The engine is a 2.4 LD9.... if your looking at the engine with the hood up then the noise is coming from the right side of the engine....

It sounds almost like something is hitting a wire... or hitting something to make a clunking sound... To my knowledge there's no belts in this area so I am absolutely puzzled... the noise seems to go away once the vehicle has warmed up to normal temp... The sound does not increase with throttle

Any ideas?

You said the sound "doesn't increase with throttle." Do you mean the volume of the sound? Or, do you mean the speed or frequency of the noise is not engine speed related? If it's not engine speed related, it's tough to visualize it (or should that be audiblize it) as an engine noise. If it's periodic and consistent, perhaps a vibration of some sort? Even an engine mount noise would vary with engine speed.