 2000 1.2, 2001 1.4 16v Si, 2005 1.4 16v Expression, 2003 2.0 16v 172 they do that when you've not entered the radio code. It just beeps and doesn't do anything.
Love those car enthusiast episodes! Even though they do not get a substantial number of views, and i acknowledge the importance of it to the channel, I know those are the episodes doug love the most.
For those wondering how rare they are, i live in France and I've yet to see one. Seen more Ferraris then a clio sport v6. As far as prices Doug, they start at about 50k euros and go up, and that's for the later version.
2004. I remember working at a test & race track in France (CERAM de Mortefontaine). Renault came one day to present these "crazy models". There was a Mégane RS and a phase II Clio V6, both in sparkle Orange. As part of the organization, they let me drive home with the car of my choice (I chose the Clio V6), the condition being to have a closed garage (which I had in Paris). Driving back to the capital, one could not imagine the positive reactions this car triggered among people. Every stop at a traffic light was just filled with smiles and thumbs up. I was 25 years old and already suspected that no mainstream car maker would ever go back into such a crazy hatchback anymore. This phase II Clio V6 handled "kind of well", provided you wouldn't drive it to the edge (test & race track). Incredible car, memories and time in life. These little beasts are still charming today. Prices steady (about 40k €) and might still climb up due to their rarity. I agree with an earlier comment here, the phase II looked a lot more like a finished product. The OZ wheels, the double exhaust pipes in the center of the tailgate, the widebody kit looked crazy then.. and still does today. Hats off to Renault (better known for building affordable diesel powered vehicles) for creating the Clio V6 👍
Thank you Doug! Next time you can review the white Renault 5 Alpine Turbo we see in the back in your video! That was indeed the ancester to this Clio, the fist mid engine rear wheel drive hatch back from Renault. A true widow maker with no electronics and the turbo kicking your butt from 3000 to 5000 rpm!
The gen 2 improved that widowmaker handling by quite a margin. Also see if you can get your hands on a Williams Clio at some point. Arguably one of the best handlng and fun fwd hot hatches.
This car was designed for racing. But Renault had to build many roadworthy versions, to meet homologation requirements, i.e. to make it eligible for international racing competition.
At last someone talking sense. This car started life as a 1-make series race car, the Clio Trophy. The inauguration race was the support race for the 1999 Le Mans 24 Hours. It was not a "conversion" job from a production car. To meet homologation rules, Renault had to produce some road cars (at least 500 I think). The Phase 1 road car went on sale in 2001. Many people, including journalists at the time, did not give it a fair review because the car was too "raw" (racer) for them. The Phase 2 car was modified to be more "civilised".
Love these. A guy local to me had a blue one for years. Was a phase 1. By the way, quite a lot of British cars have the 'hood' release catch in the passenger side
Regarding the radio, I think the beep is due to they havent entered the radio code when it resets after they remove the battery. If you enter the wrong code the radio wont work = beep when you press buttons
I had one of these and it was the best car I ever owned. I put bricks in the front to improve the handling. It was stolen from my drive way and was recovered as a shell, missing the wheels, engine, interior and even the bricks. My insurance eventually paid out and I bought a Golf GTI. I still miss it and if I ever had the opportunity to get another one I'd jump at the chance.
I had a mazdaspeed 3 and it has its own issues. Like torque steer thru the first 4 gears if you add any extra power 😂 fwd life isn’t as fun as rwd life imo
actually thats not the only V6 hot hatch from europe from those times...there was also VW golf R32 which was V6 3.2 liter, it was "above" regular GTI line but it was still car from serial production
While Clio V6 is a cool thing, it was obvious that car wasn't "normal" - wide body, exhaust pipes & stuff. But there was another one in this period - Renault Clio II Sport. Outside it was like any other Clio, especially in Ph1 it was completely unremarkable. However under the hood there was at first ~170 hp, then increased to ~180 hp. Not a crazy number compared to performance cars, or for this matter Clio V6, yet in a car weighting around 1 metric ton it was still quite a healthy value. A very nice sleeper. Here where I live Clio II is considered a typical grandpa car (with its sedan version Thalia), so encountering a Clio Sport might be a nasty surprise for some rice drivers ;)
Love these and seen a few on the roads here in the UK. Mad to see one in the US and a RHD version with it’s UK plates still on V66 CLO is a personalised plate too - that museum looks amazing. Great video Doug
Regarding the "Oil Ok" 19:08 These cars have a sensor that measures the oil level of the engine. If you turn the car on, when the cluster says "Oil Ok" you can push the cluster button once and it will show you the actual oil level. This is because a lot of these cars are have a very uncomfortable oil dipstick, so usually you meassure the oil level through the cluster. Instead if you push the cluster button twice at the moment, it will show you the odometer. If you don't do nothing, after 5 to 10 seconds it will show you the odometer. I have a Clio 2 with the 1.6 16V K4M engine and it's just like that.
That is actually the cleanest hot hatch design I’ve ever seen
Really? It looks very soulless
on my TH-cam channel i do food reviews while I’m super high 😈
I want it so bad, I came in I said wow I want it so bad.
@@mustasheolll2020 How so?
It's like a baby Audi R8.
I have to say dougcember is starting GREAT! I literally wanted Doug to review this car for years
متحمس زيك اخ عمر😁
Yeahhh probably the coolest French car ever
You and every other Doug fan on earth
If you look at the license plate / registration date, you can see that it says May of 2021. Judging by how sweaty Doug is in this video, I'd bet that this was recorded in the Summer of 2020. He has been sitting on this video for approximately 2 years. It was something discussed in Super AutoQuirk Dougposting; and if memory serves, I believe Doug actually touched on it as well.
@@flyingmonkeyofus69 he actually showed in a vid like 2 years ago, during the cars and bids ad.
Finally I never thought that I will see doug reviewing Clio V6 but here we are
Yeah, what a way to start Doug-cember!
He teased it over a year ago.
he keep until now.. but yeah i thought it was canceled.. or something.. 😂
It's been a year since I saw it as an intro
He must've done it in the same trip when he did the Multipla back in July-ish? you can tell as he's sweating like crazy, must've been dead heat of the summer.
I love the body design of the clio v6. The body panels are spot on and with that curved rear hatch window it gets a really awesome stance.
Car is bonkers and French had balls to pull that off.
common france L
Bizarre car really. Put together initially by Tom Walkinshaw I believe, and mainly for the French and Brit market, only a few sold in other countries; Germany, Japan Switzerland etc…
This is one of my favorites. A true successor to the Renault 5 Turbo in my opinion. Wish I could have them both.
@@lem9n 🤡🤡🤡
I love when manufacturers produce wacky vehicles like this for no other reason than because they could.
The reason for the beeping with every button press on the radio is simple. Because the battery was disconnected, the radio requires a 4-digit code (as a anti theft thing) that can be entered using the station buttons. As a 5th key you have to press and hold the 5 or 6 to confirm. After that the radio works as usual and also plays received stations and so on. After that, the keys will no longer beep when you press them. You're Welcome!
Exactly,there is even code blinking on display
I knew it wasn't usual
@@richpolecat6527 20 years ago things were different
Oh god my '06 Odyssey had that problem too. It was a 6 digit code
@@richpolecat6527 radios used to get stolen all the time out of cars in the 80s and 90s, it was why they invented face offs
Great review Doug, I helped the museum import this car back in 2012. I was able to drive it quite a bit and loved every minute of it. Thanks for sharing. I will soon have a 2018 Renault Alpine if you want to check that one out as well :)
Mais la Renault alpine elle déchire sa race cette voiture ! as an American living in France that’s how I came to Doug’s channel when he reviewed the Peugeot 3008 !
How were you guys able to import this and the alpine? I thought they made more than 500 v6 clios so it doesn’t qualify for the show and display rule. Would love to know as this is an all time favorite of mine and I’d love to have one someday.
@@Roxas13 He mentions in the video how they import them for museum and educational purposes.
@@ciaran_socal Thanks for the reply, hadn't been able to watch the whole video yet so didn't see that part.
@@Roxas13 eh? Did u notice that one?
People have been requesting this car for 6 years on Doug's channel....and he finally reviewed one. Holy Hell! Fellow Gran Turismo gamers satiated.
I've loved this car ever since I completed Need For Speed Most Wanted with it
Grew up seeing a guy down the street driving one. All the way up until he binned it.
And Forza fans!
@@HazewinDog yeah! thats where i first seen it.
Renault is the worst car brand alongside Fiat those are the worst
Being from Portugal, I always rejoice when I see normal regular European cars on Doug's channel. I know this version of the Clio is rare, (and you just don't see it over here too), but 2nd gen Clios are a dime a dozen once you leave your house. Doug, now, just go for the Clio Williams ;) PS: Kudos for all the classic Citroens in the back (GS, Ami, etc), plus the NSU and the original R5 GT Turbo!
Só falta o Doug DeMuro fazer um revew dos nossos carros nacionais tipo os UMM
@@NibanoTransmontano ou um Sado!
@@ruipacheco2939 Portaro tmb haha
Ora pois
I love that as Doug is talking about how intimidated by the car he is and how cautious he is being…. He’s just casually in and out of traffic blasting past car after car 😂
If you ever drove any rear-heavy car, you will get this. Like, any. Rear-loaded truck, for example. Thing just doesn't want to go straight. You turn the steering just a little to change a lane, but the car clearly wants to do 180 - and you are feeling it. This is called dynamic instability.
Except an rearloaded truck has most of the weight on the foremost and rearmost, and such cars as this Clio has most of the weight on its center, so there isn't even much inertia to dampen that behaviour.
Always wanted an 1988 MR-2. But alas, there's only a truck.
@@nickythespacebiker the wheelbase is another major problem: theese things are quite twitchy and not everyone has the skill to even trackday them on a more chill pace. They're absolutely evil cars and will turn you into paste if you dare believe that you're better than them, but thoose capable of driving one can go way faster than you would ever expect from a hatchback, RWD or not.
Lane : what's the 60 in a 40 ticket. Wait till Doug hears about the F1 minivan Espace!
I would hope after all of thisssss! that Doug is at least a pretty good driver??
19:35 wrong, the radio was asking for its security code. it doesn't beep when it actually works.
The predecessor Renault 5 also had this conversion as the Renault R5 Turbo. It also competed in the legendary Group B series. There, the car had a 1397 cm3 inline four that produced 180 to 210 HP (from 1984 1527 cm3 and 285 to 360 HP). The car won races such as the Monte Carlo Rally in 1981 and the Tour de Corse in 1982 and 1985.
It can be seen in the background at 9:13
Brings back memories. Waiting for a fix of my Megane the Renault dealer felt sorry for me and allowed a test-drive in a pristine R5 Turbo (30k km's, in 2008). Mind you, it was a sweaty hot summer day, with every press of the pedal you felt the engine beaming out heat to your back! Of course there was no airco and the windows could hardly open (plastic like cup windows of some kind). Never head such a sweaty driving experience. Terrifying overall.
thats not the real predecessor, this was the 2nd gen clio, the predecessor had been Clio Williams, although no engine in the back
It was a racing failure anyways (the original R5 turbo). Had a few podiums but that`s all. Lancia tricked it`s way into winning races with the outdated 037 then switched to s4. Peugeot had the 205 and post group B the 405 t16, Ford was a bit late to the party with the RS200, even Opel was in development of the Kadett 4S. In my honest opinion, the R5 was not even in the top 5 of the prettiest Group B cars.
Search for the Ford Shogun! Rare mod done by two very smart engineers. Ford Festiva with a Ford SHO V6 in the back. Jay Leno has one.
To be fair to the Clio, the ‘tiny little 4 cylinder’ was available as a 2.0 with 170-180bhp and is as quick as the v6 due to lower weight
@@bonedagger I also drive a 2.0 Clio. I’d like Doug to experience one but it’ll never happen 😅
Yeah but the engines in the wrong place!
172-182
The V6 (255) was/is faster than both the 172 and 182. 0-60 was quicker and also the top speed. The 2.0lt ones are quick, but not as quick as the V6 (255). Having driven both variants and owned a V6 255 I’m strong in the know that I’m correct. The truth is.. many, many 2.0lt owners have never driven a V6 and assume that their 2.0lt Clio is just as fast. It isn’t. *Bonus tip* It’s worth looking out for a nice MK1 version (TWR). They’re the ones that’ll very soon be rocketing in value!
2 L Clio was also available as a regular non-sports car and it always felt incredibly oversized engine by non-american standards :D
Considering the entry engine later was a 1.2 L 3 cylinder (right ? Or was it 4 cyl ?)
Then a 0.9 L 3 cyl for recent models
I don't know any other city car that rocked a 2 L 140 HP CVT well into the 2010s
About the body kit : the reason why the front fenders are tailor made is, they’re polycarbonate on any Clio of that gen. (Which is great when they get hit because THEY DON’T DO DENTS ; they either break or not).
Renault was actually pretty proud of it when this gen came out in 1998 (originally), to the point where it was a sale argument in their brochure.
Fender benders are almost unavoidable on a city car being used regularly for city driving in France.
Yes, technology GM’s Pontiac 1984-1988 Fiero and 80’s series Saturns (and many others)used for most of their bodies……🙄
@@ruftime Let's talk about the Trabant...
The French in the big City's literally use the bumper to push other cars away so they have room to park. No joke. If you are ever in Paris almost all cars have bumper damage.
@@richardstuivenberg4618so that's why Citroëns have those rubber things
@@charliekahn4205 yup, Peugeot and Renault to.
I have the privilege of currently owning both a Clio V6 Phase 1 and a Renault R5 Turbo 2. Both exhilarating cars to drive.
The Clio V6 is so reliable with AC as well. The Renault R5 Turbo 2 runs on the Bosch KJetronic system like the old porsche
and mercedes. What can I say Kjets are great when everything is perfect and working together. Love both Cars. Still holding
onto them.
Reliable? French car?
Hold on? Something here feels wrong
Turbo 2 is sexy as fudge, I'm a little jealous.
I had the privilege of owning a 172RS ph1 for about 5 years. Still the most fun car I've ever owned despite the usual French electrical problems that turned up every now and again. It is surprisingly quick starting from around 4k to 7k RPM. I can imagine the v6 is even quicker despite being being 300kg heavier than the 172/182. The cup models had stiffened suspension and different wheels. 182 with the facelift looked much better than the babyface 172 but loved it nonetheless!
That is wonderful!!
Get some videos uploaded!
I really wish more manufacturers did things like this. So many hot hatches are just economy cars with a little more power, stiffer suspension, and stylistic upgrades, but this was genuinely different.
I fully expect Doug to buy one in a few years, it seems right up his alley.
@iNSTAGiB yesn't. They were not that much more expensive than a Megane RS is right now. The reason why is because theese things are death traps and you don't want your brand to take a bad reputation for that, especially renault since they also have the Gordini R8 and 5 turbo that are both well-known steel coffins
Renault have a history of putting silly engines in the middle of cars that shouldn't have them
Look at the Renault 5 Turbo, or the Renault Megane Trophy
Oh, and definitely check out the Renault Espace F1 - The easiest way to explain that to an American is probably to say "Imagine a Dodge Caravan with a mid-mounted 90s F1 engine."
@iNSTAGiB yeah, that definitely makes sense. Although given that they're charging almost double for a slightly upgraded car, you wish that they could do a little bit more.
@@dyent You notice the Renault Maxi 5 Turbo right above Doug at 8:31? Hope he reviews that Legend next or soonish.
@@dyent It was the golden ages of Renault Engineering. At that time, they also released a coupe-van, the Avantime. A concept nobody understood, but which was really cool because of that.
Should definitely get a 9 or a 10 from styling and +1 in cool factor, this clio looks super cool for a factory car and is really iconic, especially in European car culture
@Blunt I do in Europe...
@Blunt I do and know I'm far from the only one. The Clio V6 is iconic, especially in France.
@@SteelSkin667the uk also loved it too
I used to use that car in Forza Motorsport and it was a force to be reckon with. light, nimble with great weight distribution and power to weight. It was a Supercar slayer and a hidden gem.
Which forza are you talking about? The first one on the original Xbox?
Love this car too!! I used this car in NFS Most Wanted if I’m correct. Much like your experience, it was a force to be reckon with. I could drive that car with controlled insane speed. This comment made me laugh!!
The first generation of these (like the one in your video) were assembled by TWR in Uddevalla, Sweden in the same factory where Volvo and TWR had built the first generation C70. I live farily close to Uddevalla and I remember seeing them out on test drives among the ordinary traffic, looking like little road going UFO:s. Sometime you also caught a glimse of parked cars ready for shipping. Great video!
Yep. Tom Walkinshaw Racing. They've build and tuned mighty Volvo 850 for BTCC touring cars series.
Tomas Wålkingskord racing 🤪
Timothy Walhalla Racing 🧐
Ufos?😂 its just a Clio
@@nightmare8292 that wide and low and sounding like that, they sure looked like they had come from outer space compared to the ordinary Swedish traffic, that at the time was mostly station wagons from Volvo, Saab and VW. 👽
My father is a Renault Sports aficionado and owned a Renault 5 turbo 2 in the 80's. When the Phase 2 version of the Clio Sports V6 came out he bought it in a heartbeat and still has it in impeccable condition. The phase 2 is definitely a huuuge upgrade over the phase 1 model, especially in the interior. But a fact that Doug missed is that in order to jump from 230hp to 255~hp, Renault outsourced their engineering to... none other than Porsche!
I have to say, every time I've been allowed to drive it, I was scared to death!
bro phase 2 looks soooo much better its insane its probably my favourite car that has ever came out of france
Seems like a Renault-Porsche tradition. :D
The 1.7 Liter Renault engine with 73hp, which I had in my R5 GTX for example, went through Porsche's engineers hands and ended up as a (soft) Turbo with 120hp in the Volvo 480, which I owned years later and learned about that fact.
Greetings to your dad btw., he seems to be a very cool guy.
Dang, sorry to hear your dad is gay.
@@Brodozer39 no u
Actually it was Peugeot that outsourced to Porsche as it’s a PSA engine, mostly used in the 406 coupe, 605 and citreon c5. Renault took the engine from Peugeot and freed up the intake and exhaust and changed the cams and map to get the extra power for the Clio.
I had a 406 coupe with the phase 1 engine and did a bit of research into what was needed to bring it from 197 up to the 230 Renault spec, but the parts weren’t really available at the time.
That deserves a 10 when it comes to style. Awesome looking hatchback.
The phase 2 is even prettier
@@KarimErrytouny they're both amazing cars. It's really funny how much of a sleeper they are nowadays, cars have such extreme desings that theese just pass as regular old hatchbacks with aftermarket bodykits, then you explain to people that it's mid engine RWD and they just crap themselves.
yes. french engineering actually the best
The only thing I don’t like is the headlights they shouldn’t be so round but it’s pretty aggressive looking
@@jessebb193 if the Clio had headlights something like a VW GTi Golf or a BMW E30 M3 instead, would that be more aggressive looking? Hmmm....that would look pretty sick. Or better yet, if it had a front end that looked like an actual rally car.
Edit: or should the headlights be long vertically and pointier like a Lotus Exige or something where the headlights are shaped like devil horns?
Doug, regarding the two horns - the more basic Clio steering wheel didn't have the buttons on the steering to activate the horn, only the Airbag - hence they made available the horn on the turning stalk, as it was very common with older Renaults from this era. After that, they made available the steering wheel with the horn, as this Clio V6 has, but for cost reasons, they kept using the older turning stalk with the horn instead of making a new one without the horn - hence the three options for the horn, something only a French quirky car could do :)
It was very common for French cars of this period to and earlier to do so. I've owned a 1996 Peugeot 106 GTi, 1997 Peugeot 605, 2000 Citroen Xsara and a 1995 Renault Twingo, and if my memory serves me correct, they all had the horn on the turn signal stock, which has resulted in me messing it up in other cars when looking for the horn.
My 2007 Dacia Logan (which is co-produced with Renault and takes a lot of components from the 2nd gen Clio) has the same horn button placement.
Holy hell! This was absolutely fantastic 10/10. Again one of those pieces of content that I wish I could give several thumbs up to. Thank you so very much for this! Completely made my day! I wish you all the very best!
you me and everyone else!!
All of us, rejoice!
Saw one of these in my local supermarket car park about 7 or 8 years ago, and I nearly lost it. They really are quite rare here in the UK, especially since a decent amount of the first model were wrapped around trees.
~They're about 60 grand now!
Wrapped around trees?
Crashed 🎉
You think they are rare where you are? I will never see one here in Canada!
This is why when people complain about cars being stored and not driven how they're supposed be driven is short sighted.
If everyone drove their cars and there were no collectors. We would never see certain vehicles ever again because they would all be crashed or in disrepair.
Thank the person who did have foresight that Doug can review this car today. 😏
Radio is not beeping when used, it was beeping to you because someone probably took the battery out recently and then the first time you are starting radio you have to input 4 digit UNLOCK code. I assume yours was locked, therefore beeped. Regarding the OIL OK, it is displayed on other Clio MK2 (and restylings) but the time is much shorter, it could be that something is wrong on the electronics part, since these models are well known for weird electrical issues.
I think you can skip the Oil Ok Message by tipping the top button on the wiper switch. This is the button for skipping the Boardcomputer Infos.
@cabchrisr19 Yes, you are right.
If I remember correctly (used to have a Clio back in the early 2000s) the oil indicator is supposed to display bars (basically zeroes) on the odometer readout to display the oil level in addition to the OIL OK text, which is why the odometer isn't readable while it does the oil check. This car might indeed have some electrical issues, which sounds pretty familiar to a previous owner.
Anyone from NFSMW here?
I'm glad you mentioned that it was a Renault thing to build mid-engine hot hatches based on mainstream models. The most famous was the Renault 5 Turbo, which this Clio is the virtual heir of. It was developed for rally, and it became a thing for Renault.
And it seems like the museum has one, if you look at around @13:30 :D
@@kewllexus good catch! The museum curator must have a thing for this type of cars
Otaku fact: that's also the car of Bulma in DragonBall
Peugeot also did it with the 205 T16 wich are even more rare.
Such a cool concept, and one which will likely never be repeated. One of the last great tributes to the Group B era.
its not a concept, it is a real production car. you can buy these for 40k-100k
@@nonbinaryprotopretty sure he meant concept as the idea of a mid engined v6 hatch
@@oohoochie997 the Clio V6 in my opinion has 168mph top speeds.
@@nonbinaryproto more like concept production car actually.
not a concept
That example is a Phase 1 but has Phase 2 rear lights. The front guards are made of plastic on the standard Clio so it's pretty easy for them to change them for the wider track. The Clio is one of only a few cars (BMW E39 5-Series, E60 5-Series and Nissan Almera Tino) that have left hand drive windscreen wipers fitted to both left and right hand drive examples, presumably to save cost. The wiper 'jumps' on a pivot on the RHD versions to cover more of the screen.
That explains what that piece of shit that keeps breaking on my E60 is!
Later phase 1's had those rear lights. Common quirk of these cars.
I was wondering, something looked off
The LHD wipers being on a RHD car was also true for the Dacia Logan
@@yash.kapoor (the logan is a disguised clio)
Awesome video and great car! Just an FYI, hot hatches with V6s of that era also included the VR6 GTI and Corrado, and albeit small, the Mazda MX-3. Of course none were mid-engined as you stated.
There was the Alfa 147 GTA too.
147 GTA, BMW 325ti/125i/130i, Golf R32, Audi A3 3.2 V6 Quattro, there quite a few V6 hatches running around during the 2000's.
Alfa brera as well.
@@newman8r45 the brera was a 2+2 coupe like its predecessors
The rare New Beetle RSI too.
I like all the intermittent wiper selections. I hate how the four we usually get is either too slow or too fast depending on the conditions.
Good point more settings the better I say!!!
I have a Renault and that it's for the amout of water to spray
My family has had two '04 Nissan Sentra's, and while they're total shitboxes, one thing Nissan did right is make the intermittent wiper control continuously variably adjustable. It's a smooth adjustment with a nice hefty feel... Which might be the nicest-feeling part of the whole car.
I've driven many cars and my old clio had the best automatic window wipers i've ever used, even compared to new cars.
@@vovap9257 One annoyance of my sister's Micra is that because it's not the base model you get automatic intermittent wipers instead of manually adjustable intermittent, so if you want intermittent wipers you have to rely on the auto wipers working.
It's a shame you didn't get the chance to review the "Phase II" version, it has a really neat facelift, and the interior is awesome. I had the regular Sport 172 (as in 172 bhp) as my first sport car and to this date it's still my favorite car I've had owned. The Phase I was known to be very dangerous to drive, and they somehow fixed it in the Phase II, but I still beat them in autocross on mine because they tend snap-oversteer if you lift mid corner.
Yea but there really impossible to find
I had the 1.6 4 cill Mk2, I loved that thing soo much. 900 kg. Super fast for the time…
My second car was that 172 (first Clio RSi) and I can't agree it is the best car I ever owned... I have an M3e92 manual 2010, a GCL43 2022 and Levante GTS 2019 (And had Leon Top Sport 2004 in yellow, a M235i 2015) and that Clio RS2 172 was the best of all my cars.... And in my country are impossible to find.
I was about to say the exact same thing, phase 2 looks so much better and more like a finished product
@@jonlosito2004 Jonimus, ever tried out TVR Griffith or Mini Cooper S 2011 model?
I am fortunate enough to own a Clio V6 Phase 2 which is currently in the shop getting a little refresh - after watching this excellent video, man I can't wait to get it back and have a drive! Always great to see the V6 in a new video on here. Thanks Doug! :D
Currently in the shop? What shop? oh you mean the garage? Are you American or British?
@@symun02 I'm British - body shop ;) although I get your point lol American video so used the lingo
@@symun02 A garage is what’s attached to your house where you park your car inside, I know that’s a foreign concept in the mud huts you clowns live in.
2.0 16v here XD
@@symun02 he could be from anywhere else in europe too, where most people sadly don't have private garages. My dad is lucky enough to have one with the little house he lives in on the middle of nowhere and does work himself on the car (hyundai accent 2003/4) but if you don't have your own garage working on your car is kind of a problem here.
A lot of vehicles keep their bonnet release on the left for RHD markets. The Ford Focus Mk3, Ford Transit Custom, Mercedes Sprinter among others. With the Sprinter it's obscured by the passenger door and cant be activated when the door is closed. That door can't be unlocked when the battery is flat, preventing jump-starts.
What Renault didn't change for the RHD market on the Clio was the windscreen wiper pattern, they're still configured for LHD.
Here's a quirk/cheapout on Renault's side which you missed. All RHD clios from that generation not only had the hood release on the passenger side, but the wiper blades were also unchanged from the LHD version. Meaning only about half of your field of view gets cleared by them.
Including this one, see at 7:20.
And the key hole is only left side not the right side "drivers side".
The mechanism of right hand wiper arm is a quirk all of its own though and largely solves the issue with field of view.
In the phase 2 Clio remote locking was standard so they only included a physical door lock on the driver's door, this remained unchanged for the RHD market so we ended up with our lock on the passenger side.
That LHD wiper thing is found on many other cars too.
That's just typical French passive aggression against the British. We're like squabbling siblings really.
The Clio V6 Phase 2 has improved suspension design. The Phase 1 got a kind of bad reputation due to some design flaws.
It earned the "Widow car" nickname for something (Shared with a couple more Renaults, such as the Dauphine)
Absolutely remember grinding out this car in need for speed carbon and it was and has always been one of my favorite cars. Doug really proved it finally reviewing it, thanks Doug
Same, but Most Wanted
That was my go to (next generation) in Forza :)
That car in NFS is now turning into something else, look the my video on my channel
I always loved these and for a time they were even affordable in the UK.. before people realised just how special they were and prices went through the roof. The Clio 172/182 shouldn't be overlooked though..
I reeeaalllly wanted one when I was about 20. Think they were going for about 15 grand at the time. Bugger. I’d have probably wrapped it around a tree before it had chance to appreciate.
@@liamcorrigan3158 they're making between 55-60k sterling at the moment Feb2024
Cheers from Greece! There was a championship for them here in Europe and was really impressive! This car is for me the most extreme pocket rocket ever made considering also the engine layout and size and the idea to be a combination of a super mini hatchback with a Go Kart fitting a huge engine for its size. It has the same engine that Venturi cars had an evolution of PRV series that your American DeLorean also had.
If you find a Venturi Atlantique 300 or 400 review it you will not regret it!
Doug Demuro should review Chisato Nishikigi's Lexus LFA. She is also a fan of supercars.
@@purwantiallan5089 its not like he didnt reviewed a Lexus LFA yet lol
τελειο
Aren’t DeLoreans from Ireland?
The best part about this one Doug, besides the car of course, is the camera angle. Being able to see ya rip down the road like that is great
This is definitely a Gran Turismo car. Glad you finally reviewed it. It’s definitely a fun car to drive in the games.
There's more storage space in the front when you remove the plastic tub they have hiding the suspension and electronics... but then your cargo isn't very secure, and smaller items can fall down into the works of the vehicle. My suggestion is to remove the factory tub, and self fabricate a tub that conforms more closely to the workings beneath the factory tub. There's more space under there, just be sure to be careful how you stow items when the tub is removed
Very odd that Renault didn’t put together a mould that was more space conscious yet still covered the inner workings of the car as you stated. That clunky plastic takes up half the space 🤣🤣
Nice one Doug, Fun fact about this car, it was built in France complete with a 1,2L 4 cylinder engine and then sent to Uddevalla in Sweden to be converted into the Clio V6 by Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR) in the same factory that also built the Volvo C70 convertible at the time.
Incorrect they went with no engine at all and went with cabin specs from the 1.8 baccara cabin. But yes went to sweden
Friend of mine worked at TWR in England when they were rebuilding engines for those. Fun fact, I've put a slightly less powerful version of this engine to my Delorean.
@@MarekReinsch
I'm common, I only own a 182, I bought her in 2010.
Not even watched the video yet but I'm so glad you're reviewing this. This has been one of my dream cars since it came out and I was a kid. That and a CLK DTM have always stuck with me
At 19:15 you do not have to wait for the mileage to appear. If you press the button on the end of the wiper stalk it will display the oil level and once pressed again the odometer will appear.
Yes, that would be another quirk for Doug to show.
Holly shit I own a clio that actually does that and I didn’t know that trick
@@publicidad420ahaha. 😂 I only know this as I own a Renault Scenic RX4. The oil level display is a pretty nice feature but still prefer to use the dipstick.
@@80smusic43 I wanted to post a similar comment, I also knew it from a Renault Scenic 🙂
And it's not an oil level indicator. It's oil service indicator
I've got a regular clio and it's very cool for what it is. The reason they made so many horn buttons is that first models had different steering wheel without any buttons and the only horn was on top of a turn signal switch.
FINALLY! I've been waiting for this review for more than a year now!
was worth it!
19:44 The radio beeps with every button press because the security code needs to be entered. Pretty much all Renault headunits have a 4-digit code that needs to be entered every time power to the car is cut off (ie. when the battery is changed), until then the radio is locked and beeps until it's entered. I know this because my mum's Clio III does the exact same thing lol
A great start to Dougcember, can’t wait to see what else is in store!
Loved your comment about how the car's front felt disconnected when accelerating... In fact, the ohase 1 had its chassis built in TWR workshop, and so were not exactly as "finished" as they should have. It was so bad that for the phase 2, Renault Sport brought back the chassis building in-house, and it became less of an handful to drive... Which, again, is not saying seeing from where it went XD
I love every time Doug goes to the Lane Motor Museum. Being from middle Tennessee, I can tell almost exactly where he is driving.
Also, this car is amazing and I’m jealous of anyone who gets to drive it.
There are Two in the United States. where is the other one?
by far my favorite grand turismo car, never thought i'd get the quirks and features... thanks Doug
Lol I hated this car on Gran Turismo, but I do enjoy Doug talking about it
Now he needs to find a Renault Espace F1.
@@jaybladeart88 It was really hard to drive but on the high speed tracks it was unbeatable
@@joshua.harazin that shit is insane. I remember when they took journalist down the track. Infuckingsane
This car was a love/hate. In it's own right, FAST car!
That said, they give you this car to beat the Viper, Aston, Lister, Jaguar etc. And that was impossible.
The regular clio with a few modifications can be a very fun car to drive
My brother has one, it weights basically nothing and make turns incredibly fast
Seconded. I had Clio II 1.6 16v phase 2 (107 hp) with upgraded suspension. It had really short gear ratios, so from traffic lights it felt much faster than it was. Never had any problems keeping up with BMW's and Audi's in twisty roads, it felt like it was glued to road in corners. Straights were a different thing 😉
Really depends of the model, the unkillable and trusty one being the Clio 1 phase 2, basically a karting !
The basic Clio RS is pretty fast, cheap, realiable and fun.
Need for speed most wanted anyone remember this car was there
Despite the fact that the taillights are from the Phase 2 and this is Phase 1, the exhaust and the air scopes (or how they're called) being painted in black (should be the same colour of the car) its an amazing car :)
The tacked on body kit actually looks very well thought out. I've seen a Clio V6 from 20ft away before, never knew it was made that way. I like this a whole lot better than the hacked up rear 1/4's you see on wide body kit conversions today. I cringe when the saws come out on perfectly good cars, this looks completely reversible.
Did you have any idea that the function of a widebody is A) to cover wide wheels B) to make room for larger diameter wheels; most often both. If you have a stock fender underneath, it's 100% non functional.
edit: C) to make room for wider track width which this has too. The rear subframe is from a big Sedan; the Laguna.
I'm not sure it is completely reversible, the rear fenders must be opened a bit for the tire and suspensions to fit.
But yes most of the body seems here!
@@piuthemagicman Exactly, they took the entire drivetrain from the V6 Laguna and moved it into the back of the Clio. Of course the Laguna has a wider track so the entire bodykit is necessary for technical reasons. Its a transverse V6 with gearbox attached. Same type of concept as the Fiat X1/9 and the Pontiac Fiero.
Having a regular ph2 Clio as a daily, seeing Doug review any Clio in general makes me smile. This one is even more special.
Well thats cool, Katsinum.
I grew up in Europe and perfectly recall when this car came out. I probably have some car magazines with this one in it somewhere.
This car was manufactured in Uddevalla, Sweden, by TWR or something similar. Same factory buildings as Volvo C70 models were made before and then afterwards. I lived a few kilometers away and saw them every day. Sometimes you would bicycle around the factory area and see them on the small test track accelerating and such. Cool car and nice memories.
Great video Doug.
I've never had the pleasure of driving a V6 Clio (though I've driven the Laguna with the V6 engine). I actually owned both pre and post facelift front engined Clio's in period. The car you have there is a pre facelift but has tail lights from a phase 2 car. The front fenders on all MK2 Clio were polycarbonate and Renault still use this method today. The phase 2 cars also incorporate the Renault diamond into the tailgate release with the button in the middle.
The phase 1 was built with TWR and were notoriously tricky to drive. The facelift car had the wheelbase lengthened to help aid stability.
The Oz Super Turismo wheels look awesome and the early 2.0 RS172 also used Oz F1 wheels.
The seats in this car also featured in the front engined RS172 and later 182.
The quirk with the oil gauge is the same in my 1997 Renault Mégane Coupe.
Awesome
Its not a preface, its a facelift for sure. The facelift came in 2000. My 99 clio is with the old dashboard.
It is a pre-facelift.
I had a late 2002 Clio as my second car (Sadly just a 1.2 Expression) and absolutely loved it! Also a right hand drive model for the UK, another thing Renault also never swapped over was the window wipers… so they only cleared half of the windscreen in view of the driver 🙃
You wouldn't wanna drive one of theese though, they're evil machines that will attempt to murder you the milisecond they get the chance. It really is important to be a skilled driver if you want one of theese.
i still have it. i am using it for fishing
The most important interior change: Higher gear shifter. This is the only Renault Clio to have it. I had the Renault Clio Sport 2.0 and it doesn't have the higher shifter, but it really should have. Glad they put it in the V6 version.
Btw, the 2.0 sport or 172 is also an amazing hatchback, especially if you put adjustable coilovers and a higher short shifter. That thing hugs the corners and becomes absolutely crazy at +4000rpm.
They didn't put it there for the driver, it's there, because the engine/gearbox requires it. It's the engine from the Renault Laguna
@@Inferiis Be that as it may, it's better for the driver as the other shifts are far too low.
When I was at uni studying automotive engineering, a previous student, who was working for TWR who developed it for Renault stopped off with a development one on his way back from hot weather testing in Barcelona. You can imagine the excitement among me and my fellow students, it was so cool!
No joke I have been waiting literally years for this video to come, because I know that you love quirky cars and hothatches as well . Doug please review more French cars they are amazing especially when it comes to hot heaches. Similar cars being the Peugeot 205 T16, Renault 5 turbo
Thing is he stays in the US and there are not many french cars there. When I did the Route 66 I only see 2 Renault Encore becoming derelict behind a fence. 2 cars on the whole trip. lol
I actually had the pleasure of driving one of these when I was in Germany in 2014. What an amazing machine, it absolutely screams down the Autobahn
this isn't about you, no one came here hoping to find out if Beastly has ever driven one of these
@@slowery43 why are you attacking Mr. Burrito? You gotta calm down little guy, he’s simply just talking about his experience with the vehicle. Nothing wrong with that especially considering it is the subject of the video.
@@slowery43 i actually did. I came here only to find out whether the beastlyburrito had driven the car, so you can take your opinion and shove it
@@slowery43 You must get invited to a lot of parties edgelord
@@slowery43 I hope you can find more comfortable state of mind. Can't be fun to be so ornery for nothing.
These are so awesome. The Renault 5 Turbo also had a mid-engine lay out and they rallied with them.
This has always been one of my favorite looking hatchbacks and I piloted it frequently in racing games of the 2000s and on. So glad you finally got to do a review of it Doug!
I have waited MONTHS for this day, ever since I saw it in one of the Cars and Bids promos. I can't believe the day has finally come.
Back when this came out here in Germany my Dad considered getting one. Other option was the Renault Sport Spyder, which is even more insane. But as he realized it would be his only car and he had to daily it, the Spyder was off the table. The Renault dealer at that time wasn't really able to get one of the clio V6, so in the end he turned to a Peugeot 306 s16, which also was really fast for its time.
Price is already about 50000-60000€ in Belgium right now. Which means it's quite a collectors item already.
Ahh, legendary Renault mid-engined deathtraps. Amazing cars. I have no idea how many of these are still alive (R5 Turbo is even rarer), but I would imagine not many. There's one in my country and I know for a fact it had been totaled twice and rebuilt, it's still on the road from time to time. R5 is even scarier, though.
Yes! I was always curious about this car since playing Gran Turismo 4 back in the day as a kid. Being American I didn’t know much about it. Leave it to Doug to review a car I forgot about my curiosity for. Thanks for this sir, brought back good memories of playing that game.
Gran Turismo is where I know this from also. I love these just on concept alone so I’m glad to see it seems to be quite awesome in real life!
"It may not look all that insane on the outside" - uh, yeah it does! If you grew up somewhere where every fifth car was a Clio, the V6 really stands out and looks absolutely awesome and totally insane.
So heavier brakes and wheels than stock in front, with a few more wheel bearing and tie end rod replacements than your regular euro and she sounds reliable enough 😎🥳🤙🏼
Literally one of my most favorite hot hatchbacks ever. I've known about the Renault Clio V6 ever since my earliest childhood with Gran Turismo 2
I remember seeing a twin engined Clio somewhere in the internet before. It started as a regular clio with the front engine, front wheel drive layout, and they stuffed another engine in the back, mid mounted rear wheel drive. They then had to synchronize the throttle cables and gear shift cables so that both engines will run more or less the same speed.
Are you sure it wasn't the first gen Mercedes a class AMG,thats the only car I know that came like that from factory and it was an ugly car.
Also. The original MK2 Clio which this was based upon didn't have buttons for a horn on the steering wheel, neither did the airbag depress. It was only available on the stalk. This is an addition for this model it seems.
That gear shifter shot was..... Personal
Doug: "I love how they combined the perfectly balanced weight distribution of a mid-engined sportscar with the practicality of a hatchback"
Also Doug: "The weight is all in the rear making the handling scary, and there's virtually no cargo space at all."
Doug is an idiot. I tried watching this bc I love the Clio, but he's so awestruck by the mundane, and unnecessarily repetitive, that i couldn't get halfway thru the video.
I knew guy who owned one. One of the worst handling car he drove apparently. Absolutely lethal, he crashed it and wrote it off.
did anyone tell you that Doug knows about cars? first, he is American. second he is an American with a pair of shorts. third he is an awkward American. yes, he knows about greasy burgers, coke and KFC
Not sure if it's the same for the V6, but in the standard Clio from that era, you could skip the "OIL OK" display and go straight to the mileage by shortly pressing the reset trip button. Also I don't recall the radio ever beeping for every button press (but I only ever saw it with an CD slot not a tape one), might be a specific model.
It's a shame that the museum staff couldn't explain that to him...
From the Clios I've had 2000 1.2, 2001 1.4 16v Si, 2005 1.4 16v Expression, 2003 2.0 16v 172 they do that when you've not entered the radio code. It just beeps and doesn't do anything.
@@olliewebbuk that actually makes sense, I recall the radio display was asking for a code in the video. Good catch!
I've been fascinated by this car ever since seeing it in magazines and video games - so cool to see an in-depth review of its quirks and features!
A redesigned front end and I'm sold!
Love those car enthusiast episodes! Even though they do not get a substantial number of views, and i acknowledge the importance of it to the channel, I know those are the episodes doug love the most.
For those wondering how rare they are, i live in France and I've yet to see one. Seen more Ferraris then a clio sport v6.
As far as prices Doug, they start at about 50k euros and go up, and that's for the later version.
2004. I remember working at a test & race track in France (CERAM de Mortefontaine).
Renault came one day to present these "crazy models". There was a Mégane RS and a phase II Clio V6, both in sparkle Orange.
As part of the organization, they let me drive home with the car of my choice (I chose the Clio V6), the condition being to have a closed garage (which I had in Paris).
Driving back to the capital, one could not imagine the positive reactions this car triggered among people. Every stop at a traffic light was just filled with smiles and thumbs up. I was 25 years old and already suspected that no mainstream car maker would ever go back into such a crazy hatchback anymore. This phase II Clio V6 handled "kind of well", provided you wouldn't drive it to the edge (test & race track).
Incredible car, memories and time in life. These little beasts are still charming today. Prices steady (about 40k €) and might still climb up due to their rarity.
I agree with an earlier comment here, the phase II looked a lot more like a finished product. The OZ wheels, the double exhaust pipes in the center of the tailgate, the widebody kit looked crazy then.. and still does today.
Hats off to Renault (better known for building affordable diesel powered vehicles) for creating the Clio V6 👍
@1:08: Who in their right mind paid $25K + for a 2007 M5? 😂😂😂
Thank you Doug! Next time you can review the white Renault 5 Alpine Turbo we see in the back in your video! That was indeed the ancester to this Clio, the fist mid engine rear wheel drive hatch back from Renault. A true widow maker with no electronics and the turbo kicking your butt from 3000 to 5000 rpm!
Plus more power with the racing versions having an insane power level
Alfa Romeo had 147 with a V6. Busso V6 3.2 liter. America never got it as well. It was FWD and had front mounted engine. Pretty much crazy to drive.
The gen 2 improved that widowmaker handling by quite a margin. Also see if you can get your hands on a Williams Clio at some point. Arguably one of the best handlng and fun fwd hot hatches.
I daily drive a shity Clio 1 1.9d 93', the Williams is my dream car
How does it compare to the 2009\Megane R26.R?
The Clio Williams was a beast.
This car was designed for racing. But Renault had to build many roadworthy versions, to meet homologation requirements, i.e. to make it eligible for international racing competition.
At last someone talking sense. This car started life as a 1-make series race car, the Clio Trophy. The inauguration race was the support race for the 1999 Le Mans 24 Hours. It was not a "conversion" job from a production car. To meet homologation rules, Renault had to produce some road cars (at least 500 I think). The Phase 1 road car went on sale in 2001. Many people, including journalists at the time, did not give it a fair review because the car was too "raw" (racer) for them. The Phase 2 car was modified to be more "civilised".
Love these. A guy local to me had a blue one for years. Was a phase 1.
By the way, quite a lot of British cars have the 'hood' release catch in the passenger side
RHD Renault models also has less room in the glove-box compared to LHD models. I think Peugeot and Citroën does it as well.
THis and the Renault Turbo 5 are my favorite Hit hatches, both are insane
Did you see the white one in the background?🙂
Regarding the radio, I think the beep is due to they havent entered the radio code when it resets after they remove the battery. If you enter the wrong code the radio wont work = beep when you press buttons
Still weird to me that it’s pronounced “ren-oh”, as a total American simpleton I always pronounced it -ren-alt😂
I'd like to see him review the Volvo V60 polestar. Also a limited run
what an amazing and underrated car i have been waiting for this for a long time great car❤
I had one of these and it was the best car I ever owned. I put bricks in the front to improve the handling. It was stolen from my drive way and was recovered as a shell, missing the wheels, engine, interior and even the bricks. My insurance eventually paid out and I bought a Golf GTI. I still miss it and if I ever had the opportunity to get another one I'd jump at the chance.
wtf whoever did that to u deserves a miserable life.
garbage car. gets slept by a mazdaspeed3
@@SR-yt2bc there isn't a lot of mazdaspeed3's in europe
I had a mazdaspeed 3 and it has its own issues. Like torque steer thru the first 4 gears if you add any extra power 😂 fwd life isn’t as fun as rwd life imo
@@SR-yt2bc Not a chance dude, it''s a Mazda it'll probably be on the mechanic or junkyard before the race even begins.
actually thats not the only V6 hot hatch from europe from those times...there was also VW golf R32 which was V6 3.2 liter, it was "above" regular GTI line but it was still car from serial production
While Clio V6 is a cool thing, it was obvious that car wasn't "normal" - wide body, exhaust pipes & stuff. But there was another one in this period - Renault Clio II Sport. Outside it was like any other Clio, especially in Ph1 it was completely unremarkable. However under the hood there was at first ~170 hp, then increased to ~180 hp. Not a crazy number compared to performance cars, or for this matter Clio V6, yet in a car weighting around 1 metric ton it was still quite a healthy value. A very nice sleeper. Here where I live Clio II is considered a typical grandpa car (with its sedan version Thalia), so encountering a Clio Sport might be a nasty surprise for some rice drivers ;)
Love these and seen a few on the roads here in the UK. Mad to see one in the US and a RHD version with it’s UK plates still on V66 CLO is a personalised plate too - that museum looks amazing. Great video Doug
That plate is now on a diesel mini cooper😂😂
An absolute LEGEND, and one of my favorites from Grand Turismo
Anyone who is Hella into Gran Turismo... and is American... that game showed us how good this car can be.
Regarding the "Oil Ok" 19:08 These cars have a sensor that measures the oil level of the engine. If you turn the car on, when the cluster says "Oil Ok" you can push the cluster button once and it will show you the actual oil level. This is because a lot of these cars are have a very uncomfortable oil dipstick, so usually you meassure the oil level through the cluster. Instead if you push the cluster button twice at the moment, it will show you the odometer. If you don't do nothing, after 5 to 10 seconds it will show you the odometer. I have a Clio 2 with the 1.6 16V K4M engine and it's just like that.