As we wait for the fifth-gen Clio's RS hot hatch, Renault gives us a clue of what to expect.

Renault might still be working on its new Clio RS, but the engineers at Dieppe have prepared three road racing versions to keep enthusiasts busy in the meantime.

These new cars are all evolved from the fifth-generation Clio, in R.S. Line speciation. They are denoted as Cup, Rally and RX – with each serving the obvious purpose associated with its name.

Each version differs slightly from the other, specific to its racing formula, but Renault will offer a conversion kit to enable owners diverse uses for the Clio. For instance, you’ll be able to convert your Clio Cup road racer, to an RX – if you wish.

We've driven the latest Clio V, read our launch review here.

The platform includes three different wheel choices, ranging from 15- to 17-inches, depending on the surface you wish to race. Suspension components are upgraded, with dampers and springs from French Dakar racing and WRC specialists, Bos.

Drive is to a ZF limited-slip differential and the gearbox on all three cars is a five-speed manual, with sequential shifting, from Sadev. You can order an optional hydraulic parking brake shifter too, for those obligatory handbrake turns.

Powering these new Clio road racers are a 1.3-litre turbocharged engine, boosting between 125and 132 kW. Torque also varies, from 280- to 320 Nm. The differences in these aforementioned outputs are a function of which of the three variants you choose – Cup, Rally or RX.

For those hot hatch enthusiasts who cannot wait for the new Clio RS or wish to have a bargain track-day car or true robot-racer, these Renaultsport competition cars are an interesting alternative.

Most importantly, these three competition cars and their potent small-capacity turbocharged engines, illustrate where Renaultsport’s engineers are aiming with the new Clio RS…