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Renault Australia info on Mk1 172





Some interesting specs never displayed on atleast Renault Sweden homepage.

At the heart of this exciting hot-hatch is a potent 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine developed by Renaults motorsport arm, Renault Sport. The base engine used in the development of the Clio Renault Sport was the F4R 2-litre 16 valve unit found in the Scenic and Scenic RX4 models. By applying technologies honed in competition, particularly on the air induction side, Renault Sports engineers have been able to boost the power and torque to 124kW at 6,250rpm and 200Nm of torque at 5,400rpm.

The engine is mated to a close-ratio JC5-type five-speed manual gearbox designed to match the unique characteristics of the Renault Sport engine. Strong demand for the Clio Renault Sport in Europe has meant that Renault Australia will initially only have 85 examples available and these will be launched as the Renault Sport Clio Cup Limited Edition models.



Design

The Clio Renault Sports compact design is both bold and elegant with pure geometric shapes and an overall structure of taut lines. From any angle it is obvious the Clio Renault Sport is not simply just a hatchback but a hot-hatch. The front end is compact and aggressive thanks to the taut surfaces and the clean graphic shut-lines.

In profile, the Clio Renault Sport expresses its identity with a structural extension beneath the body belt line evocative of strength and solidity. The marked surround of the roof contributes to the aerodynamic performance while at the same time yielding extra cabin space. The perfectly circular wheel arches, angular rear side windows and quarter circular rear panels all emphasise the pure and simple geometric shape of the hatch.

The personality of the Clio Renault Sport is further emphasised by the strong character of its tail section. The principle borrows from architectural elements influencing the vehicles distinctive curved rear glass window and double-curved rear hatch.


Engine

Power and performance

The Renault Sport engine belongs to the F family of engines. This unit benefits from the very latest innovations from Renault: valve timing using roller cam followers to reduce friction, tubular camshafts for an 800g weight saving and compactness thanks to redesigned accessory mountings.

This engine also incorporates two-position inlet valve timing. The system provides two settings for opening and closing the inlet valves and enhances both cylinder filling and torque output at mid-range speeds, without affecting power output at full load and at high speed.

Renault Sports engineers achieved the power gains in the 2.0-litre engine by enhancing the flow of gas in the air intake manifold. The goal was to enable cylinders to inhale the largest possible quantity of air/petrol mixture, in order to increase the engines specific power output.

To increase the performance of the base 2.0-litre engine Renault Sports engineers made the following modifications:

• The aluminium inlet manifold has been increased in length with a plenum volume increased from 3 to 4.8 litres to match the high speeds achieved by this unit.

• The profile and section of the cylinder head ducts were machined by Mecachrome.

• The valves, made from Nimonic (75% Nickel, 25% Chrome and Titanium), retain their former dimensions but offer resistance to high temperatures.

• The platinum electrode spark plugs ensure more reliable spark generation and better mixture ignition. The life of the plugs is extended to 120,000 km.

• Valve timing has been changed. Valve overlap is increased to achieve greater power output at high speed, while the reduced overlap permitted by the variable valve timing at low speeds increases flexibility and idling stability.

• A special four-in-one tubular exhaust manifold feeds into two catalytic converters mounted side by side. This speeds the flow of gases through the stainless steel exhaust sytem and avoids back pressure as they exit the engine.

With a capacity of 1998cc, this engine develops its maximum power of 124kW at 6,250rpm, with maximum torque reaching 200Nm at 5,450rpm. To ensure smooth, pleasurable driving, 85% of maximum torque is available in a range extending from 2,500 to 6,500rpm and 95% of maximum power kicks in at 5,800rpm, with little power loss beyond 6,250rpm.

The drive is taken through a manual JC5-type 5-speed manual gearbox. Closer gear ratios linked to the wide spread of engine torque contribute to the sporting performance of this version.
 


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