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NEWS
ARC campaign for Renault Sport Clio R3
Return to the days of yaw? Importer backs local teams in national rally championshipRenault Australia is rejoining the local rally fraternity after a 40-year absence. The importer is supporting a Clio R3, to be crewed by Scott Pedder and co-driver Dale Moscatt in this year's Australian Rally Championship (ARC). Additionally, the company is backing a privateer team comprising Tom Wilde and co-driver Bill Hayes in an identical specification of vehicle.
The announcement of the new team entries recalls memories of the pre-Datsun 1600 era, when the Renault R8 Gordini piloted by Bob Watson was the most successful car in the 1970 ARC. Over 40 years later, the importer is hoping to repeat history.
“Renault is delighted to be able to return to rallying in Australia in a meaningful way,” said Justin Hocevar, Managing Director of Renault Australia, quoted in a statement issued by the company.
“Renault Sport is an icon and hero of motor sport the world over, and we eagerly seized the opportunity to demonstrate the expertise of Renault Sport in competition in Australia. Also it was very timely that a talented and successful driver such as Scott Pedder was available to build a Renault Sport team for us,” Mr Hocevar said.
“The two 2WD R3 vehicles we have brought to Australia present a feisty, competitive and proven package that will delight ARC fans, with their performance, traction and speed.
“The Renault Sport Clio R3 has been a winner over several seasons in Europe and we are confident that in the talented hands of Scott Pedder and his team, the new front-wheel drive bias to the ARC will see Renault once again out in front.”
Renault has developed the RS Clio R3 in accordance with the FIA's R3 technical regulations – hence the car's name – to provide an affordable and reliable means of competing in a category of rallying without stinting on performance. According to Renault, the R3 category car delivers performance on par with Super 1600, for a Group N price.
The cars Pedder/Moscatt and Wilde/Hayes will be running each feature a welded roll cage comprising up to 40 metres of steel tubing. Even with the strong cage fitted, the Clio's kerb mass measures 1080kg.
A 184kW version of the Clio's 2.0-litre DOHC four-cylinder produces 245Nm and drives through a six-speed sequential-shift transmission and a ZF self-locking limited-slip differential to the front wheels. Brakes will consist of 330mm-diameter ventilated rotors at the front for tarmac events, or 280mm-diameter rotors – also ventilated – for gravel rounds. Brembo callipers for all four wheels are four-piston units at the front and single-piston units at the rear, where the solid disc rotors measure 274mm in diameter.
As with the brakes, the R3 Clio rides on different wheel and tyre combinations for different road surfaces. 7x17-inch alloys are shod with Kumho control tyres on tarmac, and the same tyres (of different size, tread and compound) are fitted to 6x15-inch alloys for gravel events.
In its category to date, the Clio R3 has won or placed in numerous rally championships around the world, as follows:
2007 French gravel championship 1st
2008 French gravel championship 2nd / French tarmac championship 1st 2WD
2009 European Rally Championship / 2nd 2WD / Junior World Rally Championship 4th
2010 ERC 2nd 2WD / JWRC 3rd
2011 Intercontinental Rally Challenge 2WD 1st
2012 New Caledonian championship 1st
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