GTP Cool Wall: 1993-1996 Renault Clio Williams

[Wiegert]

1993-1996 Renault Clio Williams nominated by @Beeblebrox237

Bodystyle: 3-door hatchback
Engine: 2.0 litre I4
Power: 150 hp
Torque: 126 lb-ft
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Weight: 1010 kg
Drivetrain: Front-engine, front wheel drive​

Spoiler: Additional images

 

[synchromesh]

Sub zero, some people might not find it as cool as I do but I love it.

 

[Dennisch]

It once was a fun and quick little car.

I also could have sworn it had more horsepower than 150.

Still kinda cool though.

 

[Jet Badger]

If this car was a person, it's name would be Jean Ragnotti. I think.

Sub zero it is.

 

[SVT Cobra GT]

Meh. The Williams connection gains it points to lift it up to meh from uncool where it started from being a Renault.

 

[MatskiMonk]

Hot hatch, therefore SU.

 

[Heldenzeit]

Looks like a ton of fun to drive. I'd say cool.

I wonder how these are viewed in England and mainland Europe? Do chavs like Clio's still?

 

[Roger the Horse]

Somehow pulls off the gold wheels without looking naff. An achievement, I think.

 

[Ameer67]

The Clio is a vehicle that's high up there for me, but not all the way on top. Cool.

 

[Adamgp]

Easy SU.

 

[Wiegert]

It carried the DHH (Definitive Hot Hatch) flag passed on by the 205 GTI, if only for a few years. A true blue jewel in an otherwise uninteresting generation.

High cool.

I wonder how these are viewed in England and mainland Europe? Do chavs like Clio's still?

The first gen isn't that much of a chav target these days. Unlike second gens which are far more plentiful and sometimes just as inexpensive as the older models. Those are just ripe for ruining, while most surviving first gens are either your "one lady owner" type deal, or a relatively unfettered Williams that can easily fetch in excess of £6k.

Then there's the standard 16V model. And the limited edition GP. Both used the same engine but are often overlooked. Must be the lack of gold alloys.

 

[R5]

Looks like a ton of fun to drive. I'd say cool.

I wonder how these are viewed in England and mainland Europe? Do chavs like Clio's still?

They might like Clios, but they're never touching these ones. Too expensive to buy and insure.

 

[MatskiMonk]

Looks like a ton of fun to drive. I'd say cool.

I wonder how these are viewed in England and mainland Europe? Do chavs like Clio's still?

I think it's still pretty well regarded as a car, but chav's love hot hatches... great if your name is Barry Asbo

 

[lxmmy]

90's hot hatch which will give still most cars of today a good run for its money.

SZ.

 

[AudiMan2011]

Up there with the 205 GTi as one of the greatest hot hatches ever.

SZ.

 

[TexRex]

Meh. It's obviously a Clio which, in itself, is awful meh-able, but this one's obscure enough from where I sit that it looks like a Clio that someone put clunky flares and hood on...not to mention those gold wheels.

 

[Tornado]

Nifty little hatch.

 

[ScottPuss20]

Good old fashioned hot hatch. Cool

 

[Skygrasper550]

I'm curious about the Williams connection. First time I've seen or heard about this car. It's a hot hatch, which an automatic Cool from me, but those wheels look awfully aftermarket, so it gets a low Cool instead.

 

[Dennisch]

I'm curious about the Williams connection. First time I've seen or heard about this car. It's a hot hatch, which an automatic Cool from me, but those wheels look awfully aftermarket, so it gets a low Cool instead.

It received its name thanks to the partnership between Williams and Renault in the early 90's. When Williams Renault won both the WDC and WCC in 1992 Renault Sports decided it was time to bring something extra to the celebrations. And thus the Clio Williams was born in 1993.

Edit.

All the weight figures I can find show that the car actually weighs 990kg.

 

[R5]

Extra info: Williams only really let them use their name.

 

[Dennisch]

Extra info: Williams only really let them use their name.

That's because Renault, in the case Renault Sport has had enough in house experience with sporty cars. It has suspension bits nearly identical to the Renault 19 16v underpinnings, a beefed-up subframe and stiffer boing bits.

 

[Pupik]

For a mid-90s car on the entry-level side of things, those appear to be some seriously low-profile tires. I'd imagine most hatches of that generation sported 65 or 70-series tires.

Probably a lot more fun for the times than the automotive press would have given credit towards (I can see the "pretender" badge thrown around at this one by the press for a notable failure to cost another five thousand quid).

Probably cool to own, uncool to be seen with. Good enough for me.

 

[Liquid]

Barry.

Uncool

 

[Pupik]

So if twenty percent of the owners are knobs...then it sucks?

That kind of logic means no car should ever been seen in the presence of anyone, at any time, since they're uncool.

Why don't we all just mail in those Sierra Club memberships right now?

 

[Liquid]

This car, even though it was probably kept away from the boy racer scene, has always looked like a Barry car to me. It's uncool straight from the factory. A rare own goal for a European hot hatch.

Tacking on the Williams name for marketing purposes is also negative points; they contributed nothing but the name for this car.

 

[Pupik]

This car, even though it was probably kept away from the boy racer scene, has always looked like a Barry car to me. It's uncool straight from the factory. A rare own goal for a European hot hatch.

Tacking on the Williams name for marketing purposes is also negative points; they contributed nothing but the name for this car.

It appears to be the right shade of Frank Williams Racing Cars Blue.

Which is a lot cooler than this:

Had I owned that pair in 1993, I still would have rocked those shoes so pitifully, painfully, failur-iffically hard.