Renault Clio RSi 1.8: history, how it differs from the 16S and Williams, prices

The Clio RSi is the least known of the first Clio's three sporting versions. The Clio 16S and Williams are seen as enthusiasts' cars and priced accordingly, while the RSi — with a simpler eight-valve engine — was long treated as an ordinary car to drive. This post explains what the RSi is, how to recognise it and what affects its price. The Clio's predecessor in Renault's range is covered in Renault 5 — the model's history.

Where did the Clio RSi come from?

The Clio RSi was created to fill the gap between the ordinary Clios and the 16-valve 16S. The Clio I was launched in June 1990 (the three-door in September), won European Car of the Year in 1991 and by 1998 about 4 million had been built, mainly at the Flins plant. In 1992 it also replaced the Renault 5 GT Turbo.

From 1991 the most powerful version was the Clio 16S. According to the automobile-sportive.com guide, the rest of the range topped out at a 90 PS 1.7, so in January 1993 the RSi arrived in showrooms with an eight-valve 1.8. The list price was about 100,000 francs. The RSi was built until the end of the Clio I in 1998.

What are the Clio RSi's specifications?

The Clio RSi has the 1783 cc F3P engine with eight valves and multipoint injection, producing 110 PS at 5,500 rpm and 155 Nm. According to automobile-sportive.com the car weighs 957 kg, reaches 100 km/h in about 9 seconds and tops out at 189 km/h.

Standard equipment included power steering, electric windows, remote central locking, a three-spoke steering wheel and the 16S's semi-bucket seats; air conditioning was optional. The suspension is softer than the 16S's, and the steering ratio (about 3.4 turns lock to lock) makes the front a little lazy in tight bends.

How did the Clio RSi change through its phases?

The RSi had two updates, in 1994 and 1996, which are easy to spot by body and interior details:

• 1993 (Phase 1) — in the first model year the 14-inch alloy wheels were optional; they soon became standard.
• June 1994 (Phase 2) — strengthened bodyshell, new grille, rounder rear lights, bigger mirrors, wider side strips with an integrated RSi badge, new indicator repeaters. Peak torque moved to 2,750 rpm.
• June 1996 — grille integrated into the bumper, rounder headlights, third brake light, new seats and steering wheel, and the wide instrument cowl (as on the Baccara and 16V) with three extra gauges.

The MB Classics archive includes a 1996 Renault Clio RSi — a car from the final update, from which the photos in this post come.

How does the Clio RSi differ from the Clio 16S and Williams?

In short: engine, body and price. The RSi has an eight-valve 1.8, the 16S a sixteen-valve 1.8 and the Williams a sixteen-valve 2.0.

Data: automobile-sportive.com (RSi), French Wikipedia (16S, Williams), Caradisiac (Williams).

The Williams was created in 1993 as a basis for rally homologation. According to Caradisiac, the F7R was made by enlarging the 16S's 1.8 to 2.0 litres and using the crankshaft from the 1.9 diesel. The front track was widened by 34 mm, and the car could not be ordered with ABS. The planned 3,800 cars sold quickly; 1,617 more were built, then a series of 6,683 cars without numbered plaques, plus 500 "Swiss Champion" cars for Switzerland — close to 12,000 Williams in total.

When looking at a car described as a 16S or Williams, always check the engine code on the block (F3P, F7P or F7R) and that the VIN matches the documents. Gold wheels and blue paint can easily be added to an RSi; the engine and track width cannot.

What are the Clio RSi's weak spots?

The F engine is the RSi's strong point; problems are mainly with the body and interior. Automobile-sportive.com describes the engine as very durable with basic maintenance and lists these typical faults:

• Rear wing corrosion — above all on Phase 1 cars.
• Interior — brittle, fading plastics, sagging seats, splitting upholstery seams.
• Ancillaries and suspension — usually need refreshing before about 200,000 km.
• Gearbox — the short five-speed can be notchy.
• Parts — some items are hard to find because Renault does not always supply them.

The same guide notes that many cars were driven hard. So when viewing, look for documented service history (cambelt, suspension, brakes) and check whether the car has been modified.

What determines the price of a Clio RSi?

An RSi's price depends above all on originality, documented mileage and body condition — the differences between individual cars are bigger than between phases. The main factors:

1. Originality. Changed wheels, exhaust, suspension or interior make a car harder to assess. From the factory the RSi had 14-inch wheels, so 15-inch Speedlines, for example, which appear in adverts, are a modification.
2. Mileage and paperwork. Invoices, a service book and verified mileage have a big effect on price.
3. Corrosion. Sound rear wings and sills are a precondition for a higher price.
4. Interior condition. Upholstery and plastics are hard to replace, so a complete, undamaged interior counts.
5. Phase. It affects looks and equipment (such as the extra gauges from 1996), so know which version you are looking at.

There is little hard price data for the RSi. In 2016 automobile-sportive.com gave an indicative price of about €2,500. At Anglia Car Auctions on 31 January 2026, a 1996 Clio RSi — a non-running project with 162,450 miles, after eight years in storage — sold for £1,560. That is the bottom of the market, not the price of a well-kept car.

For comparison, according to The Classic Valuer the median price of a Clio Williams in average condition is £18,112 (71 cars sold in its database), and the record car was sold by Artcurial on 16 October 2022 for £65,257. The RSi is not a Williams and should not be priced like one — it is a different market tier.

What to read next?

The Clio RSi is sometimes compared with the Peugeot 205 GTI 1.6 — automobile-sportive.com rates their performance as similar, though the Peugeot is almost 100 kg lighter. More in Peugeot 205: versions, engines and weak spots. For the wider background on French cars from the 1980s and 1990s, see my post on French youngtimers, and for models worth a look, 7 French future classics.

More guides are in the Models and buyer's guides category, and the cars I currently have for sale are in the listings.