I'd say the game is reasonably faithful to the clio.
The game is accurate in the fact that most people don't bother messing with the 1.6 engine, although 220bhp is achievable you really have to know what you are doing to get twice the power out of an engine without resorting to forced induction, and no turbo kits are available off the shelf. In comparison notice how tunable the 1.6 16v MX5 is in the game, in reality also you are spoilt for choice when it comes to Fi'd kits.
Most people I know who want a quick clio just buy the 2.0 16v RS 172 / 182 / trophy or cup, that'll do 0-60 in about 6.7 seconds stock and you can turbo charge this engine to around 300bhp where after you are limited by the weak gearbox.
Yhea PB, I love French cars too even if they do rattle and squeek and cost a fortune to repair, I'm planning to buy a MK1 Vee next but I'll wait a couple of years I think.
I would like to see the R5 GT turbo in the next game, it'd be nice if they put the Raider ltd edition in there.
From Citroen to VW It would also be great to see all manufacturers super 1600 rally cars in next game and would be great for tournaments races against mates.
I dont know much about apline I think they were a specialist manufacturing company who Renault used in a similar way to Vaxhall employing Lotus to sort their handling, Ford used Cosworth etc although Alpine did build there own vehicles too.
I think maybe Renault own Alpine now or at least run it as their sport division, I know they used TWR for the production of the MK1 clio V6, I could be wrong, but I think the MK2 V6 was made in Dieppe which is where the Alpine factory used to be.
I wish some older Citroens (like the spaceship-looking SM) were in some games, but they aren't. GT4 does have the 2CV, though....which only has 15 hp and moves like the "tin snail" that it is....there's not much you can do with it. A turbo kit boosts it up to 40 hp, but it's too slow, still, and too large to take to the K-car Cup. 
I drove it for a couple years...i even drove it into a tree at one point, and it had this huge dent in the front passenger-side fender but kept on running! 
i dont know why it just cracked me up with the driver standing there with his helmet! He looks disturbed. 
Never looked through this thread before.
