2007 Renault Clio 197 F1 "Meglio"

As is so often the case, the seller of this mighty fine Clio 197 F1 is an avid car collector. A recent house move and loss of garage space means that it is time to let go of some of his precious playthings. His loss ….

The car was purchased some 18 months ago from Morgan’s Motors near Banbury, a company specialising in hot hatches.

It was sold as a car in tip top order but not long after purchase the engine went bang! The company offered to take the car back but our seller negotiated a partial refund and decided to keep the car and carry out a series of modifications, including an engine upgrade.

What was fitted was a 270hp engine from the Megane RS250 and the performance is now described as being "ferocious". We don’t doubt it! Brakes and suspension were upgraded too which is just as well.

The work was carried out by EMC Motorsport who are leading providers of all aspects of Race Car preparation. They clearly know what they are doing as they prepare cars for the Porsche and Renault racing series.

The seller informs us he has seen over 150mph on the clock, on private land of course and reckons that not much would keep up with it on the track. Time to indulge your inner Prost perhaps?

What a good-looking car and one which signals intent. It presents really well though there are a few minor points which we should mention.

The is a small scratch on the front offside wing and a small dent on the top front bonnet on the right-hand side.

The front bumper and splitter bear a few battle scars, minor chips commensurate with a life well lived.

The rather fine alloy wheels are in good order (almost new we are told) but we would be looking to replace the tyres sometime soon, as befits a car with such performance potential.

The front number plate is cracked, a simple fix.

The standout feature of the interior is those figure-hugging Recaro seats. The originals were somewhat worn, so the seller replaced them at great expense. There are a few minor marks.

The rear perches are in good order too and with three seat belts, there is room for you to take four mates out for a blast through the countryside. They will probably only join you just once if you use the car’s full potential.

Carpets and headlining look good and the boot area is clean and presentable. The gas struts are a little weak on the tailgate.

There are splashes of colour to brighten up the interior and help mark this car out as something special.

Everything works as it should and on the whole, we think the interior has withstood the ravages of time rather well.

Be still my beating heart! And what a heart this car possesses with it upgraded engine. Check out that invoice from EMC for just over £4,500!

There’s a lot to see, so study our pictures carefully for the full immersive experience.

The car’s undercarriage looks to be in fine fettle and once again our excellent assortment of fine photographs will tell the story.

Not only has this Clio F1 had a huge amount of engine work in recent times, but it has also just had a brake fluid change and new Brembo brake pads. A little front suspension fettling was carried out at the same time.

The MOT runs until February of next year and the only advisories in recent years has been for tyre and brake pads, inevitable we guess on a car with this much performance potential.

The service book is present and correct and indicates regular servicing up until 2015. From there on in, there are various invoices which show the attention lavished on the car.

A standard Clio F1 is an absolute hoot to drive and was produced in limited numbers. Our car is number 257 of just 500 produced.

However, the upgraded engine and performance editions make this a car like no other. The powerful and torquey engine pulls like a train and we can see the lucky new owner heading to a race track for a little action. A spare set of wheels and tyres will surely fit in the back, if you really mean business.

We estimate that the car will sell for between £6,000 and £10,000 and must surely offer the biggest bang for your bucks on sale today. Check out the photo gallery, but as always, we do welcome any inspection at our HQ, in line of course with current guidelines. So, get bidding and prepare for hot hatch hilarity if you are the lucky winner.

Inspection is always encouraged, within Govt. guidelines of course, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.