In a time when manufacturers are trying to minimise emissions and gain every bit of green credibility they can, it’s a refreshing change to see that one manufacturer is keen to satisfy the owners of its performance models. Renault have taken the bold step of appointing eleven Renaultsport specialist dealers, handpicked from their nationwide network after consulting with owners, who will offer expert knowledge of their entire range of excellent hot hatchbacks.
You’ll still be able to buy a Renaultsport model from any dealer 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 who will be able to demonstrate, and offer customers test-drives in, the entire Renaultsport range. On top of that, 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. So, gone are the days of the hard-sell and in comes subtle bribery – nice touch, and if they want to offer me a free track day I’ll definitely consider buying a Clio 200!
Renault and the Renaultsport range have had a good start to the year. Top Gear magazine voted Renault as their Manufacturer of the Year whilst the range of Renaultsport cars swept the board in the What Car? Best Hot Hatch award category.
Before choosing each of the Renaultsport Specialists, Renault studied feedback from existing Renaultsport customers on their experiences when buying and maintaining their vehicles, as well as canvassing the opinions of the community forum on renaultsport.co.uk and members of independent owner clubs such as Méganesport and Cliosport. The eleven Renaultsport Specialist dealers had to exceed set levels of sales and after-sales customer satisfaction and the sales and after-sales experts had to pass a knowledge test of the Renaultsport range, both past and present.
The lucky dealerships are:
| Renaultsport Specialist | Sales Expert | After-Sales Expert | Contact number |
| Shelbourne Motors – Craigavon | Alastair Herron | Geoff Devlin | 028 3839 6808 |
| Arnold Clark – Glasgow | Des Morran | Hyke Ter Beek | 0141 632 4545 |
| Arnold Clark – Warrington | Leigh Frackleton | Stephen Garner | 01925 575885 |
| Ness Motors – Perth | Glenn Petrie | Duncan Milne | 01738 620877 |
| Ness Motors – Inverness | Mike Anderson | Fiona Owens | 01463 222848 |
| Crawley Down – Crawley | Richard Haughton | Alan Hughes | 01342 718288 |
| Mitchells – Lowestoft | Andrew Duffield | Lee Cooper | 01502 500950 |
| Smiths – Peterborough | Tony Mitchell | Mark Bristow | 01733 330030 |
| Rawlinsons – Bury St Edmunds | Mark Law | Andy Nolan | 01284 752999 |
| Lookers – Chester | Mike Griffiths | Rob Jones | 01244 390009 |
| Renault – London West | Eduard Jones-Dellaportas | Andrew Campbell | 0208 276 2000 |
