RallySport Magazine September 2016

FEATURE: RENAULT CLIO RS
The Clio has proven to be
a fast and reliable tarmac
rally car in Richard’s hands.
So when Victorian, Richard Fung,
decided it was time to get back
behind the wheel of a rally car, he
wanted something that was not only
fun to drive, but was also reliable and
didn’t require him to give up every night
of the week to work on it.
After rallying a Toyota Corolla on
gravel in the 1990s, Richard decided
that his second foray into the sport
54 Photos: | RALLYSPORT Red MAGAZINE Bull Content - SEPTEMBER Pool 2016
“A rear air diffuser
channels airflow
around the car to
increase down force,
thereby reducing lift.
It looks great too!”
would be on tarmac, and so he set
about searching for a suitable vehicle.
Initially the plan was to build a car
from the ground up, but when a smart
looking 2009 Renault Clio RS caught his
eye, it wasn’t long before a deal was
done and the car was making its way to
his workshop.
The Clio in question is a limited
edition ‘Clio RenaultSport F1 Team
R27’, a special model created to
commemorate Renault’s Formula
1 World Championship wins
(Constructors’ and Drivers’) in 2005 and
2006, using the R27 chassis.
Only 40 examples were imported into
Australia, making the car even more
desirable.
Part of the ‘limited edition’ package
was a rear aero diffuser that channels
airflow around the car to increase down
force of the rear end, thereby reducing
lift. As well as being an effective
addition, it looks great too.
Before the car landed in Richard’s
workshop, it started life in Western
Australia, where it was built into a
tarmac-spec rally car by LF Performance
in Bentley.
Aside from the required safety
equipment, the car is pretty much
standard, something that really
appealed to its new owner.
“It’s such a well-built and reliable
car that it really only requires basic
maintenance and a clean before each
event,” Richard says.
“Provided you don’t hit anything,
there’s not much that can go wrong,
and it’s a cheap way to go rallying.”
In the time that he’s owned the
Renault, Richard and co-driver, Graham
McGrath, have contested Targa Hellyer
Gorge and several rounds of the
Australian Tarmac Championship in
Victoria, never failing to finish.
“It really is fun to drive,” he adds.
“With a two-litre, normally aspirated
engine the car is never going to be a
rocketship against the four-wheel drive,
turbo cars in tarmac rallying, but if we
can continually improve our times and
have fun, that’s what it’s all about.”
Power from the 2.0L motor is driven
through a six-speed gearbox and a
Quaife ATB helical-gear LSD, while fullyadjustable
coil over suspension helps to
keep the Clio sitting nicely through the
corners.
The standard 17” alloy wheels are
fitted with Dunlop semi-slicks, while
massive Brembo 330mm discs on the