About Renault

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FRIDAY 19TH FEBRUARY 2010  

RENAULTSPORT SPECIALIST NETWORK APPOINTED

Emphasising the ever-increasing success of its performance arm, Renault is set to launch 11 Renaultsport Specialist dealerships.  This expert network has been formed to equal the passion and enthusiasm that the owners have for Renaultsport vehicles and that Renaultsport has for designing and producing the cars themselves.

All Renault dealers will continue to sell Renaultsport models but, from the beginning of March, Renaultsport Specialists will act as ambassadors for the range.  Each specialist dealer will have its own Renaultsport Sales Expert and Renaultsport After-Sales Expert.  They will be able to demonstrate, and offer customers test-drives in, the entire Renaultsport range.  Renaultsport Specialists will also have exclusive access to the national Renaultsport events programme that, for example, will allow them to bring customers along to track days.

Phil York, Renault UK Marketing Director, said, “After Renaultsport being recognised by BBC Top Gear magazine as their Manufacturer of the Year whilst the range of Renaultsport cars swept the board in the What Car? Best Hot Hatch award category, we want to ensure customers can access the whole range and talk to sales and after-sales staff who are as passionate and as knowledgeable about performance cars as they are.”

Before appointing any Renaultsport Specialists, Renault UK studied feedback from existing Renaultsport customers on their experiences when buying and maintaining their vehicles, as well as canvassing the opinions of customers on the community forum of its dedicated website – renaultsport.co.uk – plus members of independent owner clubs such as Méganesport and Cliosport. 

The 11 Renaultsport Specialist dealers have been chosen following a thorough selection process in which they had to exceed set levels of sales and after-sales customer satisfaction.  Nominated sales and after-sales experts in each dealership then had to pass a knowledge test of the Renaultsport range – for both the current line-up and models from Renaultsport’s rich heritage of performance vehicles. 

Customers can find further information about all the latest Renaultsport developments at www.renaultsport.co.uk, on Sky Guide 883, on Twitter www.twitter.com/renault_uk and on Facebook www.facebook.com/renaultuk.

 ENDS

Press enquiries: Contact Jeremy Townsend on 01923 697592 or Mike Gale on 01923 697653 at the Renault UK Press Office. E-mail is firstname.surname@renault.co.uk. This press release, photos and videos are available to download from www.press.renault.co.uk.

Notes to Editors:

The 2010 Renaultsport range comprises:

Twingo Renaultsport 133 – the entry-level to the passion of Renaultsport.  With diminutive size and weight, the 133hp naturally-aspirated engine provides plenty of thrills.  The range comprises the 133 Cup, 133 and, from May 2010, the introduction of the Twingo Gordini 133 – a fresh take on the famous design cues long associated with the Gordini name.

Clio Renaultsport 200 – the hot-hatch continues to punch well above its weight in every performance car of the year test.  Available in 200 Cup or 200 versions, the road car is based very closely on the highly-successful Clio Cup racer.

Mégane Renaultsport 250 – universally praised at its launch late last year, hot-hatch enthusiasts are now eagerly awaiting the first deliveries this month of both the 250 Cup and 250. 

Renault Sport Technologies is a subsidiary of the Renault group. Its principal business areas are:

• Design, development, manufacture and sale of:
  • Production performance models (Twingo Renaultsport 133, Clio Renaultsport 200 and Mégane Renaultsport 250)
  • Competition cars for rallying: the new Twingo Renaultsport R1 and R2, Clio Renaultsport R3 Access and Maxi
  • Competition cars for circuit racing: Renault Formula 2.0, Renault Formula 3.5, Clio Cup and Mégane Trophy
• Organisation of international single-make championships (World Series by Renault, Clio R3 Trophies) and Renaultsport Experience activities (trackdays and factory visits)