Will a Renaultsport Clio V6 drift? | Mid-engined, rear-drive madcap hatchback | Autocar

Welcome to the fifth and last in the current series of videos set to answer the crucial question: will it drift?

Having taken four 4wd hot hatchbacks - the new 2021 Volkswagen Golf R, the latest Mercedes-AMG A45 S, the Toyota GR Yaris and a Mk3 Ford Focus RS - around the new low-grip skidpan at Thruxton, now's the turn of the ace in the pack: the deliciously nutty, V6-engined, rear-wheel-drive Renaultsport Clio V6. Perhaps we should rename this episode 'will it spin'. Because the answer's yes. A lot.

The first Clio V6 emerged in 2001, having been engineered for Renault by TWR. Instead of having a smaller engine sitting between its front wheels, it adopted a 3.0-litre transverse V6 mounted between its rear wheels, and driving those rear wheels exclusively with anything up to 227bhp. The facelifted 2003 we're testing got a power boost to 247bhp but otherwise the same unconventional layout of major mechanical components.

This series complements a written Autocar feature about torque vectoring, that includes full technical details and interviews with the engineers behind these cars:
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/features/clash-pan-torque-vectoring-hot-hatches-face

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Will it drift? The Volkswagen Golf R | 4wd hot hatchbacks part 1 | Autocar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r6bH...

Will it drift? Mercedes-AMG A45 S | 4wd hot hatchbacks part 2 | Autocar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmET1...

Will it drift? Ford Focus RS | 4wd hot hatchbacks part 3 | Autocar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-IFk...

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