2014 Renault Clio R3T

The Renault Clio R3T brought turbocharged power to Renault Sport’s customer rallying line-up. Although it was based on the road Clio R.S. 200 EDC, its competition engine preparation, sequential gearbox and rally suspension define a different vehicle. The primary launch evidence places that programme in 2014.

A new customer-rally chapter

Renault Sport’s June 2014 announcement presents the R3T as the successor to its earlier normally aspirated Clio R.S. R3 offering. The inventory’s 2013 date is retained in the audit, while this profile uses the documented public programme year. The distinction avoids confusing the road car’s introduction with the competition model’s launch. The older R3’s reported sales total is also kept out of the new R3T’s production field.

Renault Sport: Clio R3T introduction

From EDC road car to sequential rally car

The road Clio R.S. 200 EDC provided the foundation, but the competition car used a six-speed sequential gearbox and a specially prepared 1.6-litre turbocharged engine. Renault’s launch reference gives 242 hp and 480 Nm. Those figures belong to the stated competition specification, not to the ordinary road model. An individual car’s present setup should be checked against its preparation records and the regulations applicable to its period.

The same shell outline, a different task

Regulations retained the recognisable road-car profile, while the suspension and rally equipment were developed for competition. The launch account distinguishes 17-inch tarmac wheels from 15-inch gravel wheels. Such differences help explain why photographs of legitimate R3T cars can look quite different. Wheel size or livery alone is not an identity test; the kit, shell documentation and installed components provide the more useful evidence.

Renault Sport: Clio R3T introduction

A zero-car outing is not a competition victory

The first announced Scottish Rally appearance placed Jukka Korhonen and Marko Salminen in a zero-car role. Later factory accounts document the official competition introduction and category successes. This profile retains that sequence rather than converting a public demonstration into a classified win. For a physical car, an event appearance should be matched with its actual role, entry record and chassis allocation before becoming part of the provenance narrative.

Renault Sport: R3T season and launch retrospective

Document the kit and the shell together

A proper R3T file should connect the base shell, competition kit, homologation reference and preparation history. Retain technical bulletins and records of later phase updates, since a competition car may evolve while keeping its main identity. The photograph from the 2015 Bohemia Rally illustrates later event use. It is not an inspection of internal components, a current eligibility certificate or proof that the illustrated car was one of the original launch vehicles.

Specifications and identity reference

Rarity and production scope

The primary launch announcement verifies the R3T competition identity but does not provide a complete R3T production total. The roughly 380-unit reference in that announcement concerns the preceding normally aspirated R3 and is not reused as an R3T count. This Archive profile retains the original workbook status and records the correction from its 2013 source year to the documented 2014 introduction.

This is an Archive record. Concepts, restored heritage vehicles, works cars and competition programmes are not added to customer road-production totals. A programme profile does not establish how many physical chassis were made, and repeated exhibition appearances do not create additional vehicles.

What the photograph represents

A Renault Clio R3T at the 2015 Bohemia Rally. Later competition-programme illustration, separate from the 2014 public debut and with no claim to authenticate all installed components.

Related Renault heritage profiles

• 2021 Renault Clio Rally4
• 2020 Renault Clio Rally5

Frequently asked questions

Does the rally car retain the road car’s EDC gearbox?

The factory launch specifies a six-speed sequential gearbox for the competition R3T. The road model name describes its foundation.

Why is the profile dated 2014?

The linked primary announcement and retrospective place the public introduction and official launch in 2014; the inventory’s 2013 date remains in the audit.

What is the production-count boundary for this profile?

The primary launch announcement verifies the R3T competition identity but does not provide a complete R3T production total. The roughly 380-unit reference in that announcement concerns the preceding normally aspirated R3 and is not reused as an R3T count. This Archive profile retains the original workbook status and records the correction from its 2013 source year to the documented 2014 introduction.

Sources and further reading

1. Renault Sport: Clio R3T introduction
2. Renault Sport: R3T season and launch retrospective

Research checked 17 October 2026. Linked factory announcements and heritage records support the specifically attributed claims. Photographic descriptions identify the illustrated subject. Design analysis and suggested authentication steps are editorial interpretation.