Renault Reportedly Cancels Clio RS16 Project

Since the Clio RS16’s unveiling, #Renault has toyed with the idea of putting it into production, but a recent report suggests that it won't get past the concept stage.

Released in May, the Clio was created to celebrate Renault Sport’s 40th anniversary and featured all the brand’s expertise cramped under its compact body. Powered by the 275bhp, 2.0-litre turbo engine of from the Megane RS, the Clio RS16 was equipped with an Akrapovic exhaust system, a revised aerodynamic package and a new suspension setup inspired from the RS 275 Trophy-R.

At a glance, the product seemed feasible for production, but Renault conducted more serious testing – as revealed by our spies – in their attempt to bring it to series production.

Sadly, though, a recent report from Autocar suggests that the idea of a super hot-hatch was scrapped to make room for the new Alpine sports car. According to the magazine, company bosses have been concerned with the RS16 stealing the Alpine’s thunder, since Renault plans to kick-start an entire brand based on the vehicle:

"The option of delaying RS16 until after the start-up of Alpine was considered, but this would have meant launching the car in the first half of 2018, which is too long for customers to wait," said a spokesman.