In efforts to make it easier for more people to enter the world of rally motorsports, Renault Sport Technologies have created a new variant of the Clio R3 Maxi called the Renault Clio Renaultsport R3 Access.
In countries with relatively weaker currencies such as ours, motorsports can be even more prohibitive to the grassroots, with only the rich with tons of disposable income being able to participate in races and the rest of us having to contend with trafficlight sprints and rempiting on long straights in the middle of the night.
The R3 Access Clio aims to open up “access” to motorsports to a wider range of people with a pre-tax price of €32,600 (RM158,000) and a calculated average competing cost of €17 (RM82) per km. If one wants to upgrade to R3 Maxi specs later they can easily do so via a “Premium kit” which will upgrade the chassis, brakes and engine up to R3 Maxi specifications.
The Access model features a Clio Renaultspot bodyshell strengthened with a welded roll cage featuring more than 40 meters of tubing. The 2.0 litre high revving engine derived from the Clio Renaultsport 197 produces 200 horsepower at 7,500rpm and 214Nm of torque at 5,250rpm. It goes on to a redline point of 7,800rpm at which you will shift to the next cog of the Sadev 6 speed dog-teeth gearbox with a ZF LSD.
The wheels are identical to the Maxi spec version featuring 17 inch Speedline alloys wrapped with Michelin rubber. The car rides on Bilstein dampers at all four wheels and has the 4-pot Brembo brakes standard on the Clio Renaultsport 197.
Look after the jump for a few more hi-res photos.
PHOTO GALLERY: Renault Clio Renaultsport R3 Access
Click thumbnails to view high resolution photo
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After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history. An avid electronic gadget aficionado as well as big-time coffee lover, he's also the executive producer of the Driven motoring TV programme.
1st…of all…a sweet car just got better..
Money Money Money, it’s so funny, in the rich man’s world…
looks so good.
but the price when it arrives…..no thank you.
it’s not road legal, hence has nothing to do with us laypeople…
still one of the greatest hatch around tho.
its a purpose built competition race car. although considered ‘entry level’ in europe, even without tax, it will still be expensive for the average malaysian to race in.
its still cheaper to go buy a cheap older model satria 1.3, spend RM20,000 on decent suspension, good roll cage, tires, spares and maybe an engine rebuild,find yourself a co-driver and you could enter the malaysian rally championship as a clubman.
The Golf GTI rival…. is it? hmmmmmm
just lovely