I’m 74, and I’ll keep my mad mid-engined Clio V6 as long as I can

When you own one of the wildest and rarest Renaults ever built, you don’t think about selling it

With just 400 Phase 1 and Phase 2 examples registered in the UK, either on the road or on SORN, a Renault Clio V6 is a rare sight – and that’s just how Martin Hassett likes it. 
“I like things that are rare and unusual,” he tells me. “My father never drove, so I have no desire to own anything from his era. Instead, I like things that are unusual, such as Alfa Romeo SZs and low-production vehicles.
“My other car is a 1997 Mazda RX-7 – which, incidentally, hardly consumes any oil. I’ve been told I don’t drive it hard enough! The Clio has plenty of power but gets twitchy on the limit.” 
Martin’s Clio is a Phase 2 V6, which was registered in 2004 and has covered a scant 33,000 miles. It being a Phase 2 is important to those in the know, because this model was much better built and better engineered than the Phase 1. 
“Renault had this wacky idea to make a mid-engined V6 Clio but didn’t have