If there is any justice in this world the Renault Clio would never exist. That is a form of justice I can definitely live with. However, we are mere mortals living on a rock floating in space. There is no second earth, there is no wormhole in which we can escape the injustices wreaked upon our souls. And the injustice is a 2004 Renault Clio, that has just gone under the hammer for $120,000, in real money that’s £90,000 Great Brexit Pounds. Being a former tortured Renault owner I can not fathom why this Clio costs that amount of money.

There is a reason why Americans don’t buy Renaults, Americans are not dumb. Give me a V8 Pickup Truck over a V6 powered Renault Clio any day of the week. And I don’t care if the Clio handles as though it is riding on rails. But I have got to step back and stop being biased, I want to understand why someone paid that amount of money for so burden.

This particular example is Clio V6 Phase 2, the marketing people could even devise an inspirational name. Back to the narrative, the Clio V6 was produced by Renault Sport who removed the asthmatic 4-cylinder engine and mid-mounted a naturally aspirated 3.0-litre V6.

The engine pumped out over 252bhp and 300Nm of torque to the rear wheels. It was lot of power for the time. However, as a comparison, a 2022 2.0-litre VW Golf R is getting close to 300bhp, so you can see how engine technology has moved on since 2004.

Renault produced just 1,309 examples of the Clio V6 Phase 2 a mere 18 units were allocated for sale in the UK. This particular example has just 980 miles on the clock, which is why it’s valued as such a price. It’s like going back in time and seeing the car for the first time.

The car’s interior is trimmed in Nappa leather, the finest most supple you can get. This particular example rides on 18-inch alloy wheels and was mainly used for promotional events up and down the UK and has been exceptionally well maintained.

The extraordinary value is also justified by the fact that these cars are becoming extinct. The automotive world is currently transitioning towards a battery-powered electric car future.

The Renault Clio V6 Phase 2 is a dinosaur, a living fossil from a time when it seemed combustion engine cars would exist forever.