Cruising up and down the motorway at 3500rpm in the Clio Renaultsport 200 is both A) a shade over 70mph in sixth gear and B) mind-bendingly frustrating, especially if you’ve got a 600 mile stretch of ‘running-in’ tarmac ahead of you.

Nevertheless, we stoically resisted the almost overwhelming urge to start thrashing the wheel nuts off the newest addition to the PistonHeads fleet from the moment we collected it last week, right up to the moment the odometer clicked round to the magic 600 mile mark yesterday on my way to the office. At that particular moment, even the sternest upholder of the nation’s speed limits would have understood the need to drop down a couple of ratios on the slick-shifting six-speed 'box, nail the throttle to the floor and redline the 200 through the gears in a manner not altogether compatible with the letter of the law in a built-up area.

Riding shotgun with Stuart on a short hop to Slough later in the day, I was pleased to note that the Clio’s power to incite civic unrest was not lost on him either, although I winced as he put the first sticky finger print on the formerly pristine glass of the rear view mirror. He did pay for lunch though, and as Garlick and I had spent the previous afternoon sticking PH smileys to the 200’s pristine Glacier White paintwork it seemed churlish to complain. (600 miles of ‘running-in’ in a week is a full-on bonding experience I reckon, especially in a brand new car as engaging and full of character as our now rev-happy little Renault - so apologies if I sound a little over-protective!)

Not surprisingly, with an enforced 3500rpm rev-limit and a long motorway commute, I found plenty of time over the course of last week to ponder some of the Clio 200’s arguably less predictable characteristics.

First up is the quality of materials and rock-solid fit of our car’s interior. The dashboard, steering column cowl assemblies, door panels… everything, in fact, seems screwed together with the sort of bomb-proof solidity that is mostly associated with the Germans. French car phobics may find some comfort in the slightly fiddly action of the column-mounted switchgear for wipers and lights, but not in their apparent robustness, and even the driving position is terrific with loads of adjustment. (I’m 6’4” and I don’t feel at all cramped.) The seats themselves – optional lightweight Recaro jobs – are fabulous (if a little pricey at nearly a grand), and if we’re not still raving about them at the end of our six month loan I’ll be amazed.

The next thing I noticed is related to the obvious build quality, and is the refinement which at ‘everyday’ speeds is surprisingly good too. There’s a little tyre noise, but wind noise isn’t a problem and the engine doesn’t really begin to intrude until half way around the rev-counter – around the ‘running-in’ limit - after which point you’ll probably want to be enjoying the 2.0 litre engine's bark anyway. Coupled to lightly-weighted steering, an effortless clutch pedal and that slick six-speeder, this is a car your granny would happily drive to Sainsbury’s. Sure, the ride is a little on the firm side, but the dual-stage shockers deliver sufficient damping to smooth out most irregularities without crashing or bouncing, and the lowered and stiffened Cup chassis set-up seems very sorted indeed for British roads.

We’ll be reporting in much more detail on our Clio 200’s sporting credentials once we’ve got a few more miles on the clock, not least because we’ve booked ourselves onto a Renaultsport track day at Bedford in a couple of weeks where we reckon the car's 200hp and supremely adjustable chassis will make it a total blast.

In fact one of the key factors in our decision to ask Renault for this loaner was the belief that it would make the perfect part-time track hero – so watch out for the car at various PistonHeads track events in the coming months too.

Meanwhile, it would be great to hear feedback from any other Clio 200 owners out there, or Renaultsport drivers of all types. Judging by the way our car has entertained us over its first 600 miles - we think you're on to something!

PistonHeads Fleet Clio Renaultsport 200 (Cup Chassis)
Basic On The Road Price: £16,750
Price As Tested: £18,075

(Options include Cup Chassis at £400, Satin Black 17ins alloy wheel upgrade at £175, Glacier White paint at £150 and Recaro front seats at £850)

Engine
Type	F4R 832
Induction capacity	1,998 cc
Emissions conformance	Euro 4
With Particulate Filter (FAP)	No
Bore x Stroke	82.7 x 93 mm
Compression ratio	11.5 : 1
Balancing shaft	No
Max. power	200 hp DIN @ 7,100 rpm
Max. torque	215 Nm @ 5,400 rpm
Fuel type	Unleaded Petrol
Injection type	Multipoint injection
No. of Cylinders	4
No. of Valves	16
Performance
0-62mph (sec)	6.9
Max. speed (mph)	141
CDa	0.35
Fuel Consumption / Emissions / VED rating
Combined	34.4 mpg
Extra Urban	44.1 mpg
Urban	25.0 mpg
CO2 Emissions	195 g/km
VED Band	J
Capacity
Fuel Tank	55 litres
Boot – seats up	288 dm3
Boot – seats down	1,038 dm3
dimensions
Length	4,017 mm
Height	1,477 mm
Wheelbase	2,585 mm
Width exc door mirrors	1,768 mm
Width inc door mirrors	2,025 mm

Weight
Kerb weight	1,204 kg / 2,654 lbs
Gearbox
No. forward gears	6
Gearbox Type	Manual TL4 031
Vehicle speeds mph @ 1,000 rpm (ratios)	1st	4.91	0.2973
	2nd	7.84	0.475
	3rd	10.87	0.6585
	4th	13.70	0.8293
	5th	17.00	1.0294
	6th	20.36	1.2333
Final Drive	16/69 = 0.2319
Suspension
Type - front	Double axis independent
Type - rear	Torsion beam, coil springs
Front Anti-roll bar diameter	21 mm
Rear Anti-roll bar diameter	30 mm
Steering
Power assisted	Variable electric
Brakes
ABS	Standard
Front disc diameter / width	312 / 28 mm
Rear disc diameter / width	300 / 11 mm
Wheels and tyres
Wheel size	17-inch
Tyre size	215/45 R17 88W
Servicing and Warranty
Service intervals	12,000 / 1 year
Warranty	3 years / 60,000 miles