GENEVA - Renault imprves the already awesome Renaultsport Clio 220 Trophy.

• Power increased by 10 per cent to 220hp
• ‘Torque Boost’ function raises peak torque by 40Nm to 280Nm
• Refined EDC transmission delivers up to 50 per cent faster shifts
• Larger turbo, new air intake and revised exhaust system
• Stop & Start helps to reduce emissions by 6g/km
• Lower and stiffer Trophy chassis
• Quicker steering rack
• Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres
• Revised sports seats with integrated head rests
• R.S. Drive system with three driving modes
• Special edition version goes on sale in the UK in the Summer

Renaultsport have unveiled a special edition version of the Clio Renaultsport at the Geneva Motor Show – the Clio Renaultsport 220 Trophy EDC.

Following in the slipstream of other Trophy models such as the 2005 Clio Renaultsport 182 Trophy, the Mégane Renaultsport 265 Trophy and the current Mégane Renaultsport 275 Trophy the Clio Renaultsport 220 Trophy has been finely honed by Renaultsport’s passionate engineers to add even sharper handling, improved driving characteristics and increased performance coupled with exclusivity and distinctive styling.

The Clio Renaultsport 220 Trophy is due to go on sale in the summer of 2015 and will offer a number of enhancements including increased power and torque with Stop & Start technology and reduced CO₂emissions. A refined EDC transmission, quicker steering, a lower and stiffer chassis and upgraded tyres will make Renault’s hot hatch even hotter.

220 TROPHY: A CLIO RENAULTSPORT THAT’S EVEN MORE POTENT IN EVERY AREA

Engine

Thanks to revised engine mapping, the 220 Trophy now has 10 per cent more power and up to an extra 40Nm of torque. It also benefits from a larger turbo, an air intake designed to minimise pressure losses and a revised exhaust system to accommodate the latest Euro6 catalytic converter (and minimise back pressure losses).

• Maximum power has been increased to 220hp at 6,250rpm (up 20hp)
• Maximum torque rises to 260Nm (a gain of 20Nm)
• ‘Torque Boost’ feature in fourth and fifth gears raises peak torque to 280Nm (a gain of 40Nm)
• Maximum revs increase from 6,500rpm to 6,800rpm
• Complying with Euro6 emissions standards, the car’s CO₂ output improves by 6g/km to 138g/km and also drops down a VED band

Refined EDC transmission

• Gear shifts are now up to 40 per cent faster in ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport’ modes and 50 per cent faster in ‘Race’ mode thanks to software recalibration
• 30 per cent reduction in steering wheel paddle travel for more immediate changes
• Earlier downshifts, for example under heavy braking on track, are permitted by optimised software calibration and the raised rev limit
• ‘Sport’ mode is now more flexible with gearshift change patterns more reactive to current driving style
• A Stop & Start system works in ‘Normal’ mode but is deactivated in ‘Sport’ and ‘Race’ modes.

Clio Renaultsport 220 Trophy retains the R.S. Drive system that allows one powertrain to have three different behaviours: Normal, Sport and Race.  R.S. Drive also adds Launch Control and the ability to perform multiple down shifts at once by keeping the paddle held.  Race mode is fully manual only, has the fastest shift times, no ‘creep’ function and will not change up or down without intervention. 

A lower, stiffer Trophy chassis

The Clio is lower by 20mm at the front, 10mm at the rear. Firmer shock absorbers, and revised springs (40 per cent stiffer at the rear), have been fitted and are coupled to the existing motorsport-derived hydraulic bump stops.

Ultra-quick steering

A new, faster rack (with ratio reduced from 14.5:1 to 13.2:1) makes steering even more precise and incredibly direct – the best system on the market.

Tyres

The Clio Renaultsport 220 Trophy EDC is fitted with high-performance Michelin Pilot Super Sport 205/40R18 rubber.

IMMEDIATELY RECOGNISABLE…AND SEDUCTIVE

A sporting stance

• Frost White, a new and distinctive Renault i.d. matt body colour with a gloss black roof and rear spoiler, has been added to the range alongside Glacier White, Diamond Black, Flame Red and Liquid Yellow
• 18-inch ‘Radical’ wheels with black inserts and diamond-effect facings
• ‘Trophy’ badging on the front blade, door mouldings and individually-numbered door sills

Equipment tailored to enthusiasts

• Embossed leather steering wheel
• ‘Trophy’ interior pack: Heated leather sports seats with integral head rests, plus carbon-look air-vent surrounds, door handles and gear lever base plate. The air-vent inserts are now in satin chrome rather than anodised red.
• Optional Renaultsport Monitor on-board telemetry system. Potent and fun, its many features include a setting that gives the driver five different levels of throttle pedal sensitivity.

The Clio Renaultsport 220 Trophy EDC is a numbered special edition that provides value for money in performance terms. It is aimed at the most demanding customers, such as track-day enthusiasts and those who appreciate the cutting-edge manner of Renaultsport’s unrivalled expertise.

The Clio Renaultsport 220 Trophy EDC will first go on sale in Europe, from June 2015, before being released in 10 other markets.

Lightweight & extreme, that will be the New Aston Martin Vantage special edition limited to 100 cars

• Lightweight and extreme Vantage special edition limited to 100 cars
• Motorsport-derived chassis, aerodynamics and handling
• Bridges the gap between road and race track driving

Aston Martin is today revealing the first details of its most potent and uncompromising Vantage to date: the track-inspired Vantage GT3 special edition. With production strictly limited to just 100 examples, the new model combines all of Aston Martin’s learning from its years of sports car competition around the globe to produce its most performance focused road-going Vantage.

Equipped with a new iteration of the brand’s 6.0-litre V12 engine which is capable of generating up to 600 PS¹, the car weighs in at 100kg less than a standard V12 Vantage S.

Comprehensively re-engineered, as well as significantly restyled, the GT3-inspired special edition is lower and wider than any of its siblings in the Vantage family. A broader track – front and rear – brings even more composed cornering thanks to a reduction in lateral load transfer, while the use of Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres provides even more assured handling.

Thoroughly equipped with cutting edge motorsport-inspired features, from the extensive use of carbon fibre inside and out to the track-focused aerodynamics pack – which includes a prominent rear wing and pronounced front splitter – the race-derived new Vantage brings more focused and uncompromising capability and styling to a road-going Aston Martin.

The aerodynamics package in particular has a profound effect, producing significant downforce to provide even greater levels of grip and stability at higher speeds.

Inspired by Aston Martin Racing’s successful campaigns, this new GT3-derived Vantage has been designed and engineered exclusively at Aston Martin’s Gaydon Headquarters in Warwickshire, England, to be the most overt expression of everything that defines Vantage: an inspirational sports model offering supreme driveability on the road, and uncompromising dynamic performance on track.

New flared carbon fibre front wings, carbon fibre bonnet, a lithium ion race-derived battery, carbon-fibre door casings, optional carbon fibre roof, optional weight-saving polycarbonate rear window and rear quarter windows are just a few of the measures which illustrate the engineers’ determination to eliminate mass wherever possible. That determination has paid off, too, as the new car weighs in at only 1,565 kg².

Under the skin lie a number of bespoke engineering upgrades, aside from the new 600 S¹ V12 engine. Magnesium inlet manifolds with revised geometry, a lightweight magnesium torque tube and a full titanium exhaust system with centre outlets are just a few of the features that underline the rigorous re-engineering of this exclusive new Vantage.

The car’s interior is comprehensively reworked, too, with a full carbon fibre centre stack and touch-sensitive control array; race-derived carbon fibre sports seats; Alcantara trim and the option of numerous bespoke features courtesy of the brand’s popular personalisation service: Q by Aston Martin.

Announcing the arrival of the Vantage GT3 special edition, Aston Martin CEO Dr Andy Palmer said: “Motorsport is in our blood at Aston Martin. The Vantage is the car we campaign in top level sports car racing around the world and so it seems only fitting that we offer an exclusive, limited edition Vantage that expertly fuses our motorsport know-how with our road car prowess.”

He added: “The Vantage GT3 special edition is an uncompromising example of our design and engineering expertise and I’m sure the 100 owners who secure one of these cars will savour every second behind the wheel; whether on the road or on the track.”     

     

The Vantage GT3 special edition will make its public debut on 3 March at the 85^th Geneva International Motor Show (Hall 5, Stand 5253), with first customer deliveries beginning in the third quarter of 2015.

¹ Predicted power output

² Predicted kerb weight