Renault Clio Renault Sport - Clio II RS (182)

Clio II RS (182)

In 2004, the Clio II was refreshed again. The black headlights were now grey, new 8 spoke wheels and more colour options were added (as well as some deleted), but the basic design stayed the same. The six-disc changer was dropped from the standard equipment but was still available as an optional extra. Cruise control and ESP (Electronic Stability Program) were now standard equipment.

The Clio RS changed a lot more than the regular Clio. The engine was upgraded to 178 PS (131 kW; 176 hp) with the addition of a twin exit exhaust tail pipes, a 4-2-1 manifold and a high flow 200 cell sports catalytic converter. The spare wheel was removed and replaced with a flat floor in the boot compartment to accommodate the new exhaust tailpipes. The interior received minor revisions with the perforated texture of the alcantara on the seats now having white dots and Recaro Trendline reclining bucket seats being available as a £800 optional extra in Cup models and a £500 optional extra in regular 182 models.

A new option that appeared was the Extreme/Cup add-on pack which included an ABS plastic front splitter, a restyled spoiler (the same one Renault fitted to the 172 Cup) and a strengthened hub with 60mm spacing on the strut bot holes (previously 54mm), lowered suspension and revised damper rates, a thicker/stiffer front anti roll bar and anthracite alloy wheels, which were rumoured to be lighter however they were in fact the same wheels which had two part numbers stamped on the back (one for silver and one for anthracite).

Clio II RS models could now be ordered in "Cup" specification which restricted the choice of colour to just two colours, J45 Racing Blue and Inferno Orange but meant the Extreme/Cup add-on pack came as standard. Cup models also lacked: Xenon headlights and headlamp washer jets, Climate Control (heater vents for rear footwells also removed), illuminated sun visors, Solar Reflective Windscreen, Automatic headlights and rain sensitive wipers, leather / alcantara seats/door cards (rear bench also downgraded to a single piece item with no headrests), Engine cover, Sill plates with "Renault Sport" logos and Steering Wheel was downgraded to an item with no Renault Sport logo or rubber thumb grips. The carpet and headlining was also downgraded to a basic specification (even the document wallet was downgraded from faux leather to cloth). Sound deadening was also reduced, along with several fabric deflector pads present in the front wheelarch/engine bay gaps and one in the left rear wheel arch being removed from specification. The horn was downgraded from a twin unit to a single unit and the interior light was downgraded to a unit with no map reading function.

The rarest option seems to be the factory fitted Carminat Sat-Nav, probably due to the high cost and rumoured poor performance in comparison to aftermarket units.

However, the final Clio II RS ("Trophy" - of which 550 were made worldwide) were based on Cup models and included suspension revisions such as Sachs remote-reservoir dampers and eibach springs on the front (which lowered front ride height by 10mm) and revised dampers on the rear, lightweight Speedline Turini 16" Anthracite wheels, spoiler from the Clio 255 V6, RecaroTrendline seats and exclusive Capsicum red paint with Trophy decals on the sills and an individually numbered plaque on the driver's seat base. 500 went to the UK, while a further 50 (with subtle differences) went to Switzerland. The Trophy has been heralded as one of the best hot hatches of all time and won 'Evo' magazine's People's Performance Car of The Year, 2005, beating rivals such as the Lamborghini Gallardo and other exotica in the process.