Described by the test’s standard issue teenager as “a jet-ski for the road,” the Renault Clio F1 R27 delivers as much fun as you are likely to get in Jeddah’s streets without getting wet. Fast (212kph) with a distinctly sporty feel and stripped of a great deal of its previous incarnation’s weight, the F1 is a master class in “The Joy of Chassis.”

As WC Fields said; “Start every day with a smile and get it over with.” Applying that principal to the obligatory gonzo-journalistic imagery so in fashion these days and clearing it out of the way, so to business.

This third generation Clio is built on Renault’s Cup chassis. In effect this lowers ride height by seven millimeters, stiffens the front springs by 27 percent and the rear by 30 percent. The result is that the Clio can handle phenomenal speed through corners. It handled 360 degrees round a largish roundabout at over 100kmh with a satisfying squealing from the low profile tires but never felt like breaking away. Rather, the ESP lets you hang the rear end out before fielding the situation for you. The traction control keeps the power driving the front wheels without sudden interruption and allows on/off throttle steering. You really do have to drive the thing, so be prepared!

Turn-in was always reliable and grip levels high even on the gravel-strewn concrete of a drainage ditch we tried to make it misbehave. The ESP, factory set to kick in when the car slipped out of pre-defined limits of controllability, still allowed satisfactory amounts of slide. I found the steering a little light and uncommunicative for my taste, but as part of the “seat of the pants” driving mix the car encourages it was not a major drawback.

On the straight and narrow of a well-surfaced road, the suspension allowed lots of feel; the price however was a raised road noise level and the kind of firm ride you might expect from a sports car. This was not ameliorated by Renault’s search to shed weight from the car as sound-deadening panels have been removed or edited and a great deal of the interior furnishing reduced to a utilitarian but entirely acceptable standard.

That said, the criticism from some quarters that this makes the car cheap and nasty is, I feel, unjustified. Stripped of weight and some frills, boosted with a 1998cc high revving transverse four power plant, planted in the excellent Cup chassis and shod with 215/45 R17 wheels and tires, the F1 is built to be nimble and exciting. And it is!

The deceptively wide track of the car adds hugely to its stability; it won’t fall over. The Recaro bucket-seats grip you firmly during fast cornering and are perfectly suited to the feel and character of the car.

So, really chaps, if you want comfy leather armchairs, join a London club.

Driving what is clearly to be the contender to beat for the “Shebabmobile of the Year” takes a little getting used to. Below 3000 rpm, the engine described as ‘torquey’ in some autocar literature I feel does not live up to that sobriquet, certainly in the bottom half of its range. It is quite sedate, very pleasant to drive and acts as many small town-cars would. If your shopping consists of a lifestyle magazine and a couple of boxes of Krispy Kremes, then the trunk occupied by the spare wheel, in order to make room for the under-car wake diffuser and twin exhausts, is adequate.

Town car at low speeds perhaps, but for one detail: The brakes. Four massive red-painted Brembo callipers will scare the schwarma and telephone clean out of the hands of inattentive tailgaters.

However, as the revs steam past 3200, the character of the car changes and morphs into a very lively beast as maximum torque chimes in at 5,500 rpm. The 200 horsepower pours in and the rev-counter climbs rapidly to 7,5000 before the rev-limiter calls ‘Time’ and you snick the clean six forward speed box into the next rather narrow torque band. It needs to be pushed hard before it begins to feel as quick as the 6.8-second time Renault claims for the 0-100kph sprint.

Compact yet complete, the F1 Renault is a very able performer. The technology that Renault has developed to produce a championship F1 team has trickled through into this very snappy little car. Sedate when driven with a light foot, there is enough technology and power out of sight to transform it into a real competitor on the streets. It is a very serious new entrant in the building hot hatch market in the Kingdom.