RE: Clio RS updates

Tuesday 5th July 2016

Clio RS updates

'Phase 2' Clio Renault Sport 200 and 220 Trophy announced



Experienced Renault Sport* watchers will know that hot Clios and Meganes have sometimes been a little slow out of the blocks, not really hitting their stride until mid-term updates address some of the earlier gripes. So it was with the previous Clio 197, short gearing among the issues addressed in the Phase 2 update to the 200. Looking further back it's the 172 Cup and 182 Trophy versions of the previous Clio we celebrate now, not the original Phase 1 cars. See also the previous Megane, which only really woke up when it gained a diff, eventually blossoming into the R26 and R26.R versions.


Anyway. More than enough has been said already about the reasons for the current Clio 200 EDC not quite living up to the expectation heaped upon it. We've had the arrival of the 220hp Trophy, with its extra power, tweaked suspension and (apparently) sharper tune for the controversial dual-clutch only transmission. And then we had the mad R.S.16 concept, with its manual gearbox, fancy Megane front struts and bigger 275hp 2.0-litre engine.

Sorry to disappoint but these modifications are NOT part of this Phase 2 upgrade, though we're crossing our fingers for a limited (and expensive) run of production cars based on a similar spec.

There is some R.S.16 influence in the way the car looks though, not least in the front DRLs shaped like Renault Sport's logo. These are a much smarter and more integrated look than the current ones and put further ground between the RS and 'regular' Clios, the system known as R.S. Vision and incorporating DRL, sidelight, foglight and dipped beam functions. It also looks very cool.


There are new 18-inch wheel options too, plus a general spruce-up of branding and trim. Further R.S.16 influence comes in the shape of an optional Akrapovic titanium exhaust system, following on from a relationship established between the two brands on the Megane Trophy-R project. No numbers are claimed but we're promised it offers "an instantly recognisable sound and ensures more sprightly acceleration" for a premium yet to be disclosed. No need to choose from the menu of fake engine noise any more, one hopes.

As Renault is keen to point out, there is an RS Clio for all tastes (apart from those who want a manual gearbox, mutter, grumble) with three chassis options and two power levels. Sport with the regular suspension, 17- or 18-inch wheels is the 'regular' choice, Cup shares its 200hp output and has 18s as standard along with a sharper chassis while Trophy gives you 220hp as before and a yet-stiffer chassis with 20mm and 10mm take out of the front/rear ride height. In its most potent Trophy form it hits 0-62 in 6.6 seconds and tops out at 146mph.

We'll consider this another step in the right direction. And hope the R.S.16 project gets signed off as a production car for Clio fans with sufficiently deep pockets wanting to drive the car the latest RS always should have been!

*We'll henceforth defer to the new branding and split the 'Renault' from the 'Sport'

 

 

 

 

Author
Discussion

staffs Mike

Original Poster:

25 posts

231 months

Tuesday 5th July 2016
quotequote all
That looks... worse

framerateuk

2,730 posts

183 months

Tuesday 5th July 2016
quotequote all
I like the new DRL's, but otherwise not really much of a change from the existing Trophy.

iphonedyou

9,234 posts

156 months

Tuesday 5th July 2016
quotequote all
That's not a pretty car in and of itself, but compared to the RS200 it's bordering on offensive.

What is it with Renault and daft exhausts? Are circles and ovals out of fashion now?

gashead1105

558 posts

152 months

Tuesday 5th July 2016
quotequote all
What a waste. R.S. 16 please!

Was speaking to a Renault guy at the Festival of Speed and he said its ready to go from an engineering perspective but the marketing people aren't convinced...

SmartVenom

462 posts

168 months

Tuesday 5th July 2016
quotequote all
I don't think it's fair to say that 1*2s were only improved by mid term changes. Phase 1s were great cars out of the box. A standard 172 is a great car. Trophys were admittedly the best, but they were just the best of the best rather than a huge step up.

Sir_Dave

1,494 posts

209 months

Tuesday 5th July 2016
quotequote all
All they really needed to do was fit the bodykit & wheels:


But no, they give us some "sporty" lights & an exhaust that makes it sound like a hoover.

Oh RenaultSport, where have you gone ?

The Vambo

6,643 posts

140 months

Tuesday 5th July 2016
quotequote all
SmartVenom said:
I don't think it's fair to say that 1*2s were only improved by mid term changes. Phase 1s were great cars out of the box.
Cant agree with this, I loved my ph1 172 but standard it nowhere near a 200 cup or a 182 cup. On uprated springs and dampers I think it's the best of the lot bar the Trophy.

roystinho

3,767 posts

174 months

Tuesday 5th July 2016
quotequote all
Sir_Dave said:
All they really needed to do was fit the bodykit & wheels:


But no, they give us some "sporty" lights & an exhaust that makes it sound like a hoover.

Oh RenaultSport, where have you gone ?
Absolutely this. That better look and stance, even with the EDC gearbox, would have been a vast improvement. Of curse we would have liked a manual option too but...

Love my Renaultsports, had 7, but not attracted by any of their current fferings for myself. Getting an Abarth 595 Competizione with performance pack for my hot hatch kicks I think

lord trumpton

7,321 posts

125 months

Tuesday 5th July 2016
quotequote all
Urrrgh It looks like something from a Japanese comic book.

Add in the 'box woes and it's another thumbs down for this latest offering from the former hot hatch hero makers.

mx-tro

290 posts

219 months

Tuesday 5th July 2016
quotequote all
Shame that there is still no option for the manual box (and diff) from the Juke. Would make a very interesting proposition indeed...

ZX10R NIN

27,494 posts

124 months

Tuesday 5th July 2016
quotequote all
The minute Renault drops a manual box in these they'll start to move out of the showroom at a similar rate to the ST but until then this car will always be an also ran.

cailean

917 posts

172 months

Tuesday 5th July 2016
quotequote all
Oh dear, not what I was hoping for. Mainly light changes? No body/fender changes or brake upgrades... A manual gearbox was never going to happen but this is no Mk3 200 compared to the 197.

ChrisDogDiggety

16 posts

121 months

Wednesday 6th July 2016
quotequote all
Renaultsport have lost there edge with the Clio. The Meganes still got it.

172 182 cup trophy etc had that exciting feeling when you drove them. I prefer a raw mk1 valver or williams feel though, plus the seats are some of the comfiest I've ever sat on.

It's just gone the "new car" way and turned st. I'm not doubting its capabilities, they're just utterly boring.

If only they'd do some kind of V6 or 90s group a rally special...

ZX10R NIN

27,494 posts

124 months

Wednesday 6th July 2016
quotequote all
I fear the Megane won't have it for long when the new one comes out.

HJMS123

988 posts

132 months

Wednesday 6th July 2016
quotequote all
ZX10R NIN said:
I fear the Megane won't have it for long when the new one comes out.
l'm thinking the exact same thing - the only reason the megane has still 'got it' is because it's a model which was designed 6 years ago.

Johnnytheboy

24,498 posts

185 months

Wednesday 6th July 2016
quotequote all
Stick a manual gearbox in, see how that works for you, Renault.

Just a thought...

Butter Face

30,192 posts

159 months

Wednesday 6th July 2016
quotequote all
A Trophy 220 is a great drive, I suspect that a lot of people haven't driven one and are writing it off on magazine reviews of the first 200's and their gearboxes. The 220 is a much better package and not as raw as the older stuff but still good in their own right.

The addition of an Akrapovic exhaust will certainly help bring back some of the drama.

framerateuk

2,730 posts

183 months

Wednesday 6th July 2016
quotequote all
ChrisDogDiggety said:
Renaultsport have lost there edge with the Clio. The Meganes still got it.
Have you actually driven one? Lots of armchair reviewers but the proof is in the drive.

I had a Megane 250 Cup and swapped it for a Clio 220T. It's just as fun to drive and I don't miss the Megane one bit - not something I expected at all!

Edit: To add though, I did expect more to change on the facelift. It would have been nice to have the arch extensions from the RS16 (after all, they're only stick on, same as the Megane). It would make sense to offer a manual gearbox, especially now you can have one on the GT model. That said, the gearbox is great (I didn't drive the original 200T) on the 220T, I think it's one of the best parts of the car.

Edited by framerateuk on Wednesday 6th July 09:45

Polarbert

17,923 posts

230 months

Wednesday 6th July 2016
quotequote all
It seems a shame that marketing has dictated the route for this car. I don't ever think that it needed to have an automatic gearbox, and don't know how they got to that decision. I also don't realise why it needed to have 5 doors.

Maybe I'm old fashioned, and having only driven extensively in a 182, and test drives in a 182 Trophy, and a 197, I just think something like the Clio Sport should stick to 3 door manual gearbox hot hatch.


It would be interesting to see a comparison of the 1st Megane 225 vs this Clio 220 that is coming out.

Hitch

6,100 posts

193 months

Wednesday 6th July 2016
quotequote all
Manufacturers are routinely binning three door hatches as only brits want them apparently. The lack of a manual is perplexing and it does seem an opportunity missed to not add the arches of the R16.

That said, I like the way it looks and I bet it drives very well. The comment about 'armchair reviewers' is very apt for this car because all of the coverage when it was released was vs. the ST which is a very different offering.