Clio RenaultSport 220 Trophy on Track

Do the Trophy mods finally quieten the mutters about the hot Clio? To Oulton Park to find out!

We were present when the sheet was drawn back in March and we've tested it on UK roads. Now the final piece of the puzzle; a chance to drive the 220 Trophy in anger on track.

Looks the part but does it live up to the name?

Considering the venue is Oulton Park anger, might not be the best emotion to employ. Wonderful as it is with its high-speed bends, rolling topography and claustrophobic track limits, respect might be a better option. Particularly as heavy rain is forecast for the afternoon.

But at the moment it's warm and sunny and the 220 Trophy looks rather good sitting in the paddock dressed in matt Frost White and contrasting black roof. The swan that grew out of the rather plain duckling? That might be pushing it a touch, but the lowered suspension has definitely brought a welcome improvement to the aesthetics. Once inside, well, it's tough not to be disappointed by the lack of Recaros. It's not that the new 'bucket' seats are bad; they're not. OK, the headrests tilt your neck forward when you're wearing a helmet, but the real problem is that they're just not special enough for something with a Trophy badge on the back. Nor, at £1,600, are they great value. Particularly as Nissan charges you just £1,300 to put Recaros inside a Juke Nismo RS which, remember, shares the same basic platform and engine.

Faster response here among updates

Quickshift
Poke the starter button and there's a slightly deeper, more mature voice from the new exhaust. The engine itself, sadly, sounds as bland as it always did. With a completely dry track ahead, we have no qualms about pressing and holding the RS button and selecting Race mode. This gives the fastest shifts and completely switches off the traction control and stability control. It's only accessible once you've taken full manual control of the gearbox, too, by pushing the gear selector across to the left.

We are hoping for good things with the first tug of the column-mounted upshift paddle. It's still a bit of a stretch to the alloy angel-wing, and its motion is badly wanting for some kind of feedback, but what used to be a go-away-and-make-a-brew intermission, is now a split-second pause to second. And it gets better from here on up, with second through to sixth being delivered almost instantly. A class-leading dual-clutch it is not, but finally it has the pace and obedience befitting a hot hatch.

From the first corner on the warm-up lap, the handling transformation is patently obvious. We say transformation, because it really is a different proposition, even to the 200 with Cup chassis. Firmer spring rates may jostle around the lumpy paddock, but there's still an initial pliancy you'll not experience in a Fiesta ST.

Bit more garnish in here smartens things up

Tied down
Get it onto Oulton Park's tarmac and it just feels more tied down than the Cup chassis, hunkering into the surface, held by invisible guy ropes that keep it far flatter through the corners. Every degree of lock now counts for so much more than it does in the standard car too. Reducing the steering ratio has brought greater precision and accuracy to the front end, improvements that are further underlined by the putty rubber Michelin Pilot Super Sport tyres. On those long, fast corners, such as Island and Druids, where you are on the throttle through the turn and the nose of the 200 would push wide of the apex and scrub across the tarmac, the Trophy resolutely holds its line.

Approached on the brakes, tighter corners, such as Lodge, Old Hall, Cascades, and the two chicanes are probably the most satisfying. Although you need to peer around the A-pillar in places the whole car swivels on its toes towards the clipping point, with just a relaxation on the wheel needed to maintain trajectory. That it actually feels reminiscent of the Megane Trophy-R during entry phase is high praise indeed, even if corner exits leave you pining for that addictive slingshot you get from its big brother's diff.

We quite like the chassis, then, and the gearbox is considerably improved, but the engine, despite the 20hp hike in power and 14lb ft increase in torque (it's limited in the lowest gears, remember) never feels that strong, and definitely lacks character. Sure, there's plenty of induction noise, and the reworked exhaust will sniffle and clear its throat on upshifts, but you'll not buy a Trophy for its powerplant.

Goes well, stopping not so much

Heated discussion
Nor, indeed, will you buy it for its brakes. Wearing only single-piston calipers at the front, heat build-up quickly became an issue. From similar experience in the PH Fleet 200 the warning signs were familiar and a cautious approach adopted, limiting each session to a warm-up lap, two flyers and a cool down lap. And yet, by mid-morning, three laps was all it took for the brakes to develop a deeply unpleasant juddering.

Final death throes of a previously abused set of discs and pads, or the wider consequence of an overwhelmed brake system? With the Clio Renaultsport now knocking on the power and weight of the old Megane R26, perhaps there's an argument that the Trophy's wheels should really be hiding four-piston calipers like its predecessor?

As a response to the criticisms of the Clio 200, this new Trophy definitely delivers. But you just can't shake the belief that - power hike excepted - this is how a Clio Renaultsport with a Cup chassis should drive out of the box. The improvements to drivetrain and chassis are substantial and welcome but Renaultsport's assertion the Trophy is 'aimed at track day enthusiasts' is let down by a set of brakes seemingly left behind by the car's improved pace. Brembos and a set of Recaros for the R version then?

CLIO RENAULTSPORT 220 TROPHY EDC
Engine: 1,618cc 4-cyl turbo
Transmission: 6-speed dual-clutch auto, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 220@6,050rpm
Torque (lb ft): 207@2,000rpm
0-62mph: 6.6sec
Top speed: 146mph
Weight: 1,204kg
MPG: 47.9mpg (NEDC combined)
CO2: 135g/km
Price: £21,780 (Before options)