I've just ordered a new car!!!
Discussion
For the first time in my life!
Probably not much to excite those with exotic machines etc but great for me! - A Renault Clio 172 Cup.
Having tested it, it really is a complete go-kart and the closest thing I have ever driven to the old 205 GTI, but significantly quicker. It is a right laugh and I reckon it'll compete well with much more expensive machines on the track. For the car, the price it pretty amazing and I am a happy chappy. Just got to wait till around Christmas to actually get it....
Hopefully I get it out on a track next year especially if there is the novice PHs track day!
Cheers!!!!
Probably not much to excite those with exotic machines etc but great for me! - A Renault Clio 172 Cup.
Having tested it, it really is a complete go-kart and the closest thing I have ever driven to the old 205 GTI, but significantly quicker. It is a right laugh and I reckon it'll compete well with much more expensive machines on the track. For the car, the price it pretty amazing and I am a happy chappy. Just got to wait till around Christmas to actually get it....
Hopefully I get it out on a track next year especially if there is the novice PHs track day!
Cheers!!!!
Cheers! Kind of my thoughts exactly!
I was going to buy an S1 Elise... But then I drove the S2 as a comparison and it was 'so' much better that it kind of put me off the S1. Decided to get a decent car that will hold value for a couple of years, increase earning power in that time and go for broke next time!
That said I reckon the Cup will more than hold an Elise....
I was going to buy an S1 Elise... But then I drove the S2 as a comparison and it was 'so' much better that it kind of put me off the S1. Decided to get a decent car that will hold value for a couple of years, increase earning power in that time and go for broke next time!
That said I reckon the Cup will more than hold an Elise....
I was passengering in the normal non cup 172 this yr at an EVO day at Brands GP with mad John Hayman. He was driving this thing like a joyrider on police-camera-action and it was very rapid. He chased a well driven 355 for 4 laps and he diddnt get away (what a fantastic soundtrack tho 
) plus a track modded E36M3 made no significant dent in the 172s lap time- much to its owners frustration
The 172 cup at under £12k has got to be the best perfomance bargain out there at the moment.
) plus a track modded E36M3 made no significant dent in the 172s lap time- much to its owners frustration The 172 cup at under £12k has got to be the best perfomance bargain out there at the moment.
The Cup is truly quite feisty!
The ride is fine, round town no troubles just normal 172 Clio a bit stiffer and no doubt on poor surfaces I'll feel it, but it is more than compensated on the run - it just gets better and better. On the A33 at a steady speed
it was so planted. The turn in is really quick and the grip amazing. We took a roundabout at just about full throttle in second with just a bit of feathering to keep the nose in... Fantastic and big smiles all round from both me and the salesman!! The only slight pain in traffic will be the throttle response which is near instant, not complaining through! It is a truly fast car that is going to destroy most other hatches and keep up with a lot of other more powerful and expensive machines!
I paid the full 12K as I needed to part-x my Alfa, but I got a top price for that so no complaints all in. The guy I dealt with said the Cups are walking out the showrooms, I was the third that week but the only person to test drive - the others bought blind! The only downside is that the Cup options are not ready yet. I suspect that they will be as soon as the last one is sold!!!
I was told Renault are still only going to produce 2500 but the UK allocation may go up form 1000 if there is demand! I think there will be...
All in I am really pleased and can't wait to get it. Should have it early in the new year and that is only cos I have not been paid the cash to buy it yet, that should come at the end of December.... Just have to keep looking at the calender!
Cheers
The ride is fine, round town no troubles just normal 172 Clio a bit stiffer and no doubt on poor surfaces I'll feel it, but it is more than compensated on the run - it just gets better and better. On the A33 at a steady speed
it was so planted. The turn in is really quick and the grip amazing. We took a roundabout at just about full throttle in second with just a bit of feathering to keep the nose in... Fantastic and big smiles all round from both me and the salesman!! The only slight pain in traffic will be the throttle response which is near instant, not complaining through! It is a truly fast car that is going to destroy most other hatches and keep up with a lot of other more powerful and expensive machines! I paid the full 12K as I needed to part-x my Alfa, but I got a top price for that so no complaints all in. The guy I dealt with said the Cups are walking out the showrooms, I was the third that week but the only person to test drive - the others bought blind! The only downside is that the Cup options are not ready yet. I suspect that they will be as soon as the last one is sold!!!
I was told Renault are still only going to produce 2500 but the UK allocation may go up form 1000 if there is demand! I think there will be...
All in I am really pleased and can't wait to get it. Should have it early in the new year and that is only cos I have not been paid the cash to buy it yet, that should come at the end of December.... Just have to keep looking at the calender!
Cheers
Oh yes, it is truly a fantastic car!
I am personally not a great modern soapboxes enthusiast but this one really blew me away: the handling/roadholding is excellent, even better than that of the standard 172 which is said to be very good.
It's feels a bit tail-happy on the wet but nothing to really worry about.
Great buy!
I am personally not a great modern soapboxes enthusiast but this one really blew me away: the handling/roadholding is excellent, even better than that of the standard 172 which is said to be very good.
It's feels a bit tail-happy on the wet but nothing to really worry about.
Great buy!
It's true that the Cup is a great car. I bought mine a month and an half ago. I have done 3.000 kms with it. Nevertheless I prefer my clio Williams, which one gives me more pleasure. The feelings are quite different, but I'm waiting for the spring. Then I'll go on the track with the both, and i'll see the real difference. I hope so.
Jérôme...
Jérôme...
Completely agree with Thom. I have never really liked Euroboxes and looked at the Clio thinking it would persuade me to buy the Elise! How wrong was I... !!
Good choice me thinks! Hopefully I'll get it on the track in the spring.
Quick question, any advice as to how to successfully run it in? I've never had to do it before and I was told just go a bit 'easy' for the first month. No doubt the handbook will say something but any advice will be well received!
Twit
Good choice me thinks! Hopefully I'll get it on the track in the spring.
Quick question, any advice as to how to successfully run it in? I've never had to do it before and I was told just go a bit 'easy' for the first month. No doubt the handbook will say something but any advice will be well received!
Twit
How to successfully run it in? Don't waste your time to look in the hand book. In France nothing is written about it except that modern car don't need to go easy in the first time. 
Personnally I prefer to go easy. So for the first 2.500 kms I've never exceeded 4.000 or 4.500 rds per mn.Sometimes I ran to 6.000 but not for a long ( it happened 4 times). Thom was in my cup for a 600 kms trip. And he can tell how I use my car. I take care of it and I wait after the first 15 kms to go faster, because of the oil temperature.
Over 2.500, I began to accelerate frankly.
That all. So good luck end enjoy yourself.
Ps : The Cup has a better road-holding on wet road than my Williams. So guess which one I prefer for winter ???
Personnally I prefer to go easy. So for the first 2.500 kms I've never exceeded 4.000 or 4.500 rds per mn.Sometimes I ran to 6.000 but not for a long ( it happened 4 times). Thom was in my cup for a 600 kms trip. And he can tell how I use my car. I take care of it and I wait after the first 15 kms to go faster, because of the oil temperature.
Over 2.500, I began to accelerate frankly.
That all. So good luck end enjoy yourself.
Ps : The Cup has a better road-holding on wet road than my Williams. So guess which one I prefer for winter ???
Not a huge spec but neither is it poverty either.
You lose Air con, no hassle there and ABS, again no hassle. But you gain stiffer suspension, wider track better turn in and less weight (glass has been lightened, sound deadening ditched etc) making it quicker. It is not just a superficial job with a name but a real change.
Interior spec is fine, no real toys but you still get CD player etc. The seats are the standard 172 in structure but not leather etc, again not a massive problem. When the options come out there will be roll cages, sparco seats, engine mods etc that will not affect warrenty so thats nice!
All in I'm a happy bod... As I've said... Lots!
You lose Air con, no hassle there and ABS, again no hassle. But you gain stiffer suspension, wider track better turn in and less weight (glass has been lightened, sound deadening ditched etc) making it quicker. It is not just a superficial job with a name but a real change.
Interior spec is fine, no real toys but you still get CD player etc. The seats are the standard 172 in structure but not leather etc, again not a massive problem. When the options come out there will be roll cages, sparco seats, engine mods etc that will not affect warrenty so thats nice!
All in I'm a happy bod... As I've said... Lots!
Good choice of car. I bought a Williams about this time last year and it has been a stunning little car. I went to le mans in convoy with friends last year. One in a TVR Chim 4.0 one in a Lotus 111s and one in a Caterham. My Clio was every bit as fast as the 111s, even had a little bit more top end... and I was carrying everyones luggage. Both of us spanked on the TVR as soon as there was a hint of a corner. Really good little car, my only wish is that it were reare wheel drive. Can't have everything though. If the 'cup' was out a year ago I would probably have gone for that.
All in 100KGs have been lost in weight saving! with the suspension mods you can turn in quicker and it stays planted much more and grips like a monster, even the different alloys loose weight...
When Evo tested it on the track, I think at Jonathon Palmer's track, the standard 172 did a lap in 1.28, the Clio V6 1.28... the Cup 1.26!
The test I took was a real hoot! I used to have a 106 GTI and that was a right laugh, this is truly different league. Autocar said across country it would worry all but the most committed supercars and I can well believe it... Can't wait!
When Evo tested it on the track, I think at Jonathon Palmer's track, the standard 172 did a lap in 1.28, the Clio V6 1.28... the Cup 1.26!
The test I took was a real hoot! I used to have a 106 GTI and that was a right laugh, this is truly different league. Autocar said across country it would worry all but the most committed supercars and I can well believe it... Can't wait!
Sorry Thom, you are wrong... No air cond...
Thom, just a question, what are you doing next saturday (the 7th dec). Would you like to come with us ( Katy and I), for a demonstration. I wil be with the rs Cup and you will see many funny Renault sports cars ( spider, Alpine and others...).
Last news, there are only 3 cup in Paris... including mine
Thom, just a question, what are you doing next saturday (the 7th dec). Would you like to come with us ( Katy and I), for a demonstration. I wil be with the rs Cup and you will see many funny Renault sports cars ( spider, Alpine and others...).
Last news, there are only 3 cup in Paris... including mine
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