Renault Clio RS 200 (Clio III)
Why 8.2: The last naturally aspirated Renault Sport Clio before the turbo, dual-clutch-only Mk4 arrived — a high-revving 2.0 four in a chassis widely regarded as the best of the breed. Enthusiasts increasingly treat it as the end of an era, and drive it accordingly.
Layout
Natural habitat
Ride comfort
Sound
The F4R is naturally aspirated, revs to 7,250 and hardens noticeably through the last 1,500, which nothing turbocharged in this class manages. But it is a plain 2.0 four with a modest exhaust and no step change in character. Enjoyable rather than memorable.
4-cylinder · naturally aspirated · 7,250 rpm redline · rated 6.5 / 10 for engine sound
Market value
Median asking price, good condition · €20k (2010) → €17k (2026), trending down · illustrative data
Child seats · ISOFIX
Rear ISOFIX is confirmed standard on Euro NCAP's original equipment checklist for this generation.
Euro NCAP's 2005 Clio III test sheet shows the 'ISOfix front' box explicitly unticked — no front anchor — while 'ISOfix rear' is ticked standard.
Euro NCAP Renault Clio (2005)
The long version
This was the last naturally aspirated Clio RS before Renault Sport switched to a turbocharged, dual-clutch-only Mk4 in 2013, and that timing alone has started to matter to buyers who specifically want a high-revving four-cylinder Renault before the formula changed for good. The F4R's 200 hp arrives without any turbo lag to manage, the chassis is widely rated among the best FWD setups of its generation, and the optional Cup chassis — firmer springs, faster steering, no rear wiper — sharpens it further for buyers who cross-shopped it against a Clio 182 one generation back. It never sold in the US, extending the same Forbidden Fruit pattern as the 182 before it and the Trophy-R after it, so American enthusiasm is entirely video- and import-driven. Values dipped through the mid-2010s before recovering as the ‘last NA Clio RS’ framing took hold, the same story that has played out for nearly every naturally aspirated performance car Renault built right before switching to turbos.