As of today, eight of its vehicles in different categories have won the Euro NCAP’s crash test programme. In 2002, Megane II won 5 stars in its segment. In 2003, the Kangoo won 4 stars; Twingo won 3 stars while Escape IV, Laguna II and Scenic II won 5 stars in their segment. Escape IV was named the “safest car on the market”. In 2004, Modus and Megane CC won 5 stars while in 2005, Vel Satis and Clio also won the same titles in their segments. Vel Satis and Megane CC were named “Best in Class”.

Following the NCAP’s points-scoring system, Renault Laguna was judged to be the safest car in the family car segment with regard to adult occupants as well as child occupants. Renault Kangoo was named the safest car for child occupants in the MPV segment while the Renault Megane CC clinched the safest car title for adult occupants in Roadsters and cabriolets segment. Surveys have shown that road deaths could reduce by 40% if people chose the safest cars using the Euro NCAP results. The survey went on to reveal that nearly 700 lives could be saved in UK if all cars matched the features of Renault Laguna – the Euro NCAP test topper.

At 40mph, only Laguna allows the occupants to emerge largely uninjured. The front bags have the “smart” twin-level inflation front airbags. This helps to judge the severity of impact. A combination of eight airbags along with seat-belt pretensioners and seat-belt load limiters is used to reduce the impact on the passengers. The collapsible brake pedals and anti-submarining seats keep the occupants in place. It also features the ABS, Brake Assist and electronic tyre pressure monitoring.

Being ridiculed at first, its turbochargers became a rage at rallies across the world. Currently they have won both the Constructors’ and Drivers’ titles in 2005 and 2006 with Fernando. The Driver team (Fernando) scored 103 points to top the list. Again in the Constructor Point Standing, Renault team scored the highest of 144 points.

If we go back to the results of Formula One since 1960’s, the first time Renault won this title in 1992 and then continued to win it in a row till 1997. At the French Grand Prix, the Renault Team enjoyed its first double-points scoring finish of the season. However, the team mates Nelson Piquet and Fernando Alonso finished seventh and eighth at the Magny Course.

For some time now, questions are being raised regarding Renault’s commitment to its Formula One Team. However, the company CEO Carlos Ghosn spelt out that they are here to stay for a long time. They don’t claim to stay here just to adhere to tradition but to show to the world how well their cars perform. So this year, the team Renault has chosen reliability to top speed and it seems the results are already visible. Renault’s Fernando Alonso looks set to clinch the world championship at Belgium outdoing even the McLaren’s who have the fastest cars of the season. The reports reveal that Renault drivers have quietly been finishing races with few, if any, technical problems.

It is only for time to decide who deserves to win – the fastest (read McLarens’) or the most consistent (read Renault)?

During the early eighties, the Renault sport division was set up to concentrate on building cars apt for its drivers on the tracks. It laid the foundation for Renault to enter into the Formula One as an engine supplier and later as a constructor. They introduced the turbo engines to the rallying field. Earlier as suppliers to Williams and Benetton in 1990’s and later as constructor since 1991, Renault has been a fairly good winner at Formula One. They took over the Benetton team to create the present Renault F1. With Fernando Alonso, they went on to win the constructor’s titles in 2005 and 2006. The team is coordinated with the UK base at Enstone, Oxfordshire where the chassis are designed and built.

The Renault cars’ engines are manufactured at its facility at Viry-Chatillion, outside Paris. Currently Renault F1 looks after the team’s Formula One races while the other races are managed by Renault Sport division.

The Renault F1 team considers each lap as a learning experience. As such, the critical data collected by car’s information management system helps the designers to get valuable feedback on their car’s performance. They use the new high-tech car analysis system to gather, analyze and access information from the different sensors. The data is transferred using a radio connection. This helps to make maximum use of collected data. At its heart is the X-Hive/DB, a native XML database from X-Hive Corporation. All this goes to prove why they are the best in the race!

But with the death of brother Marcell in 1903, Louis Renault withdrew from the racing track. Renault carried on its foray into various rallies over time. Renault made its debut in Formula One with Jean-Pierre Jabouille in its only car, the Renault RS01 in 1977. It was this car that introduced the power of turbo engines to Formula One arena. In 1979, Rene Arnoux joined Jabouille and the duo won the first French Grand Prix on its home soil in Dijon. Arnoux carried on the winning spree at Silverstone, Brazil and South Africa in 1980. These wins were complimented with the addition of Alain Prost, who was signed up in 1981.

Eddie Cheever

When Arnoux quit joining Ferrari, he was replaced by American Eddie Cheever. The team turned to Patrick Tambay and Derek Warwick in 1985-86. Yet constant problems kept the Renault away from the racing track. They opted to act as engine suppliers and in this role won many championships with Williams during 1990’s. Even along with Benetton team, Johny Herbert won a record of 16 out of 17 races in the 1995 season and Michael Schumacher successfully defended his Drivers’ title by 33 points.

Renault made a re-entry to the tracks in 2000 by taking over the Benetton team with drivers like Giancarlo Fisichella and Alexander Wurz. In 2001, Wurz was replaced by Jenson Button and in 2002; Fisichella was replaced by Jarno Trulli. They together scored 23 points during the season. Button was dropped by Renault F1 in 2003 to rein in Spaniard Fernando Alonso. Along with Giancarlo Fisichella, he went on to win the Renault team its first constructors’ title in 2005 and again in 2006.

For the year 2008, Fernando teams up with Nelson Piquet Jr. and hopes to win Renault more cups than ever before!

The new Clio Cup Racer in its debut season in 2007 gave all an exciting race, true to the spirit for which it has been the latest buzz of the town. Eventually, Martin Byford clinched the title at the final ace meeting of the season. The event attracted a record crowd of 1, 35,000 in UK during the course of the weekend.

In 2008, the organizers have planned to limit the championship to 36 registrations unlike 38 in the earlier year. This will help them to revert the competition to the traditional timed qualifying. The biggest crowd puller includes various other championships like Copa Renault Clio Espana, Renault Sport Clio Cup Belgium, Renault Sport Clio International Cup, Dacia Logan Cup, Renault Clio V6 Cup and Renault Super Clio Cup Brazil (since 2006). The organizers have also roped in the BTCC favorites Jason Plato and Tom Onslow-Cole This euphoria is boosted with the all-new-looks Clio Cup Race, a 2.0-liter, 205 hp joining the tracks. The car has been already declared a hit in UK.

Wondering how you can improve a perfect car? They are using the world’s best aftermarket parts and that too from the best manufacturers of the world. It is Renault Sport’s most successful Clio Cup Racer so far. The organizers also plan to hold the tenth event of the year alongside the UK leg of World Series of Renault. The tour plans to include the biggies including the World Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx.

The body of the original Clio II was used with additional sportive features like bigger wheels and running boards. It received a facelift in 2001 with regard to its interiors and exteriors. The car provided catchy equipments like xenon headlights with washers, 4 airbags, 16 inch alloy wheels, six-disc changer and leather seats (with the Renault sport logo). In 2004, the engine of all-new Clio II RS 182 was upgraded to 182 DIN PS (176bhp/131kW). It was also provided with a dual-exhaust system plus different 4-2-1 manifold.

A special edition of this – the Clio II RS “Trophy”- had a lower ride height, light-weight 16” wheels, recaro seats, spoiler and an exclusive Capsicum red paint. The Trophy won the ‘Evo’s’ magazine’s People’s Performance Car of the Year in 2005. The latest Clio III RS 197 is inspired by a special technology for Formula One with a rear diffuser, cooling side vents, more power and more torque. It also has the new six-speed with shorter gearing. All this combines to give us better acceleration figures with the help of its 197 bhp (147kW/200PS).

The Renault Clio Sport has gained popularity as a powerful car, beating its competitors like Mini Cooper S, SEAT Ibiza FR, more recently the Peugeot 206 RC and Seat Ibiza Cupra R.