Renault Clio Gordini RS, Megane GT at Geneva motor show

Renault’s Renaultsport tuning brand is out in force at the 2010 Geneva motor show. While the Megane CC and Wind were unveiled for more mainstream customers, Renault today revealed the new Renaultsport Clio Gordini 200 and a range of GT and GT Line models by tweaked by its in-house tuner.

You’ll either love it or hate it. Rather than thoroughly re-engineer the Gordini-badged Renaultsport Clio, the French company has just liberally applied the blue paint. Now many of you will find that sacrilege, but underneath it’s still the dynamically brilliant Clio RS that CAR loves. That means a rev-hungry 2.0-litre engine producing 197bhp and an adjustable chassis. It’s quite possibly the best hot hatch on sale today.

The Gordini tweaks are designed to make the Renaultsport Clio stand out from the crowd: not everyone wants an Alien Green hatch with white Speedline wheels. So the Clio Gordini is Malta Blue with two white stripes, and inside there’s blue and black leather seats, a blue and black leather-trimmed steering wheel, and a few other Gordini-specific visual tweaks. The shaper Cup chassis is an option.

UK sales start this summer but prices have yet to be announced. We say save the money and spend that cash on getting a regular Renaultsport Clio with the Cup chassis, Recaro seats and Speedline wheels. Trust us, it’s a decision you won’t ever regret.

They’re also Renaultsport models: the GT and GT Line cars will be the base of a three-tier RS range, with regular Renaultsport models in the middle and Gordini models at the top.

Initially available across the Megane range (hatch, coupe, Sport Tourer estate and CC) all cars come with new front and rear bumpers, tweaked sports chassis, Megane 250 RS seats, aluminium pedals and carbon interior highlights. GT Line models also gets 17-inch wheels, while GT cars get 18s.

The GT cars are designed to be more exclusive, as some of the chassis components (and the steering wheel) come from the Megane 250, plus they are only available with either the TCe 180 petrol or the dCi 160 diesel engines. The GT Line models are less focussed, coming with the Sport chassis from the Megane Coupe and a number of eco-friendly engines. Both ranges go on sale in the UK this summer.

Yes. Also announced at the 2010 Geneva motor show was Renault’s first dual-clutch gearbox – dubbed EDC for Efficient Dual Clutch – and a bunch of Eco models. All 5 are diesel powered and offer ultra-low CO2 figures: the Twingo is the best, with just 94g/km, the Clio emits 98g/km, and the Megane, Scenic and Laguna Ecos respectively puff out 114, 125 and 122 g/km CO2.

The Paris motor show this autumn will be even bigger for Renault though: it’s then that we should see the first production versions of the electric vehicles due in 2011.

By Ben Pulman