Forget the children

Allan Donald takes a moment to reflect on the awesome sight of a 230bph shopping trolley

RENAULT have never been a company to shy away from the unusual design. From the first Espace through to the latest 4x4 Scenic, quirky niche markets have been their territory. Never, though, have they actually gone insane. Until now, that is, with a new car just announced which puts even the wildest Citron to shame. Taking a standard-issue Clio and squashing in a blisteringly powerful V6 engine sounds alarmingly like the idiots of yore who fitted Rolls- Royce engines to Minis, but lunacy has never stopped French car manufacturers before (Remember the Citron Dyane?) Renault are valiantly claiming all sorts of fantastic reasons for what they've done, but they cannot disguise the "we can and we will, we've always wanted to be Italian, anyway" nature of the enterprise. It must be said that they've done a fairly thorough job of it too. To make room for the 230bhp 3.0 litre beast, they've had to abandon the boot, and most of the passenger cabin as well.

They're trying to pass it off as mid-engined, but really, it's more all-engined, with some seats perched precariously on top. And what a beauty it is. Bodykitted beyond the dreams of any MaxPower reader, with swooping air intakes at the sides and a gaping airdam at the front, the car makes a statement well beyond its perky size. The important facts speak for themselves: 0-60 in a shade under 6 seconds, which is almost Ferrari-land, and a top speed of 148mph, which is, frankly, ridiculous for any car, let alone a supermini.

There are few things to touch this sort of performance, definitely none this size, and to make sure the car doesn't fall to pieces, some heavy duty structural underwork has been carried out. With girders, I imagine.

That last time we drove a Clio, the 16v 1.4, we nearly managed to get ourselves into trouble with its astonishing pace and cheery chuckability. With more than double the power, and an astonishing three times the torque, this one will easily get us expelled.

The only optional extra is a car cover, which shows the level of interior spec and reflects the #24,000 price tag. With only 400 being hand-made a year, you'll have to wait until 2002 for your Clio V6.

But, at long last, it looks like the thieves have found something to replace the Sierra RS Cosworth in their affections.

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