Hot hatches have now arguably reached their zenith. Modern turbocharging has resulted in power and performance that, if you were to rewind to 20 years ago, wouldn't read out of place on the spec sheet of your typical supercar.
Take the Mercedes AMG A45 S, for example — its 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine delivers 415 bhp, enough to rocket it to sixty in 3.9 seconds. That's genuine supercar performance. And its rivals aren't too dissimilar, either, with the current Audi RS3 having 395 bhp and hitting sixty in a claimed 4.1 seconds — though people have actually managed it in 3.7 seconds.
So yes, now is definitely the era of the super-quick hatchback. It isn't, however, the only era worth spotlighting, as the '90s were filled with brilliant — albeit less powerful — hot hatches. And one of those was the Renault Clio Williams, for a long list of reasons.
So, on that note, let's take look at what made the Renault Clio Williams a '90s hot hatch icon.
The Renault Clio Williams: A Hot Hatch With F1 Ties
Before anyone had even driven the Renault Clio Williams, it already carried quite a bit of clout with it. You see, the Williams in its name referred to the legendary F1 team of the same monikerco and was used by Renault to celebrate the company and team's partnership.
But it didn't just stop there, either, as the other giveaway — at least to the keen eye — was its color. The only available scheme you could have — which was by no means a bad thing, quite the opposite — was 449 Metallic Sports Blue and gold, which, according to Influx, was inspired by Alain Prost's championship-winning Williams-Renault FW15C. The Clio Williams wasn't, despite the name, engineered or developed in any way by Williams, though.
This wasn't the Clio's only ties to motolrsport, either, as it was actually developed by Renault Sport — the company's performance-focused division — to go racing. According to Evo, Renault Sport wanted to go rallying, and the maximum class displacement stood at 2 liters. Enter the Clio Williams. Only 2,500 cars needed to be developed, though 3,800 were actually built-din 1993. Over the years, popularity would create a demand which far, far surpassed that, too. So, performance was well and truly at the core of the Renault Clio Williams. And the way it drove certainly backed that up.
The Renault Clio Williams Handled Brilliantly
The Clio Williams had many strong points, but arguably the best of all was its handling. Renault really didn't hold back in this department. According to Evo, reinforced front subframes were borrowed from the Clip Cup racer, uprated springs, dampers, and rear torsion arms were fitted and, to finish, thicker anti-roll bars added. Oh, and don't forget the track was wider, too. The result, as you can imagine, was brilliant, with many reviews stating the car had tremendous levels of grip and poise through the bends.
It wasn't all just cornering, either, as its engine was a bit of a peach, too. It was a 2 liter, naturally-aspirated, four-cylinder unit that developed 148 bhp at 6,100 rpm and 126 lb-ft. of torque at 4,500 rpm. That mightn't sound like much — especially not by today's standards, anyway — but don't let those figures deceive you, as the Clio Williams was quick. It was small and lightweight, for starters — around 980 kg — and its four-pot engine, thanks to being naturally aspirated, was responsive and potent. As such, the Clio Williams could hit sixty in just shy of eight seconds and top out at 130 mph. Not bad, really, but it was more about the overall experience and fun that the Clio delivered.
Looks-wise, the Clio Williams wasn't half bad, either. It was subtle, admittedly, especially by comparison to the look-at-me styling of many contemporary hot hatches, but this wasn't a bad thing, not at all. The blistered arches, wide stance, and bulged bonnet gave a look that was the perfect balance between subtlety and aggression. Not to mention those wheels, which were 15 inches in size and colored in gold. If all of that wasn't enough to let you know the Clio Williams packed a punch, there were also 'Williams' stickers scattered throughout the car. It was car that looked great when it debuted, and one that has aged fantastically, too.
Over the course of the Clio Williams' three-year production run, just over 12,000 cars were developed. The initial 3,800, often named the Phase 1 models, all came with a plaque on the dashboard that represents which number the car was. Phase 2 and 3 models — which came in '94 and '95 respectively — represented very little changes over the Phase 1 models, with the first being based on the Phase 2 Clio and the second offered in a different shade of blue, named Monaco. The opportunity to own one thanks to a wider release was undoubtedly welcomed by many, but to those who made the initial investment for a Phase 1, it then meant their limited-edition car was now, well, not so limited.
Whatever the case, though, the Renault Clio Williams was brilliant. A hot hatch legend. An all-round performer that offered driving enjoyment that few of its rivals could get close to. And for those reasons, the Renault Williams Clio will always be a '90s hot hatch icon.