While Renault’s RS27 engine was powering Sebastian Vettel’s RB7 to yet another victory at the inauguralIndian Grand Prix, Renault was also unveiling a new dedicated vehicle for the Indian market.

Called the Pulse, the subcompact hatchback is built upon the same platform as the Nissan Micra at the Renault-Nissan Alliance’s assembly plant in Chennai, India. It was also designed at the automaker’s design center in Mumbai specifically with the Indian market in mind. Power comes from a 1.5-liter diesel four, also made locally.

Following the introduction of the Fluence sedan and Koleos crossover in India, and with the Dacia Duster and another sedan waiting in the wings, the Pulse is the third of five vehicles planned for introduction this year in India. The order books open at the New Delhi Motor Show in January. Follow the jump for the full press release and take a closer look in the high-res image gallery.

Renault hot hatches are among the most celebrated on the European market, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have any room for improvement. Enter the latest special edition Clio Renaultsport 200.

Known as the Raider edition in the UK and the “Ange & Démon” in other European markets, the special edition packs the same 200-horsepower four-cylinder engine as the model on which it’s based, but comes with some crucial enhancements. One of those is the matte finish – available in either grey or red (the first we’ve seen since the original Alfa 4C concept). The exterior treatment contrasts nicely with the gloss black finish on the roof, front and rear spoilers, diffuser, mirrors and up-sized 18″ alloys from the previous Megane R26.R, coated in the same Bridgestone rubber as the Nürburgring-conquering Megane RS 265 Trophy.

The special Clio also packs the stiffer Cup chassis as standard, red Brembo calipers, leather-trimmed Recaro buckets and more. You can read more about it in the press releases after the jump, but interested customers had better act fast as only 50 examples will be on offer in the UK out of a total run of 666 devilish units.

The South Korean unit of Renault has come out with full details on its new SM7 flagship sedan a week before the car officially goes on sale in the country.

The French carmaker, which bought a 70% stake inSamsung Motors back in 2000 to spearhead the brand’s expansion efforts in the developing Asian region, said the SM7 will have a “radical effect on the big saloon car market”.

Developed over a time of 32 months, with R&D investments reaching some 400 billion South Korean won (€207 million), Renault Samsung Motors’ new sedan model enters the local market seven years after the launch of the original, Nissan Maxima-based SM7 in 2004.

The new SM7 has grown in size offering improved interior space over its predecessor. According to the company, knee room for rear passengers is up by more than 70mm over the previous SM7.

Renault Samsung Motor’s newest creation is powered by the third generation of the Nissan VQ engine series. The SM7 can be specified with one of two VQ engines: a 2.5-liter V6 delivering 190HP and 243Nm (179.3 lb-ft) that returns a combined fuel economy of 9lt/100km (26.1 mpg US), and a 3.5-liter V6 producing 258HP and 330Nm (243.4 lb-ft), which returns 10.4lt/100km (22.6 mpg US) on the combined cycle.

Back in the early ’90s, Renault and Williams were dominating Formula One, and their success spilled over into one of the most celebrated hot hatches of all time. And now that the two are getting back together for the 2012 season, rumors are afoot that they’ll collaborate on a revival that could prove one very tasty beast indeed.

Keen to avoid simply cashing in on – or cheapening – the name, Renault isn’t likely to slap on a new coat of paint and some special badges (much as it did with the Gordini brand) and call it a day. Instead, word on the street is that the new Clio Williams could pack as much as 240 horsepower.

That’s significantly more than the current Renaulsport Clio’s 197 horses, and comes within striking distance of its big brother, the 247-hp Renaultsport Megane. The package could also include a chassis setup based on the RS Clio Cup, but with the Sachs dampers from the more hardcore 2005 Clio Trophy and the brakes and rolling stock from the Nürburgring-conquering Megane Trophy.

With an all-new Clio coming around the bend next year, the Williams edition could prove the ultimate send-off for one of Europe’s favorite hot hatches.

With the British Grand Prix coming up this weekend, Renault has launched a pair of special edition hot hatches to join its new Megane Trophy.

Based on the existing Twingo Renaultsport 133 and Clio Renaultsport 200, the Silverstone GP editions upgrade on their already considerable levels of specification with such special touches as silver paint with contrasting black wheels, roof and mirror housings, tinted rear windows, Silverstone badges, Renaultsport Monitor performance tracking systems and the competition-focused Cup suspension as standard.

The Twingo also gets a black spoiler and fog light surrounds and a stainless exhaust, while the Clio gets Recaro buckets and Bluetooth connectivity. Each model will be limited to 50 individually numbered examples, exclusive to the UK, and come with special driving instruction around the grand prix circuit for which they’re named. Check ‘em out in our high-res image gallery and the press release after the jump.