Car review: Renault Clio Sport Gordini - The pocket rocket

Written by Damian Murphy
Wednesday, 08 February 2012 15:07

Every time we are given a Renault Sport of any kind we struggle to write the review. Not because the car is terrible – on the contrary, it is difficult to write because there is so much good to be said and so little bad. This little dynamo is a very complete package. While the regular Clio Sport is a nippy sports hatch that is quick and nimble in and around city streets and a massive beast on the open road, The Gordini version is no different in size, but it packs a slightly bigger punch. It may be a bit of a cliché, but after our week driving the Gordini, we can see why people say dynamite comes in small packages.

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Each Gordini is numbered, so you know you are part of something special, and the interior is tailored like a fine suit. The blue, white and black stitched leather interior balances sporty good looks with elegant French flair. It is the contrasts that make the Gordini such a stand-out model for us. The seats, although padded and stitched with fine leather, are still somewhat uncomfortable if you find yourself stuck in traffic for more than a couple of hours. The Gordini comes in a beautiful blue, with two bold white racing stripes that cut through the car, making an audacious statement. The white trim outside is cleverly carried into the car, adding to the sports feels and flow from inside to out. Our model had cruise control, an onboard computer, front fog lamps, cornering headlamps, climate control, electric windows, a single CD player with MP3 reader, a multimedia connection box and power steering.
 

The Formula One styled colour-coded front bumper and black diamond-effect 17 inch aluminium alloy wheels with red Brembo brake callipers add the finishing touches to this exclusive design. The Gordini has a very powerful, naturally aspirated 2 litre engine that delivers a potent 148kW of power to the relatively small body with a whopping 215Nm of torque. All that power and pull means that the Gordini not only gets you off the line with the propulsion of a jet fighter, but also reaches speeds close to a jet fighter, topping out at 225km/h.
 

The suspension in the Gordini is stiff and sporty, which means it holds the road in the wet and through corners at both high and low speeds. No matter the situation, you’ll have complete confidence in your car and more importantly in yourself driving the car. Renault ascribe the Gordini’s fun and entertaining driveability to the fact that the entire Clio Sport range has an efficient chassis that perfectly matches the highly potent engine. The Gordini isn’t all power, it also has driver and passenger airbags, front and side airbags, curtain airbags and anti-submarining airbags. It has an anti-lock braking system (ABS), electronic brake-force distribution (EBD) and traction control.
 

With a sporty design and a sports engine that stems from Renault’s impressive Formula One history, the Gordini blew us back in our seat – in fact, it completely blew us away. With a price tag of R279 900, the Gordini comes with a service plan, 150 000km warranty – and a whole lot of fun free of charge.