Panamera

Make
Porsche
Segment
Sedan

Renault took a big step with the new Clio RS 200 Turbo, switching from three doors to five, from a naturally-aspirated engine to a turbo and from a manual gearbox to a dual-clutch transmission. Time will tell how the enthusiasts receive it once it gets out on the road, but the roadgoing version is only part of the equation. The Clio RS also forms the basis for a popular race car. In fact Renault sold over 700 of its current Clio Cup racers, making it one of the most prolific racing cars ever made. And the French automaker's racing division has just revealed its replacement.

Based on the Clio RS 200 Turbo just unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, the new Clio Cup is preparing its assault on the 2014 racing season when it will replace the previous model in racing series across Europe and around the world. (Until then the current model soldiers on for another season.) Motivating the Clio Cup is the same 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-four as the street version, only amped up to 220 horsepower and 199 lb-ft of torque by the endurance racing veterans at Oreca and driving through a more conventional sequential six-speed competition gearbox with AP Racing clutch and a limited-slip differential.

AP Racing brakes perform the stopping power, packed inside 17-inch Speedline wheels and fitted to an adjustable suspension with ZF-Sachs dampers. Inside you can expect a stripped cockpit with all the requisite safety equipment and a TFT color display for the instrument panel. Having already completed 3,500 km of track testing on French circuits, the new Clio Cup is already proving a second per lap faster than the existing model on average.