Remember the Renault Clio V6? It’s one of those proper mad French moments, where things like logic flew out of the window when the Renault executives decided to build a mid-engined, rear-driven, wide-bodied version of their compact city car, the Clio.
It’s also one of those cars that never officially crossed the Atlantic, with the specific one being a 2003 Phase 1 model claimed to be “imported legally around 2010 and then registered in LA Habra, Ca in 2011”, per the seller. The car is accompanied with a clean Florida title and Carfax.
These Phase 1 Clio V6s were built by TWR (Tom Walkinshaw Racing) in the UK, with the later Phase 2 models assembled at Renault’s own Dieppe facility. Power comes from a 3.0-liter V6 with 230hp but straight-line performance was only a tad quicker off the line from the sportiest of the regular Clios -the RS 172-, because the bespoke chassis turned out to be significantly heavier than the Clio RS 172.
Despite the weight penalty, the Clio V6 offers a very memorable driving experience, thanks to the mid-engine, rear-drive layout and its short wheelbase, with press at the time comparing it to early Porsche 911s thanks to its tendency to snap oversteer.
Real Muscle Classics in Miami is asking $69,000 for this one, which might probably be the only one of its kind currently in the US. Whether the asking price is worth the exclusivity or not is up to you to decide, as long as everything is as legal as described.
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