Tag Archive | "Renault Sport"

Its Official Renault and Caterham Announce Partnership

Its Official Renault and Caterham Announce Partnership

Renault and Caterham today announced their partnership to design, develop and build future sports vehicles. The resulting company or joint venture, of which Caterham will own 50%, will be called The Société des Automobiles Alpine Caterham and be headed by Bernard Ollivier.

The partnership will allow both companies to draw on each others expertise on the development of future models.

The future vehicles will be distinctive, differentiated, and carry the respective DNA of Alpine and Caterham Cars. The vehicles will be built at the Alpine plant in Dieppe, Normandy, in France.

Commenting on the partnership, Bernard Ollivier, CEO of Société des Automobiles Alpine Caterham, said: “I’m very proud of the trust placed in me by both shareholders. The road map for each car is clear and simple: respect the DNA of both Alpine and Caterham Cars. With the passion and expertise of the staff dedicated to this project, we are sure of meeting this aim”.

The Alpine plant in Dieppe is currently dedicated to building the vehicles developed by Renault Sport Technologies, both production (Clio R.S.) and racing models.  Its core business is the assembly of sport vehicles, the assembly and sale of motorsports cars, and the sale of spare parts for motorsports vehicles, including at sports events.

The new partnership, The Société des Automobiles Alpine Caterham, will be effective from January 2013.

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The New Renault Clio RS 200 Turbo Storms In

The New Renault Clio RS 200 Turbo Storms In

The premier of the Renault Clio RS 200 Turbo at the Paris Motor Show was eagerly awaited by fans and those who appreciate the Renault Sport badge.

If you have frequented our website over the last few weeks you will notice a number of articles on the new Renault Clio IV as well some more intriguing articles about the Renault Clio Gordini RS as well as the Renault Megane 265 Trophy.

We are by no means sponsored by Renault or for that fact die hard fans of Renault but we have to confess that we have been rather amused by the Renault Sport offering of late; perhaps a true testament to the hard work Renault has put in rebuilding its brand. We eagerly await having one of these units to drive.

Nonetheless let’s have a gander at the new Renault Clio RS 200 Turbo.

The Renault Clio RS 200 Turbo is powered by a 1.6 litre 147kW and 240Nm turbocharged engine mated to a six-speed Efficient Double Clutch (EDC) System. The use of the EDC transmission which enables gearchanges to be executed in just 150 milliseconds as well as other technological improvement will lead to a claimed 25% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to the outgoing Renault III Clio RS. It seems Renault is very keen to make waves in the small hot hatch segement.

Simply put and quoting Patrice Ratti Managing Director, Renault Sport Technologies, the  “New Clio Renaultsport 200 Turbo proclaims loud and clear the values of Renault Sport: beautiful and fast, it has everything that’s needed to make it the benchmark car in the high-performance sports hatchback class – just like its predecessors. The introduction of a very high performance turbocharged engine, with plenty of torque at low revs and coupled to the EDC dual clutch transmission (Efficient Double Clutch) developed by Renault Sport engineers, results in a car that raises the performance driving experience to a new level. The expertise of Renault Sport Technologies is reinforced by long-term programmes in the most demanding types of motorsport, including racing and rallying. It is this experience which makes us so passionate about handling feedback, and you can feel this the moment you drive any of the Renault performance derivatives we have developed. We’re also proud to be producing the Renaultsport in Dieppe, home of Alpine, and delighted to be using the EDC gearbox in a Renaultsport version for the first time.”

Exterior features which distinguish the new Clio RS 200 Turbo from other Renault Clio derivatives include; the unique grille and spoiler, the F1-style front blade on the lower bumper which recalls Renault’s success in Formula One, the rear diffuser and spoiler which generate 80 per cent and 20 per cent extra downforce respectively, wide-set LED daytime running lights, sill extensions and 17-inch wheels, with 18- inch rims available as an option. All these elements combine to make it a genuine attention grabber. A dual-tailpipe exhaust system and a sporty sound signature round off this exclusive package.

The interior also receives a level of attention providing a sporting ambience with red being the dominant colour. A steering wheel flanked by two gearshift paddles (a first for Renault), a dedicated instrument pack and aluminium-capped pedals all spell performance and passion.. The Clio RS 200 Turbo comes fitted with bucket seats, with leather upholstery optional, which provide extra lateral.

Other than the standard offerings the new Clio RS 200 Turbo will be offered with a specific Renault Sport exterior personalisation programme.

The new Renault Clio RS 200 Turbo will be available with either the Sport chassis or the Cup Chassis, with the Cup Chassis heavily biased towards track day enthusiasts. The Cup Chassis will offer 15% mnore stiffness relative to the Sport Chassis and a ride height 5mm lower.

Another innovative feature on the Clio RS 200 Turbo include the R.S Drive button which when pressed modifies the engine and gearbox mapping, ESC settings, steering feeling and throttle pedal response. It works in three modes (‘Normal’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Race’) and gives the new model an attractive, multi-dimensional sporty character.

The only feature we are not too sure about is the R-Sound Effect which simulates the engine noise of one of a range of iconic engines through the car’s speakers, tuning it to the speed and acceleration of the car. It feels a bit too gimmicky, a true enthusiast will we believe want to enjoy the aural experience from the engine with the sound system switched off.

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Renault  Megane 265 RS Trophy Vs Renault Clio Gordini

Renault Megane 265 RS Trophy Vs Renault Clio Gordini

Heads up,this is bound to get technical. What better way to round up the Renualt Sport arsenal than a head to head battle between the Clio Gordini vs the Megane 265RS Trophy. Both this cars are quite capable,quite agile and both come from the skunk works of Renault Sport. However there are attributes that both possess that seperate them from each other sort of like a Range Rover Evoque vs a Range Rover Sport. Both quite capable off-roaders, both quite similar yet so different in some aspects. In short what makes the Renault Clio RS Gordini and what makes the Renault Megane 265RS a Trophy?

Let’s start with the power plants in both of these cars. The Renault Gordini comes with a 1998cc naturally aspirated engine that revs all the way to 7100 before redlining while the 265RS Trophy comes with a 1998cc turbo charged engine that red-lines at 6100. One wonders if it is exactly the same heart only in different guises(talk about DNA). One on life support and the other breathing naturally. In the Gordini the engine delivers 147.5kW of power and 215Nm torques while the 265RS Trophy delivers 195kW of power and 360Nm of torque. The Gordini has a high compression ratio of 11.5:1 compared to the 265RS Trophy’s 8.5:1. In terms of performance the 0 – 100km/h times are 6.9s for the Gordini and 6.0s for the 265RS Trophy.

Coming to the exhaust note the Renault 265RS Trophy delivers a Volvo T5 beating deep thrum while the Gordini comes with a high pitched wail that am forever in love with. The exhaust tips on the Gordini are real while the 265RS Trophy’s is a fake.

Coming to the weight, here is where I am extremely baffled. The Gordini has a licencing mass of 1690kg* while the 265RS Trophy has a liscencing mass of 1345kg*??That probably explains the 0.9 second lead the 265RS Trophy has over the Gordini but still that’s quite a lot of extra weight for a tiny hatch. Also the 265RS Trophy has a lot more luggage space at 344 cc compared to the Gordini’s 288 cc.

Finally,lets compare the prices. The 265RS Trophy comes in at R409,900 while the Gordini at R280,000.So,both require quite deep pockets. The only reason one would get a Gordini apart from not having enough cash to splash out on the 265RS Trophy is the wonderful engine with its beautiful exhaust note. The 265RS Trophy comes out on top not because of its heftier price tag but because of the performance it offers for its price. One doesn’t need to splash out over a million rand to get serious performance. In the words of the Nissan marketing team “Performance is not for the privileged but those who want it the most.”

*values from Renault Sport Website.

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