RenaultSport Clio 197 Albi Blue
Discussion
For those who have followed my previous MX-5 thread, you may remember that I was considering purchasing a new car for some time. The arrival of my son hadn't forced my hand per-se (we have another family car), but with the MX-5 being a two-seater, it's become such a lonely car. My wife can't come with me on any trips as there's now three of us.
It's time to sell, and while I'll be sad to see it go, I'm excited to start another chapter. Farewell Pip - if anyone's interested in purchasing it, just let me know.
I had considered an ND, but the above requirements quickly ruled it out. My wife's been wonderfully accommodating with the car, allowing lots of free reign of what I could choose. However there's still some personal requirements. These were:
- Naturally aspirated
- Small
- Practical
- Iconic/interesting/has soul (this ruled out almost all modern VAG cars)
- Revvy engine
- Capable on a circuit
- Don't have to modify much (if at all) to get the perfect car
This had been narrowed down to two cars, the Honda Civic FN2 Type R Championship White (the CW edition has the limited slip diff, and it's the best colour), or a Clio R.S. 197. I'd originally sold myself on the Honda, but a few things had changed my mind. Firstly, having owned that generation Civic only to throw it in the bin 6 months later due to rust that was hidden from us has scared me to death on owning another. Secondly, the standard kit of the Renault has been impressive. Brembo 4-pot brakes, that chassis, supportive seats, cruise control, and some with Recaro CS buckets as standard.
I pulled the plug on Friday, and purchased myself this gorgeous Albi Blue 197. Photos are from the advert.
The photos really don't do the condition of this car justice. It's without doubt the best condition car I've owned, and it's without a scratch inside and out. Apparently, the previous owner (one of two total owners) was an enthusiast in his early 70's who traded this in along with a 3-series for a Megane F1, and was - and I quote the dealer - "a pain in the ass for detail" as he wanted everything to be perfect. To be fair, it shows in the condition of the car.
The paint has ceramic coating by Gyeon, with certificates to prove. It's 80,000 miles, had it's cambelt replaced, four relatively new Continental tyres, a new radiator fitted before I picked the car up, full service history, and on top of the condition it also has a newly re-trimmed steering wheel, which is a lovely thing to hold. It looks, drives and smells like a car with 5,000 on the clock. I paid £6,400 for it and couldn't be happier. There are a few cheaper but I've been stung a few times recently buying privately, so spending more on warranty, condition, and peace of mind was priceless for me.
The first photo taken of the car when stopping off for some food on the way home:
I've covered all of the good points, so here's some very minor bad points:
- Infotainment is terrible (not the car's fault, it's from 2006)
- It's in desperate need of a four-wheel alignment
- The brakes have been DIY refurbished in black, with the Brembo sticker upside down on one of them (how did they get this wrong)
- Third brake light doesn't work, possibly just a bulb
- Battery cover was missing
The drive to work this morning was fun, almost 200bhp in a Clio is quite the laugh; I've not owned a hot-hatch previously, so this is my introduction into the world of practical madness.
Not great on fuel though, averaging 32mpg...
I had an idea of the perfect spec Clio in my head, which included items such as the cup spoiler, projector headlights, exhaust tips, and so on. These are easily retro-fitted. Aside from the Recaro buckets (which I'll invest in the future), the minute I was home I jumped on ebay and ordered the following:
- Genuine RenaultSport cup spoiler
- Exhaust tips
- Projector headlights
- Steering wheel insert
The above were all options from Renault when new. I'm aiming to stick closely to keeping the car as authentic as possible, and not after-market. I also ordered:
- Apple CarPlay
- Used battery cover
- Wheel nut caps
The steering wheel insert can be seen at the bottom of this wheel:
The Cup spoiler is one that's going to divide a lot of readers here. If you're unsure of what this is, here it is on another 197 along with previously mentioned exhaust tips:
Yes, it borders a little towards the 'too much' scale, but it's a genuine Renault option that unapologetically says 'RenaultSport'. It's a hot hatch, has to have a little bit of silliness, right? The exhaust tips also complete the bottom nicely, but these may or may not go on - they were relatively cheap, so I'll see how I feel.
Lastly, the Apple CarPlay will replace the radio display on the dash with a screen:
It's very natural in its implementation to the dash, and doesn't look massively aftermarket like most double-din devices. This would render the multi-CD changer useless, but I'll be sure to splice some power to it so that it does still illuminate at night.
My thoughts so far on the look of the car; I love the rear diffuser. The fact that it's a functional device (40kg of downforce at 80mph) scratches that nerdy part of my brain. The wing vents on the front also look great with the wide body of the 197. Everything has a function, and everything has its place. The same can't be said for the interior; while it's not a bad place to be at all, it's an interior that was dated the moment it was released. It's very limited, very simple, but for what I want this car for it's fine. It's in great condition, so none of the complaints I've heard of cheap sticky plastics seem to be present here.
To drive, I can't comment too much on the handling due to how far out the tracking is. I can tell what the chassis wants to do - there's very little roll, brilliantly direct steering and good connectivity between myself and the tyres. Its agility is hard to measure until I get the alignment done, but I'll be sure to report back on this. Having spoken to a very well known driver about the 197, he had commented that they were 'a mini GT3RS on track'. That comment was a bold one, but one that I trusted with their experience.
The engine is full of soul. I'm a little confused by those who have said 'there's no torque beneath 5,000rpm' - I've found it has plenty. Then again, I am coming from MX-5 ownership (which has 154bhp from the same capacity). It's not the most responsive of engines, with a notable delay between throttle input and engine response, making heel-and-toe'ing a little trickier than the MX-5. The sound is lovely across all RPM's, even at low revs the engine has a lovely snarl.
The gearbox is smooth with no crunches or grinding. It's the ratio's of the box that's put the biggest smile on my face. The ratio's are so short that you get a real sense of urgency; the revs not dropping much between gears. This naturally has a big impact on 6th for motorway speeds, with the car sitting angrily at 3,500rpm at 70mph. It's a little high, but nothing you don't get used to, and certainly nothing that stops you having a conversation between passengers.
So far then, I'm impressed. There's nothing critical that I have to do to this car to make this capable on track. I'll be keeping the suspension and brakes (aside from pads) stock, as well as the exhaust system. I don't need this to be any more capable than it already is, and certainly don't want it to try and harder than what it is currently. It's still a 20-year old Clio, after all. That fact surprises me each time I give the go-faster pedal a squirt.
I'll be booking a track day at Anglesey in May to push the chassis and to relive the days of hilarious lift-off oversteer.
More soon.
It's time to sell, and while I'll be sad to see it go, I'm excited to start another chapter. Farewell Pip - if anyone's interested in purchasing it, just let me know.
I had considered an ND, but the above requirements quickly ruled it out. My wife's been wonderfully accommodating with the car, allowing lots of free reign of what I could choose. However there's still some personal requirements. These were:
- Naturally aspirated
- Small
- Practical
- Iconic/interesting/has soul (this ruled out almost all modern VAG cars)
- Revvy engine
- Capable on a circuit
- Don't have to modify much (if at all) to get the perfect car
This had been narrowed down to two cars, the Honda Civic FN2 Type R Championship White (the CW edition has the limited slip diff, and it's the best colour), or a Clio R.S. 197. I'd originally sold myself on the Honda, but a few things had changed my mind. Firstly, having owned that generation Civic only to throw it in the bin 6 months later due to rust that was hidden from us has scared me to death on owning another. Secondly, the standard kit of the Renault has been impressive. Brembo 4-pot brakes, that chassis, supportive seats, cruise control, and some with Recaro CS buckets as standard.
I pulled the plug on Friday, and purchased myself this gorgeous Albi Blue 197. Photos are from the advert.
The photos really don't do the condition of this car justice. It's without doubt the best condition car I've owned, and it's without a scratch inside and out. Apparently, the previous owner (one of two total owners) was an enthusiast in his early 70's who traded this in along with a 3-series for a Megane F1, and was - and I quote the dealer - "a pain in the ass for detail" as he wanted everything to be perfect. To be fair, it shows in the condition of the car.
The paint has ceramic coating by Gyeon, with certificates to prove. It's 80,000 miles, had it's cambelt replaced, four relatively new Continental tyres, a new radiator fitted before I picked the car up, full service history, and on top of the condition it also has a newly re-trimmed steering wheel, which is a lovely thing to hold. It looks, drives and smells like a car with 5,000 on the clock. I paid £6,400 for it and couldn't be happier. There are a few cheaper but I've been stung a few times recently buying privately, so spending more on warranty, condition, and peace of mind was priceless for me.
The first photo taken of the car when stopping off for some food on the way home:
I've covered all of the good points, so here's some very minor bad points:
- Infotainment is terrible (not the car's fault, it's from 2006)
- It's in desperate need of a four-wheel alignment
- The brakes have been DIY refurbished in black, with the Brembo sticker upside down on one of them (how did they get this wrong)
- Third brake light doesn't work, possibly just a bulb
- Battery cover was missing
The drive to work this morning was fun, almost 200bhp in a Clio is quite the laugh; I've not owned a hot-hatch previously, so this is my introduction into the world of practical madness.
Not great on fuel though, averaging 32mpg...
I had an idea of the perfect spec Clio in my head, which included items such as the cup spoiler, projector headlights, exhaust tips, and so on. These are easily retro-fitted. Aside from the Recaro buckets (which I'll invest in the future), the minute I was home I jumped on ebay and ordered the following:
- Genuine RenaultSport cup spoiler
- Exhaust tips
- Projector headlights
- Steering wheel insert
The above were all options from Renault when new. I'm aiming to stick closely to keeping the car as authentic as possible, and not after-market. I also ordered:
- Apple CarPlay
- Used battery cover
- Wheel nut caps
The steering wheel insert can be seen at the bottom of this wheel:
The Cup spoiler is one that's going to divide a lot of readers here. If you're unsure of what this is, here it is on another 197 along with previously mentioned exhaust tips:
Yes, it borders a little towards the 'too much' scale, but it's a genuine Renault option that unapologetically says 'RenaultSport'. It's a hot hatch, has to have a little bit of silliness, right? The exhaust tips also complete the bottom nicely, but these may or may not go on - they were relatively cheap, so I'll see how I feel.
Lastly, the Apple CarPlay will replace the radio display on the dash with a screen:
It's very natural in its implementation to the dash, and doesn't look massively aftermarket like most double-din devices. This would render the multi-CD changer useless, but I'll be sure to splice some power to it so that it does still illuminate at night.
My thoughts so far on the look of the car; I love the rear diffuser. The fact that it's a functional device (40kg of downforce at 80mph) scratches that nerdy part of my brain. The wing vents on the front also look great with the wide body of the 197. Everything has a function, and everything has its place. The same can't be said for the interior; while it's not a bad place to be at all, it's an interior that was dated the moment it was released. It's very limited, very simple, but for what I want this car for it's fine. It's in great condition, so none of the complaints I've heard of cheap sticky plastics seem to be present here.
To drive, I can't comment too much on the handling due to how far out the tracking is. I can tell what the chassis wants to do - there's very little roll, brilliantly direct steering and good connectivity between myself and the tyres. Its agility is hard to measure until I get the alignment done, but I'll be sure to report back on this. Having spoken to a very well known driver about the 197, he had commented that they were 'a mini GT3RS on track'. That comment was a bold one, but one that I trusted with their experience.
The engine is full of soul. I'm a little confused by those who have said 'there's no torque beneath 5,000rpm' - I've found it has plenty. Then again, I am coming from MX-5 ownership (which has 154bhp from the same capacity). It's not the most responsive of engines, with a notable delay between throttle input and engine response, making heel-and-toe'ing a little trickier than the MX-5. The sound is lovely across all RPM's, even at low revs the engine has a lovely snarl.
The gearbox is smooth with no crunches or grinding. It's the ratio's of the box that's put the biggest smile on my face. The ratio's are so short that you get a real sense of urgency; the revs not dropping much between gears. This naturally has a big impact on 6th for motorway speeds, with the car sitting angrily at 3,500rpm at 70mph. It's a little high, but nothing you don't get used to, and certainly nothing that stops you having a conversation between passengers.
So far then, I'm impressed. There's nothing critical that I have to do to this car to make this capable on track. I'll be keeping the suspension and brakes (aside from pads) stock, as well as the exhaust system. I don't need this to be any more capable than it already is, and certainly don't want it to try and harder than what it is currently. It's still a 20-year old Clio, after all. That fact surprises me each time I give the go-faster pedal a squirt.
I'll be booking a track day at Anglesey in May to push the chassis and to relive the days of hilarious lift-off oversteer.
More soon.
Lovely looking car, and I approve of the modifications and improvements so far! I'm a big Renault Sport guy (even spent the best part of a decade at the F1 team), and had a 197 myself in Ultra Red. I ended up going too far with track focused mods and safety elements in pursuit of it eventually being ready to go racing, but then COVID happened and all momentum with that project was lost, so I ran it as a track day car for a few years before selling it on - I still miss it (or at least the form it was in before the bucket seats and cage).
I wholeheartedly approve of the Cup spoiler, and actually have a Cup splitter in my garage that I never got around to fitting. I figure I either need to sell it, or get another 197! Here are some photos of mine:
I wholeheartedly approve of the Cup spoiler, and actually have a Cup splitter in my garage that I never got around to fitting. I figure I either need to sell it, or get another 197! Here are some photos of mine:
these are lovely pics! as someone who was also looking at a 197 on the 4-5k budget, i was a little scared of all of them being a bit abused, as well the countless electrical issues ive heard with these which are a pain to solve. ended up in a MK2 Swift Sport, but its probably a completely different league of car to this. looks lovely in that blue too!
Discendo Discimus said:
Geraint, weird question but did you used to be on the Citroen Saxo forum Saxperience? Your name rings a bell.
Love the look of the Mx5 and interested to see what you do with the Clio.
I was riding my motorbike down the M42 last night when it dawned on me that Geraint Thomas rings a bell because he's a cyclist that I've been a fan of for years. Christ I'm losing the plot. Love the look of the Mx5 and interested to see what you do with the Clio.
That looks a really good example.
I bought my clio after a particularly badly run supercar experience day at bands hatch. The queues were enormous, everyone getting very annoyed, so the organisers said we could swap 3 laps in the supercar for 10 laps in a 197 clio. I did and it was a revelation. I bought my 172 a month later.
I bought my clio after a particularly badly run supercar experience day at bands hatch. The queues were enormous, everyone getting very annoyed, so the organisers said we could swap 3 laps in the supercar for 10 laps in a 197 clio. I did and it was a revelation. I bought my 172 a month later.
Burny16v said:
Lovely looking car, and I approve of the modifications and improvements so far! I'm a big Renault Sport guy (even spent the best part of a decade at the F1 team), and had a 197 myself in Ultra Red. I ended up going too far with track focused mods and safety elements in pursuit of it eventually being ready to go racing, but then COVID happened and all momentum with that project was lost, so I ran it as a track day car for a few years before selling it on - I still miss it (or at least the form it was in before the bucket seats and cage).
I wholeheartedly approve of the Cup spoiler, and actually have a Cup splitter in my garage that I never got around to fitting. I figure I either need to sell it, or get another 197! Here are some photos of mine:
That's great to see, also interesting to hear about your career too. Looks a fantastic car, did you rate it on track?I wholeheartedly approve of the Cup spoiler, and actually have a Cup splitter in my garage that I never got around to fitting. I figure I either need to sell it, or get another 197! Here are some photos of mine:
Discendo Discimus said:
Geraint, weird question but did you used to be on the Citroen Saxo forum Saxperience? Your name rings a bell.
Love the look of the Mx5 and interested to see what you do with the Clio.
Holy hell. Well remembered, I certainly was on there with my dark green 1.0 Saxo. First forum I had signed up to... good memories.Love the look of the Mx5 and interested to see what you do with the Clio.
cannedrex2406 said:
these are lovely pics! as someone who was also looking at a 197 on the 4-5k budget, i was a little scared of all of them being a bit abused, as well the countless electrical issues ive heard with these which are a pain to solve. ended up in a MK2 Swift Sport, but its probably a completely different league of car to this. looks lovely in that blue too!
I'm trying not to jinx myself and not mention 'electrics' and 'Clio' in the same sentence, but there may already be some gremlins. At least it's nothing major... may have jinxed myself there.Marshall878 said:
I can't believe the value of these now, and it's so clean! The Carplay looks great, wish that was an option back in 2010-2013. The Cup spoiler was a non negotiable when spec'ing mine (I know it's a 200!), it really improves the silloutte.
Look forward to the updates.
Yellow was the colour I was looking for, but as of the time I bought this one, there were a total of 7 Clio 197's for sale on AutoTrader. Not exactly pick of the bunch unfortunately! Beautiful car.Look forward to the updates.
the-norseman said:
Never been a fan of French cars but did fancy a RS Clio, I looked at a few of the 200s, the spoiler and seats are a must have.
Agreed, same thoughts here. The seats were also a must-have, but since using the standard seats I'm surprised how good they are. Very comfortable and supportive. I'm now in two minds if the Recaro's, the main reason for getting them is to use a harness for track use, but apparently using a harness on a reclining bucket is a big no, which rules out the point of using those seats. I may still look into them, but the urgency isn't there anymore.Discendo Discimus said:
I was riding my motorbike down the M42 last night when it dawned on me that Geraint Thomas rings a bell because he's a cyclist that I've been a fan of for years. Christ I'm losing the plot.
Oh god please don't remind me, that was a crazy period on Twitter.Bowen86 said:
Used to see the MX5 around Caerphilly quite often. Not a 197 but keep your eyes peeled for my 172 Cup.
Hello fellow phillian - I'll keep my eyes peeled. We should grab a coffee sometime?Cambs_Stuart said:
That looks a really good example.
I bought my clio after a particularly badly run supercar experience day at bands hatch. The queues were enormous, everyone getting very annoyed, so the organisers said we could swap 3 laps in the supercar for 10 laps in a 197 clio. I did and it was a revelation. I bought my 172 a month later.
Amazing how much fun you can have in a small car, I'm not surprised at all. Really looking forward to throwing this around Anglesey in May. Having relatively recently driven the new A45 AMG, E63 AMG, and C63 AMG (the 4-cylinder one) around a circuit, I’d have driven home with the A-Class any day of the week. It wasn't so much the power but the size of the thing; loved it.I bought my clio after a particularly badly run supercar experience day at bands hatch. The queues were enormous, everyone getting very annoyed, so the organisers said we could swap 3 laps in the supercar for 10 laps in a 197 clio. I did and it was a revelation. I bought my 172 a month later.
Couple of things to update.
All of the parts (aside from the wing, which I'm picking up Saturday) have arrived. The exhaust tips fit perfectly, and a quick test fit shows how lovely they look.
The battery cover was missing from the car
Picked up this apparent 'A-Grade condition' cover. After messaging the seller to inform them that it was nothing like the condition of the one photographed, they replied simply with 'Sorry' and refunded me. Got to keep the cover. After a clean it's still not perfect, but it'll do for now - I'll re-paint soon.
Next up, alignment.
I can't stress how bad the alignment was; the wheel was angled to the right while the car pulled to the left. The before and after shows how hilariously bad the toe was, but also how spot-on the tech got the alignment afterwards. A nice surprise, and not the typical "it's in the green therefore it's fine" approach. Nice one ETB. Shame the camber isn't adjustable on these, but considering the only adjustable element is the front toe (rear is locked entirely), the good news is that it's only £40 for an alignment.
While it was up on the ramp, it gave me an opportunity to get under the car properly for the first time.
I'm amazed how big that diffuser is, but also how flat the underside of the car is (note the left and right sides). I suppose it would have to be considering the diffuser at the rear.
What was a nice surprise was how little rust there was.
That's the rear subframe, which is what rusts the worst on these 197's. Looks good, which has me wondering if this car had been undersealed. I may get it done regardless.
The headlamps had also arrived
Although the left headlamp looks quite bad, it's in fact mostly dirt. A quick wipe removed the mist (noticeable on the right corner of the left headlamp), but even so they'll be treated to a machine polish soon as there's a few scratches on the lenses. What's funny is that if I fit these, it would be the only scratch on the car.
The steering wheel insert also arrived
Fits great, but needs a longer screw than supplied due to the extra thickness of the wrapped wheel. Will re-fit when I get chance.
I ordered this directly from Renault, and noticed that the delivery contained two items. I only ordered the one package, but the second was quite heavy. To my surprise, Renault had sent over a freebie...
Quality. Love a good mug. Thanks Renault!
The Apple CarPlay device had arrived. I managed to butcher a laptop charger cable to enable me to turn the device on at home. I mocked up a RenaultSport start screen to replace the boot logo, and a simple wallpaper to add to the authenticity with a new relatively plain theme. Hopefully a nice touch, and doesn't scream after-market.
The CarPlay feature is lovely. For £100 it's well worth the money, and a lot better than most OEM implementations, especially of this age.
Lovely screen too, but I'll need to jump a cable to the illumination pin to simulate the headlights turning on, so that I can properly assess how dim I can get the screen at night. The last thing I'd want is this to be blinding, so I'll have to do some tweaking later.
I've ordered the radio removal keys (£3.50 from Amazon, arriving tomorrow), so will get on that tomorrow evening. It doesn't look like a huge job, and it's one that I'm looking forward to as there's only so much I can listen to the same Feeder albums over and over...
More soon.
LewisA10 said:
Love these! Yellow is obviously the one but wasn t familiar with the blue, that s nice.
Got a link for the screen?
Completely agree. The blue is gorgeous in person, undoubtedly helped by whoever detailed it last.Got a link for the screen?
Here's the screen:
https://ebay.us/m/iG9pzx
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