Renault and Rip Curl announce sporty special edition Clio

2 March 2007 8:47 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Surf and snowboard specialist Rip Curl has announced that it has added its trademark styling in partnership with Renault to the humble Clio.

Hoping to give Va Va Voom to the adventure set, the special edition Clio will feature Iceberg Blue paintwork and, optionally, 16-inch alloy wheels.

The Rip Curl Clio also features equipment that both companies say is "100 per cent designed for beach or piste".

Sporting a bright red and black colour scheme. The car's new extras include special rubber flooring, presumably to stop a carpet flooring getting trashed and a rigid boot box for storage that are impervious to sand or snow.

The Rip Curl Clio is also dedicated to music, with an Audio Connection Box that links MP3 players to the in-car entertainment system controllable via the steering wheel.

Available in two engine sizes; the TCE 100hp and 1.5 dCi FAP, the new TCE 100hp (73kW) engine is fitted with a low-inertia turbo. It, say Renault, combines the power of a 1.4-litre engine with the torque of a 1.6 (145Nm) and the economy of a 1.2 (the 650rpm idling speed helps save fuel).

Its CO2 emissions are rated at just 140g/km. Its true capacity is just 1149cc and promises to be more economical than any rival engine in the combined cycle, where the Rip Curl Clio returns 5.9l/100km. The car is also available with a 1.5 dCi 85hp diesel engine, with particulate filter: in this guise it emits 126g/km of CO2 and sips fuel at just 4.8l/100km (58.9mpg) in the combined cycle.

Keeping with the environmental theme, Renault say the Rip Curl Clio is also 95% recyclable by weight.

Both companies have said that this will be the first of many special editions.