Renault Says Gordini Will Become Hardcore Trim

RenaulRenaultFrance, 1898 > present189 models
6052 photos
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t revived the GordiniGordiniFrance, 1938 > 19682 models
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name a few years ago for a special trim on the TwingoRenault Twingo Gordini TCe France, 2011 > present3 photos
and ClioRenault Clio 2.0 Gordini RSFrance, 2011 > present4 photos
. It plans to take the name a step further in the future by only using the Gordini badge on its most aggressive Renault Sport models. 

Renault Cheif Operating Officer Carlos Tavares says that the Gordini name will sit above Renault Sport products in the Renault product range. They will have higher performance, and the name will be used for track-oriented and halo models. The cars will not necessarily be road legal.

“We have told Renaultsport that the Gordini name can be used on track or rally versions of RS cars, but it isn’t mandatory. What is forbidden is that we use Gordini on anything other than extreme versions. 

"The track and rally variations can be profitable and should be, but that’s not the main goal. It is more about brand building,” said Tavares.

Gordini started as a racing teamin 1937 by tuning Simca models for racing and won its class in the 24 Hours of Le Mans that year. It eventually became an official partner of Simca, which ended in 1951 when Gordini wanted to enter Formula 1.

It move was relatively unsuccessful with the team's cars never scoring an overall win and just two podiums in its six-season career. After the failure of F1, it began tuning Renault's for the street and racing, and it was a roaring success. The brand's most famous car was the R8 GordiniRenault R8 GordiniFrance, 1965 > present2 photos
, which scored multiple class victories in rallies and races in the late 60s. Renault bought the company completely in 1969

Source: Autocar