IT HAPPENS EVERY time Topcar gets the keys to a Renault. I get a nervous phone call from a representative of the French marque to confirm my approval of its condition on delivery or some other arbitrary reason. Truth is they just want to see if their worst case scenario has indeed unfolded and their latest offering has indeed been delivered (read sacrificed) to yours truly.

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It’s true that in the past I have been critical of Renault’s offerings but I’ve always held the company’s sports derivatives in high regard. What’s more, the Clio RS on which the Gordini skin has been painted is a long-time favourite of the Topcar team, so no surprise that the arrival of the Gordini’s keycard was not followed by a phone call. This little scrapper fights its own battles.

ON TRACK VIDEO OF THE GORDINI HERE

Exterior

I love it. Just look at it, all hunkered down and wide of stance. Ggrrrr! It’s hard to see it as a rival to the brilliant but aesthetically sedate Polo GTI when it’s wearing a bright white gum guard posing as an airdam, but to be honest this car couldn’t give a ruck.

Its muscular arches are dominated by two-tone twelve-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels, covered in ContiSport Contact 3 rubber. A pair of white stripes trisect the Gordini’s signature blue bodywork, although the glittery ‘G’ pattern is not to everyone’s taste. The side mirror housings are also in white, creating just enough contrast without cheapening the overall effect. My favourite detail however must be the air vents in the front fenders – they’re proper tough looking and best appreciated from the rear. From that perspective you also can’t ignore the twin exhaust exits each side of a huge, black rear diffuser.

Only Renault could make a bright blue mini hatch with Tippex lines look this tough.

Interior

Climb into the blue beast’s belly and standard Clio fare awaits. That means a simple, uncluttered layout with satellite audio and trip computer controls in the usual grenade cluster behind the helm. Good. It gets buttons out of the way and by now every Renault owner will be used to this feng shui arrangement. Quite frankly this is not a cabin, it’s an office: an uncomplicated workspace for some serious quickness. Even the keycard slips out of view beneath the start button, although I’ll be damned if the buttons on it are legible in anything but perfect lighting. Gordini trim includes blue panels on the bucket seats, blue piping on the carpets, a blue gear gaiter and a blue knob bereft of any gear markings. Good luck finding reverse.

Performance