The new Renaultsport Clio has made a surprise early public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this month.
While the new 2013 Renault Clio has not yet made an appearance in public, its performance sibling was on show at the motoring event this week, albeit in a non-too-subtle body wrap.
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A disguised prototype of the new hot hatch was test driven through the famous Goodwood hill climb circuit.
The Renaultsport Clio will be revealed in its true, undisguised form at the 2012 Paris Motor Show this September.
Even with the disguise paintjob, a number of styling features can be noticed on the new Clio, such as the radically redesigned front grille, the large side skirts and the twin exhaust pipes, which sit either side of a rear diffuser.
The noticeable new styling features bear resemblance to Renault's concept supercar, the Alpine A 110-50, a one-off design made to mark the 50th birthday of the original Alpine Berlinette sports car.
Engine details have yet to be confirmed but reports indicate the new Renaultsport Clio will utilise a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with around 210bhp.
This would replace the naturally aspirated 198bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine found on the current Renaultsport Clio.
Like previous Renaultsport Clios, the new model will not only have more aggressive styling then the standard model but also sharper steering and suspension upgrades to enhance handling capabilities.
A Cup specification of the Renaultsport Clio is also likely, which would feature less kit for reduced weight and firmer suspension.
The next Renaultsport Clio will only be sold as a five-door hatchback, with a three-door version not on the cards for Renault.
The hot hatch will likely arrive in UK showrooms during spring 2013, with prices starting from around £18,000.
Before that the standard new Clio is anticipated to launch to customers in early 2012.