The Rally5 class made its debut in Rally Mexico, the brand-new Renault Clio cars that were entered by local rally drivers saw the first international competition at the Mexican round of the World Rally Championship.
First out in the new class was Renault with the Clio built by Renault Sport, who claim that they are approaching 100 sales of their rally cars, mainly it is the southern European asphalt series that is attracting the new car model.
The new entry-level class allows to run cheaper cars, the Clio Rally5 costs around EUR 40,000, weighs 1080kg and under the hood there is a turbo from Garrett and 180 horsepower and includes a Sadev five-speed sequential gearbox.
After nine months of development and 1,000 miles of testing, Renault Sport completed five cars that were shipped to enter the Rally Mexico. Local driver Gerardo Rejón was one of the five who reached the finish in Mexico, the remaining drivers retired during the weekend with technical problems.
The same chassis is also offered for the French Rallycross Championship by Renault Sport, with the car being tested by World RX driver Guillaume De Ridder last year.
After Mexico, the car will make a European debut in the French Rallye Antibes Côte d’Azur where Clio Trophy France season-opener will be held. This could come under threat as it is still unclear if the event due to be held in May risks being cancelled as a result of the Corona outbreak.