Renault Clio 4 RS Trophy 220 vs BMW 123 xDrive F70: which is truly faster?

Off the line, the Bmw 123 xDrive hits 100 km/h in 6.36 s versus 6.65 s for the Clio 4 RS Trophy 220. At this point, the Bmw 123 xDrive leads by 0.29 s and sits roughly 9 m ahead.

At 200 metres, the Bmw 123 xDrive is doing 125 km/h against 127 km/h for the Clio 4 RS Trophy 220. The gap is 0.29 s. The gap remains stable from the start.

At 400 metres standing start, the Bmw 123 xDrive crosses the line in 14.55 s versus 14.76 s. The 0.21 s gap represents roughly 9 m of track — barely a car length.

Past 400 metres, the gap narrows. The Clio 4 RS Trophy 220 maxes out at 231 km/h while the Bmw 123 xDrive keeps accelerating towards 246 km/h. At 600 metres, the gap has dropped to 0.15 s.

At 1,000 metres, the Bmw 123 xDrive finishes in 26.62 s versus 26.71 s, with just 0.09 s to spare. The Clio 4 RS Trophy 220 fails to fully close the launch gap.

The Bmw 123 xDrive features all-wheel drive (AWD) against the Clio 4 RS Trophy 220’s FWD. At low speeds (0-30, 0-50, 0-80 km/h), AWD doubles the driven contact area: all four wheels transmit torque to the road, virtually eliminating wheelspin at launch. This traction advantage is decisive in the range where the motor delivers peak torque, before power and aerodynamics take over.

Both rivals are electronically governed, but not at the same level: the Clio 4 RS Trophy 220 is capped at 233 km/h, the Bmw 123 xDrive at 246 km/h. This isn’t a physical engine limit — it’s a manufacturer choice, usually for tyre safety or homologation reasons. Neither car reaches its true aerodynamic top speed.

With two combustion powertrains, the difference comes down to power-to-weight ratio (5.64 kg/hp vs 7.02 kg/hp) and transmission (Automatic vs Automatic).

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 10.16 seconds. The 0.29 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.