At the time of writing, it’s been a month since the first press drives of the new Toyota GR Yaris went live and still the internet is awash with gushing praise, screenshots of hurriedly placed order confirmations and convincing comparisons with supercars costing five times as much.
All of which has got us thinking about giant-killers: unassuming cars that were modified to go after the titans of the sports car segment with hilariously misplaced powertrains and radical styling to match. Cars, then, like the Renault Clio V6.
In the vein of its similarly silly 5 Turbo ancestor, this humdrum hatch turned hooligan drew up to 252bhp in facelifted form, enough for a 5.9sec 0-62mph time and a top speed of 153mph. Practicality took a bit of a hit, obviously (the kids won’t be comfortable sitting atop a scorching hot exhaust manifold), and it’s rather more thirsty than a 1.2-litre Clio of similar vintage. However, you’d be able to cram a shopping bag or two into its ‘frunk’, and it’s not so rapid as to attract the ire of your local police force every time you leave the house.
We’ve gone for a post-2003 car to benefit from that mid-life power boost (which more than made up for a 45kg weight gain), as well as an array of welcome tweaks that came with the facelift, including bonded body panels, a wider front track and a much more refined interior. Add to that the fact that the later car is rarer by about 200 units and it certainly seems the more attractive option.
The asking price is £47,995, which, you’ll no doubt think, is an astronomical sum for a car that wouldn’t look out of place at the Friday-evening Homebase car park meet-up, and that could also bag you a 57-plate Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet, but consider how much more collectable the Clio could become. Not to bang on about the 2030 combustion ban or anything, but the likelihood that the next decade will bring us a series-production, two-seat, V6-powered supermini is slim to none. When that deadline has gone, it’s these laugh-inducing oddities that we’ll look back on most fondly.
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That's no prancing horse on te side of the Volvo - think you'll find it's an elk. Nice car, but I'd take that Pajero.