The 2005 rally season ended in the south of France at the Rallye du Var, the last event of the French Championship. Ten Super 1600s lined up at the start but only three of them made it to the finish of this demanding event!

Emmanuel Guigou and Cédric Robert quickly pulled away from the field and went on to provide spectators with two days of superb rallying action. Unfortunately, an electrical problem on the St Etienne driver’s car forced him to throw in the towel. Emmanuel Guigou thus took his third consecutive win in the Super 1600 category to add to his wins at the Rallye Cœur de France and the Rallye Le Touquet Pas de Calais. It was also the sixth Clio Super 1600 win in this year’s French Championship. 

The winners of Renault Sport Technologies’ promotional formulas were also decided at this last rally of the year. Arnaud Augoyard succeeded Franck Amaudru as Clio Cup Rally champion, ahead of Pierre Marché and Henri Venturini. Five-time winner Eddie Mercier took the Clio Group N Trophy title, with Lionel Nicolas and Gérald Fabrégat second and third respectively. 

The two winners were invited by Renault Sport Technologies to test drive the Clio Super 1600 the very next day. For Arnaud Augoyard, this was the first of many chances to get behind the wheel of the car, since the winner of the Clio Cup Rally 2005 will be driving a Clio Super 1600 in next year’s French Championship!