CLIO GORDINI 200 (2011)

- Clio Gordini 200 priced £19,650 on the road
- Available to order now with first deliveries in July
- Limited to 500 examples for the UK

The famous Gordini stripes with a modern twist are now available on Clio with the introduction in the UK of the Gordini 200.

Following in the recent slipstream of the Twingo Gordini 133, Clio Gordini 200 will appeal to the ever-growing number of drivers who are looking for a luxurious and sporting small car with an unmistakable French flair:

Clio Gordini 200 features a Renault i.d. Malta Blue metallic finish with twin white racing stripes on the bonnet, roof and tailgate, in keeping with its famous predecessors. The front bumper is enhanced with a gloss black centre section and white F1-style ‘blade’. The door mirrors are also highlighted in white. This exclusive exterior styling package is completed by 17-inch Gordini alloy wheels with a polished face and black inner rim. ‘Gordini Series’ badging finishes the exclusive exterior design.

The same Gordini spirit continues inside thanks to Renaultsport seats in dark grey leather with blue details and Gordini-embossed logo. Blue detailing continues on the gearlever gaiter and Gordini-badged gearknob. The steering wheel is finished in blue and dark grey leather with two white stripes to indicate the centre point. The fascia features a white rev counter and the effect is completed with black gloss finish to the centre console, fascia inserts and air vent surrounds.

An exclusive plate will show the build number of the 500 exclusive examples that will come to the UK.

Clio Gordini 200 is based on the Renaultsport 200. This is celebrated for being great fun to drive, in no small part due to its chassis that perfectly matches its highly potent engine. The wizards at Renault Sport Technologies have been lauded many times for their development work on Clio Renaultsport which the motoring Press has acknowledged as the best car in its class.

The Gordini version packs all the ingredients that have helped make Renaultsport models such a success:

- a choice of two bespoke chassis – Clio Gordini 200 has a standard ‘sport’ chassis, but the Cup suspension is available as an option,
- ‘Perfohub’ front suspension featuring an independent steering axis front arrangement that guarantees traction and steering accuracy in all circumstances
- Powerful, fade-free braking with Brembo callipers
- a high-performance, naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre engine generating 200hp

In addition, Clio Gordini 200 features climate control, curtain airbags, anti-submarining airbags, automatic headlight and wiper activation, cruise control, speed limiter, ESC, 4x20W radio-CD with Bluetooth hands free system with fingertip remote control and multifunctional TunePoint with USB connection, heated and electrically folding door mirrors, double optic headlamps with additional cornering lights, Renault hands free card for automatic unlocking and engine start, height and reach adjustable steering column and extra-tinted rear windows.

Customers can personalise their Gordini 200 with a choice of two other exterior colours. Pearl Black is available with white Gordini stripes or Glacier white with anthracite Gordini stripes and anthracite for the door mirrors and front blade. Should a customer wish, the Gordini stripes can be deleted. Customers can also choose from Gordini wheels with a blue inner rim (£100), Cup chassis (lower ride height, stiffer springs and dampers, red finish to the Brembo brake callipers, quicker steering rack - £410), Carminat TomTom satellite navigation (£460), rear parking sensors (£310) or electric panoramic glass sunroof (£615).

Clio Gordini 200 is available to order now at £19,650 on the road with first deliveries arriving here in July.

GORDINI: RENAULT’S SPORTING HERITAGE

Amédée Gordini, who developed almost 200,000 Renault vehicles over a 20-year period, achieved some of the brand’s greatest sporting achievements.

Born in 1899, within a year of Louis Renault building his very first vehicle, Amédée Gordini was fascinated by automobiles and motor racing from a very young age. After working as a racing mechanic in his teens, Gordini developed his own sports racing and Grand Prix cars before being engaged by Renault in the mid-1950s. The Renault 8 Gordini with its bright blue paintwork and twin white stripes was one of his most successful and iconic creations, finishing 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th in the 1964 Tour of Corsica rally. In 1966, the 1300cc version heralded the Gordini Cup one-make race series and the blueprint for all single-make motorsport championships.

Ever since its creation in 1898, Renault has been a major player in the world of motor sport. It won the Paris-Madrid road race as early as 1903, won the first-ever Grand Prix in 1906, has notched up many memorable successes in rallying and endurance racing (1978 Le Mans 24 Hours) and has held several land speed records. It has also marked history with such bold innovations as the introduction of Formula 1's first turbocharged engine in 1977. Three decades on, Renault secured back-to-back FIA Formula 1 Constructors' titles in 2005 and 2006.

From the R8 Gordini and 5 GT Turbo to the Clio Williams, the Renault range has always featured sports versions of mainstream production models. Now the spirit of Gordini is reborn with the Twingo Gordini 133 and Clio Gordini 200.