Tuesday 22nd September 2009

PH Fleet Update: Clio Renaultsport 200

Rubber futures bounce back as PH gets track-happy with our long-term Clio...

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Renaultsport Clio is a terrific track toy

With 3000 miles and three track days under its belt, the PH long-term Clio Renaultsport 200 is continuing to titillate us on a daily basis.

We kicked off our track forays as a guest of Renaultsport on one of their own events at the Bedford Autodrome, which was a great place to start as the 'competition' is naturally pretty evenly matched, and the circuit with its wide-open run-off zones lends itself to enthusiastic exploration of the outer limits of grip and stability.

Not that we've fallen off anywhere yet (we've also done Bedford again and Brands Hatch on PH track days), because the Clio somehow manages to combine its uproariously chuckable chassis with a level of predictability that means the car can be brought back onto the straight and narrow from all sorts of unusual angles - whether induced by ham-fisted incompetence, or unrestrained exuberance on the part of its driver.

Superbly agile, chuckable and fun

Unrestrained exuberance is all very well, but it did throw up an interesting consequence on the A1(M) Northbound near Peterborough immediately after that first Renaultsport event. I was motoring in the outside lane when I was startled by a loud hissing sound over my left shoulder. By the time my brain had computed that it must be a tyre letting go of its air, the car was already starting to go a bit wobbly and I hove-to on the hard shoulder in a cloud of rubber smoke.

Although the tyre was flat, in the darkness I couldn't immediately see any damage so emptied both cans of emergency tyre-inflator gunk into the valve - the car doesn't come with a spare. Then the gunk started spilling out of a nine-inch gash on the inner side-wall (which in hindsight I suspect was the result of an injury caused on the Bedford circuit kerbing), and I was comprehensively jiggered.

Missed the cones again...

I called Renault's emergency number and they transferred me to the AA, who promised to quickly remove me from the hard shoulder 'to a place of safety' while they tried to find a mobile fitter with access to the right size replacement tyre. In the event, the AA controllers left me on the hard shoulder getting steadily chillier and more peeved while they failed to track down a new tyre, and it was nearly an hour and a half before salvation arrived in the form of a recovery vehicle at around 11pm.

The AA carted me off to the nearest service station, where I was decanted onto another vehicle for a frustrating onward journey to Nottinghamshire that ended in the early hours.

When tyre gunk isn't enough...

The next day (Saturday morning) a quick ring around with the Yellow Pages had me still stumped for a tyre (including calls to two very uninterested main dealer service departments in the area), and I was forced to call the Renault emergency line again in order to discuss ways to get home to Brighton. I had visions of making the trip on the back of another AA transporter, but instead the AA sent out another chap who knew where to find another tyre and the problem was resolved with a new ContiSportContact 3 for the not unreasonable sum of £130.

The experience hasn't done a lot for my faith in 'get you home' gunk, although presumably it would have dealt with a more typical puncture effectively.

...it's time for a piggy-back home

That wasn't the end of our tyre problems, either. I'm still kicking myself for a petrol station kerbing incident where I scuffed one of the Clio's gorgeous satin black alloys and took a chunk out of the tyre sidewall. I had hoped to make a cosmetic repair to the wheel myself, but was surprised to find our local Renault outlet couldn't supply touch-up paint, or even a paint code. 'They'll match it in the body shop if you want to take it in,' said the helpful chap on the parts counter, but the scuffing is really only superficial so we'll just put up with it for now.

So we not only had to replace the tyre with the chunk missing, but the off-side front as well.

Post track day shoulder damage

That one was starting to lose chunks of tread after our third track day foray, and was showing canvas (or whatever they use these days) on the shoulders. Still, at least the guy from Kwik-Fit Mobile was impressed by our commitment, and (PH bean-counter) 'Uncle Stuart' hasn't seen the bills yet...

[spoonoff]

I found my main dealer to be less than helpful also when I needed anything doing to my old Clio.

[snorkel sucker]

aww, guys, guys, c'mon - you started off so well with tales of a large tear caused by what i envisage to be some gung-ho driving en-track, only to finish with a tale of your other tyre needing replacing by...a brush with a petrol pump!! must do better!

[mgbond]

I have black wheels, on the odd curbing I just use a black marker pen and it covers it up and it also stays on during cleaning. People only notice if you point it out

Bondy

[Turbobanana]

mgbond said:

I have black wheels, on the odd curbing I just use a black marker pen and it covers it up and it also stays on during cleaning. People only notice if you point it out

Bondy

And TipEx works great on white wheels. I don't think it's unreasonable that a dealer doesn't have the paint code for the wheels - they're probably made for Renault by OZ or Fondmetal or someone.

[thehardman07]

Ah, welcome to the joy that is Renault main dealers.

[robert_raw]

I would love to have a go of one of these to compare a modern FWD capabilities and fun factor compared to my old DC2 Integra Type R.

I think they are great.

[Stevesh]

thehardman07 said:

Ah, welcome to the joy that is Renault main dealers.

Indeed.

It's the main reason I haven't got one of these parked on my drive.

Steve

[BBS-LM]

Let me get this right, You do a track-day and completely fk up the front tyres, you do not bother to check the tyres after the track-day, and then have a blow out on the outside lane of the motorway. Do you have a Death Wish?

[a11y_m]

Stevesh said:

thehardman07 said:

Ah, welcome to the joy that is Renault main dealers.

Indeed.

It's the main reason I haven't got one of these parked on my drive.

Steve

+1

Renault - never again for me despite still loving RS Clios, just not worth the stress when you've got to dealer with a dealer...

[Neil G60]

thehardman07 said:

Ah, welcome to the joy that is Renault main dealers.

My wife and I recently bought an ex-demo Twingo GT from a main dealer and upon opening the folder which holds the manual, half a cigarette fell out which had clearly been used when an oik at the dealer was using the car to skin up in. Nice.

Edited by Neil G60 on Tuesday 22 September 14:21

[pbirkett]

article said:

The experience hasn't done a lot for my faith in 'get you home' gunk, although presumably it would have dealt with a more typical puncture effectively.

So what exactly is a "typical" puncture. That said gunk didnt rescue me when I had a pothole related puncture when I had my 182....

In other words, typical puncture = tiny little hole that means the tyre only deflates over the course of several days???

[vetteheadracer]

There is a lot to be said for run flats.....provided you aren't planning on doing track days and would like some grip......

AA are rubbish compared with the RAC in my experience. Had a complete front tyre failure whilst on the M4 in a Diablo which was actually surprisingly scare free and as it happened less than a mile from the nearest services I limped the car to the lorry car pary so that the RAC low loader would be able to get me onboard without having to move the car. Was onboard within 40 minutes on a flatbed that was specialist for low fronted sports cars!

[977]

If you're cornering on the side walls, I'd hazard a guess you need more pressure in the tyres!

[DaveL485]

Quality tyre abuse there- although not quite up to the standard of the animals that drove the Twingo 133's....
One track day =

[Chris-R]

BBS-LM said:

Let me get this right, You do a track-day and completely fk up the front tyres, you do not bother to check the tyres after the track-day, and then have a blow out on the outside lane of the motorway. Do you have a Death Wish?

No, that's not quite right.

We knackered the shoulders (only) of the front tyres over three track days, and replaced them when necessary.

The split inner sidewall was not necessarily the cause of the blow-out, it could have been a result of it - caused by running at speed on a rapidly deflating tyre that picked up an unlucky puncture on the motorway. Either way, we think the tyre might have pickd up some damage at the track that weakened it, but it's impossible to be certain.

[dapearson]

I've had two mk1 Clio 172s. One Y-reg back in late 2001 when it was only 6 months old and one W-reg a few years back when i'd forgotten the problems with the previous one and wanted another!

The first one had issues with the CD changer, which was replaced twice and each time immediately failed. It also had a "tizzing" exhaust noise which the dealer attempted to fix 3 times. On the last attempt the replacement part was crushed in transit. I traded it in soon after.

The second was bought from a friend of mine. His local dealer had taken a chunk out of the (rubbery covered) steering wheel while it was in for a service. It took months of letters to Renault HQ to get them to replace the wheel. I got it off him and immediately got the cambelt done a different main dealer a bit further from me (remembering my prev probs with the last car). It took them over a week to change the cambelt. I had one of their courtesy cars. They called be back up there on three occasions (each meaning leaving work early to get there) and each time the workshop manager came out to tell me it wouldn't be ready. On one occasion he took me into the workshop and presented me with my car, in bits, with the engine jacked up out of the car.

Renault dealers are absolutely terrible. I love the look of the new renaultsport twingo, and the megane r26 looks interesting, but i would NEVER buy another.

[Swervin_Mervin]

a11y_m said:

Stevesh said:

thehardman07 said:

Ah, welcome to the joy that is Renault main dealers.

Indeed.

It's the main reason I haven't got one of these parked on my drive.

Steve

+1

Renault - never again for me despite still loving RS Clios, just not worth the stress when you've got to dealer with a dealer...

Top tip: Don't use the dealerships unless it's warranty work.

[muppet42]

Swervin_Mervin said:

Top tip: Don't use the dealerships unless it's warranty work.

Exactly.

I've come from the Fiat dealer network and I have to say they're about as bad as the Renault incidents mentioned here. I'm part of a fair few Fiat online communities and the one common thing is how dealers rip them off. There's an extreme minority that actually get on with theirs.

Example...it took 5 visits to fit a CV boot clip. The first 2 times, it was to replace a cable tie, which they'd fitted. I only discovered this when trying to reattach my undertray (part of which I believe had been stolen by the dealer...amazingly, it's common place). They said they didn't carry the correct part, basically A CLIP and so re-packed the CV boot and put a new cable tie on. A few miles later, it did it again. I got a CV boot clip from a local auto spares and they fitted it. But they buggered it up again and grease came pouring out. I then got told that this clip I'd bought was somehow the wrong part and that I was at fault for asking them to fit it. They then put another cable tie on and ordered the "correct part".

Only reason I'd went there after my last few encounters was to sort this clip and that saga happened. When I had my cambelt and other things done at my new best friend, a Fiat/Alfa specialist, they noticed that not only was the boot leaking grease, but there was a hole in it. Shows the workmanship Fiat have.

Have now been using the same specialist for everything and saved a bucket load. Example...cambelt...Fiat wanted over £350 JUST for the cambelt and fitting of and Independent was £150 all in. Gearbox seals needed done, Fiat price £200, independent £60. I swear, even if I got good service, it's just not worth it compared to the independent AND they'll probably do a better job. Oh yeah and the courtesy car I get at the independent...Alfa GTV

I like my car (even though it's the much maligned Stilo), but I'll almost certainly not get another Fiat after the experience I've had.

Edited by muppet42 on Tuesday 22 September 17:53

[ukaskew]

Swervin_Mervin said:

Top tip: Don't use the dealerships unless it's warranty work.

Spot on, I had nothing but trouble with main dealers in my couple years of Renaultsport ownership, everything from trying to charge me for an air-conditioning service (on an original 172 Cup) to many dealers in the area not even knowing what the car was when phoning around for service quotes.

Thankfully, there are some excellent specialists about (Carlton in Exmouth and Rentech in Portsmouth spring to mind) who not only do a better job, but are much, much cheaper. I happily travelled 150 miles to have mine serviced, it still worked out much cheaper.

[thehardman07]

Swervin_Mervin said:

Top tip: Don't use the dealerships unless it's warranty work.

I don't! But had no choice when I took delivery of the car (which was a complete farce) and when I tried to get some problems rectified under warranty. On both occasions, the dealers (two separate ones) displayed nothing but incompetence and a complete lack of professionalism.

Edited by thehardman07 on Tuesday 22 September 19:55