Clio Renaultsport 220 Trophy - Exclusive!

PH gets the inside line on the (hopefully) much improved Clio from the boss of Renaultsport

Ten years ago, in an anonymous glass and steel shed on a forgettable industrial estate on the edge of Paris, a little red hatchback was born that captured the hearts and minds of a generation. It wore pert grey Speedline Turini wheels, hip-hugging Recaro seats, and tucked up inside the hem of its front wings were motorsport-derived remote reservoir Sachs dampers. It was like nothing the hot hatch market had ever seen - a tarmac rally car that could dogfight supercars down a B-road with a boot full of shopping. We're talking, of course, about the Clio 182 Trophy.

Ride height 20mm lower at front, 10mm behind

A decade later, we're being ushered into that same characterless unit to witness to the birth of a new Clio Trophy. It's fair to say, expectations are high. But, before the big reveal, Renaultsport management is keen to set the record straight about the current Clio 200 EDC. "We believe Clio 4 (RS) is a success; it is the car we wanted to do", explains Regis Fricotte, Sales and Marketing Director, unapologetically. "Clio 3 (RS) was a race car for everyday. With Clio 4 (RS) we wanted to provide a comfortable car for everyday race". As a sales strategy it has worked, driving growth in markets such as Australia and Japan, while maintaining similar volume across Europe. In fact, you may be surprised to learn, as we were, that Renaultsport has sold 10 per cent more Clio 4 RS models than Clio 3, across a similar time frame.

Nevertheless, Fricotte admits, there are some elements of the current Clio 200 that could be improved, particularly for the customer looking for something more dynamic, more radical. That car is the new Clio Trophy, and there's one parked in the workshop next door, finished in special edition Frost White matt paint with contrasting black roof and spoiler.

First impressions are positive. Although the flat, slightly sparkly, finish won't be to everyone's taste, changes to the ride height have created a far more aggressive stance, and the gloss black roof and spoiler help to trim height from the slab-sided profile. Visible through the windscreen, and echoing the front 'blade', are a pair of new seats with integrated headrests, while Trophy decals adorn the side skirts, front blade and numbered sill plates (even though numbers are not actually limited). There are further subtle tweaks to the interior trim and new diamond-effect facings for the 18-inch Radical wheels, but as a styling job it manages to differentiate itself from the standard car, yet remain reasonably restrained.

Faster and more efficient - win!

If you were expecting the new Clio Trophy to - like its predecessor - prickle with trick, bespoke parts, you may be disappointed. This is, for the most part, a recalibration job. Yes, there are new components, but none of them are stamped with Sachs, Ohlins, Recaro or Brembo. Instead, this is a fettle here, a tune there, a new bit of code for this and some updated software for that. The problem is such talk immediately undersells the work that has been done. It's only when we get to drill down into the details, with the individual engineers involved, that the full scope of the transformation is revealed.

When the 1.6 turbo motor first arrived in a crate from Nissan, bound for the engine bay of the Clio 4 RS, the Renaultsport engineers had just enough time to make it fit. The opportunity to extract more power has only come recently. On the inlet side, restrictive pipes have been replaced with enlarged diameter items for better airflow. A new, larger, turbo, has been fitted that works at higher pressures (1.03bar up from 0.96bar), along with a revised exhaust system, bigger flexi pipe and a new Euro6 compliant catalyst. The result is an extra 20hp, just over half of which derives from the larger turbocharger. And, as an added bonus, CO2 emissions are reduced, allowing the Trophy to drop down a VED band.

Gearbox tweaks have halved shift time

Praise be; alongside these engine revisions, the Getrag EDC gearbox has undergone substantial recalibration work. Frequently the most infuriating and disappointing aspect of the standard Clio 200, engineers have tuned the software on the Trophy to deliver, what they promise to be, a far more connected experience. The system now reacts much faster to inputs from the driver, with response times halved in the most extreme RS mode (Race). And, although the fixed position paddles are identical, their throw has been reduced by 30 per cent.

If you've driven a Clio 200 EDC before, consider this: in normal mode, the Trophy delivers new ratios as fast as the current car can engage them in Race mode. According to the engineers, it's enough to transform the performance, and produce shifts that are now so fast your brain doesn't register the delay. Even in full auto mode, the 'box promises improved driveability, and no longer will it stubbornly refuse to shift up between second and third under constant throttle openings. All of which - if we ignore the fact that the EDC gearbox carries a 30-40kg weight penalty - is music to our ears.

The Trophy now revs higher too, which should help reduce the frequency with which owners bang their heads into the limiter when on track. It's now 6,800 (from 6,500) in the first three gears, a change that also permits greater flexibility on downshifts. Within the relative safety of fourth and fifth gears, you also get the benefit of something Renaultsport is calling Torque boost, whereby the electronics bequeath you the full 206lb ft on offer, 14lb ft more than in the lower gears.

Paddles have a shorter travel too

So, more power, more torque, but no Perfohub offset steering axis front suspension; won't torque steer be a problem? Not according to ride and handling engineer Terry Baillon. Nor does he see the need for a mechanical limited slip differential, even if his professional curiosity is peaked whenever the subject of the so-equipped 208 GTI 30th is brought up. One arrives for evaluation in two weeks, we learn.

Baillon then pulls a blinder, picking up a file of road test printouts from the table - one from each of the assembled publications. Schadenfreude, or whatever the French equivalent is, fills the room. But Baillon does not simply want to see us squirm; he acknowledges the value of these reviews, and - with the caveat that the Clio 200 is purely a product of its design brief - a general alignment with their sentiment.

To appeal to the purist European customer, and answer the critics, Baillon was charged with giving the chassis a sharper, more track-focused bias and, to this end, the revisions he has made are comprehensive. The ride height has been lowered 20mm at the front and 10mm at the rear, which is a huge amount when you consider the current Cup chassis drops only 3mm. Front spring rates have remained unchanged but the rears have been raised by 40 per cent. Stiffer, longer, bump stops have been introduced all round, still operating in conjunction with the excellent hydraulic system that's incorporated within the retuned dampers. He has also added a faster steering rack, reducing the ratio by 10 per cent.

The Fiesta and 208 are ready...

In unison with the new Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres, body roll and understeer are down five per cent over the current Cup chassis, grip and cornering speeds are up, steering response is up eight per cent and the car is more inclined to oversteer. "The difference is huge", Baillon says. "It's more like a Megane RS", he reveals "and if we can talk about our competitors, it's close to the Fiesta ST. That, for us, was some kind of target".

The inevitable question follows; what does that mean in terms of lap time? An impressive three seconds faster over a 1:47 lap comes the emphatic reply.

Due to go on sale in the UK from June - for an as yet undisclosed premium - on paper at least, the Clio Renaultsport Trophy 220 EDC answers all the criticisms levelled at the standard car. Arguably, the Trophy - perhaps without the power upgrade - represents the car the 200 Cup should have been from the start, but either way, it's a considerable step in the right direction. Let's hope it delivers on those promises when we drive the car some time in May.