Nicole The Renaultsport Clio 197...
Discussion
Well, it's a year today since I picked up Nicole (had to be done didn't it) so I thought I should start a thread at long last. 
I'll start from the beginning... I'd always loved the Clio Williams as a kid and as I went through school the 172 and 182 came out and I always hoped to own one. I passed my driving test in December 2006 and promised myself I'd have a hot Clio eventually. Then in February 2008, I went on an MSV RaceMaster day at Oulton Park where I got to drive the 197 Cup and a Formula Brands. As cool as it was to drive the single seater, my overriding memory of the day was how much fun the 197 was, it was my first time driving on track (Oulton happens to have been my second home since about the age of 4) and my first time driving a 197. At this point, the hope turned into a promise. I would have one.
So, 2 years and 5 cars (Pug' 106 Rallye, Pug' 205 GTi 1.6, Ford Puma 1.7, FIAT Sei' Sporting, FIAT Coupe 16V Turbo) later, I found myself in the position to finally be able to afford to buy and insure one!!!
12 May 2010;
I paid £8495 for Nicole, she'd covered 30689Miles with 1 previous owner and had a FSH. She was up for £10500, but with some haggling and some hard-faced-ness I managed to blag the price down and get Tyre & Wheel Insurance thrown in for free as well as 12 Months Tax. I did have to buy my own mats and V-Power though, but still, I was happy with saving £2000!!!
13 May 2010;
A nice parcel arrived from K-Tec, an ITG Panel Filter. I'd ordered it 3 days before actually picking Nicole up.
13 June 2010;
Time for my first proper blast out, which happened to by my first trip to The EVO Triangle.
My dad had picked up his new Subaru Impreza WRXS just a week after I'd picked up Nicole, so it would've been rude for him not to join me.
The rest of the summer pretty much followed the same pattern of getting out and about whenever we could and just enjoying the cars. I'd always been a bit of a clean-freak too, so I started to get into the whole detailing thing which has since become a f?cking obsession. But, with our first child (Lewis Jenson) arriving in November, just as we moved house (literally the same day) the sh!te weather arrived and Nicole ended up looking more like a tractor for the next few months.
03 January 2011;
Normal service resumed once things had settled down after New Year and I got back into keeping Nicole nice and clean. I also figured it was about time I took her on track (Oulton, of course) and gave her the thrashing she deserved, I was also long overdue another trackday (last one was in November 2009). But, the brakes seemed like they could do with a freshen up as they weren't as powerful as I'd expected. I knew the Rear Discs were only a year old and the Rear Pads had been changed the day before I picked her up, so I refreshed the fronts...
20 January 2011;
Profile Automotive; Fitted Front Pads (OEM), Front Discs (OEM) & Millers Oils Race Fluid 300 Plus
22 January 2011;
Oulton Park, Focused Events; Again, my dad thought he best tag along in the WRXS (my mum wasn't too sure, but she's given up trying to reason with him now) and our good friend Craig also joined us in his Ford Focus ST (320BHP)...
03 April 2011;
Top Gear Stockport; Removed Centre Silencer
From then until now has seen a whole lot of detailing (most of which hasn't been photographed), even more driving (again, not so much with the photography) and too much fun to put into words. The Cat & Fiddle is now my local pub, despite being 15Miles away and I now know The EVO Triangle better than I know my back garden. This brings us up to now...
11 May 2011;
Northwest Performance; MOT & 4 Year Service.
Nicole flew through her MOT with no advisories and so I thought it was only fair to celebrate our aniversary by treating her to a Service.
12 May 2011;
So, that's my first year of Clio 197 ownership, I have some ''small'' plans for her over the next year so I'll update this accordingly.
I'll start from the beginning... I'd always loved the Clio Williams as a kid and as I went through school the 172 and 182 came out and I always hoped to own one. I passed my driving test in December 2006 and promised myself I'd have a hot Clio eventually. Then in February 2008, I went on an MSV RaceMaster day at Oulton Park where I got to drive the 197 Cup and a Formula Brands. As cool as it was to drive the single seater, my overriding memory of the day was how much fun the 197 was, it was my first time driving on track (Oulton happens to have been my second home since about the age of 4) and my first time driving a 197. At this point, the hope turned into a promise. I would have one.
So, 2 years and 5 cars (Pug' 106 Rallye, Pug' 205 GTi 1.6, Ford Puma 1.7, FIAT Sei' Sporting, FIAT Coupe 16V Turbo) later, I found myself in the position to finally be able to afford to buy and insure one!!!
12 May 2010;
I paid £8495 for Nicole, she'd covered 30689Miles with 1 previous owner and had a FSH. She was up for £10500, but with some haggling and some hard-faced-ness I managed to blag the price down and get Tyre & Wheel Insurance thrown in for free as well as 12 Months Tax. I did have to buy my own mats and V-Power though, but still, I was happy with saving £2000!!!
13 May 2010;
A nice parcel arrived from K-Tec, an ITG Panel Filter. I'd ordered it 3 days before actually picking Nicole up.
13 June 2010;
Time for my first proper blast out, which happened to by my first trip to The EVO Triangle.
My dad had picked up his new Subaru Impreza WRXS just a week after I'd picked up Nicole, so it would've been rude for him not to join me.
The rest of the summer pretty much followed the same pattern of getting out and about whenever we could and just enjoying the cars. I'd always been a bit of a clean-freak too, so I started to get into the whole detailing thing which has since become a f?cking obsession. But, with our first child (Lewis Jenson) arriving in November, just as we moved house (literally the same day) the sh!te weather arrived and Nicole ended up looking more like a tractor for the next few months.
03 January 2011;
Normal service resumed once things had settled down after New Year and I got back into keeping Nicole nice and clean. I also figured it was about time I took her on track (Oulton, of course) and gave her the thrashing she deserved, I was also long overdue another trackday (last one was in November 2009). But, the brakes seemed like they could do with a freshen up as they weren't as powerful as I'd expected. I knew the Rear Discs were only a year old and the Rear Pads had been changed the day before I picked her up, so I refreshed the fronts...
20 January 2011;
Profile Automotive; Fitted Front Pads (OEM), Front Discs (OEM) & Millers Oils Race Fluid 300 Plus
22 January 2011;
Oulton Park, Focused Events; Again, my dad thought he best tag along in the WRXS (my mum wasn't too sure, but she's given up trying to reason with him now) and our good friend Craig also joined us in his Ford Focus ST (320BHP)...
03 April 2011;
Top Gear Stockport; Removed Centre Silencer
From then until now has seen a whole lot of detailing (most of which hasn't been photographed), even more driving (again, not so much with the photography) and too much fun to put into words. The Cat & Fiddle is now my local pub, despite being 15Miles away and I now know The EVO Triangle better than I know my back garden. This brings us up to now...
11 May 2011;
Northwest Performance; MOT & 4 Year Service.
Nicole flew through her MOT with no advisories and so I thought it was only fair to celebrate our aniversary by treating her to a Service.
12 May 2011;
So, that's my first year of Clio 197 ownership, I have some ''small'' plans for her over the next year so I'll update this accordingly.
Edited by FLD_WILLIS on Friday 13th May 15:31
Cheers Another Fluffer!!! 
I'm smitten as you might be able to tell hahaha!!! If you've never had a go in one then I'd recommend you give one a try, especially now the prices are starting to come down a bit more. They're very very good out of the box and are so much fun to drive.
Thanks Mastodon, it's his third Impreza now and I have to say it's the best one to drive. It's a limited edition, basically a WRX with a Prodrive pack on and a few little extra styling goodies. He's replaced the centre pipe to get rid of a huge silencer (but luckily this hasn't made it too loud) and he's also added a Do-Luck Panel Filter.
I'm smitten as you might be able to tell hahaha!!! If you've never had a go in one then I'd recommend you give one a try, especially now the prices are starting to come down a bit more. They're very very good out of the box and are so much fun to drive. Thanks Mastodon, it's his third Impreza now and I have to say it's the best one to drive. It's a limited edition, basically a WRX with a Prodrive pack on and a few little extra styling goodies. He's replaced the centre pipe to get rid of a huge silencer (but luckily this hasn't made it too loud) and he's also added a Do-Luck Panel Filter.
Edited by FLD_WILLIS on Thursday 12th May 18:03
I might have to now 
Thanks Nas!!!
On track; It was quite damp in the morning so my dad had an obvious traction advantage with 4WD, I didn't find it too bad but Craig was spinning the wheels in 3rd and 4th. In the dry there wasn't much between the 3 with the ST being the fastest down the straights and the WRXS getting better exits out of the chicanes.
Clio 197 vs WRXS - In the wet my dad could pull away out of the corners but he was a little nervous through them due to a very sideways (no impact luckily, just a change of underwear) moment the previous year at Druids in his old Impreza ('07 WRX). I had a definate advantage under braking though. In the dry the difference between the WRXS and the Clio 197 on the straights wasn't as pronounced, he could pull away initially but I'd catch him right back up on the brakes and I'd say cornering speed were pretty much the same.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss1E2piXNnU
Clio 197 vs Focus ST - Craig struggled for grip coming out of the chicanes in both 2nd and 3rd gear in the dry and in the wet he was spinning the wheels into 4th as well coming up Deer Leap. The thing is a monster once it grips though. But, the brakes are poor (OEM discs with Mintex 1144 pads at the time) and he didn't have much confidence in them. Under braking and through the corners, I was much more comfortable in the Clio but once he got the power down he was gone. It was like somebody had hit the fast-forward button!!! Bear in mind that his car is far from standard though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqMPARXtOc4
WRXS vs Focus ST - My dad had masses more grip in the wet and was quicker all round, but in the dry Craig could pull away from him on the straights slightly. Braking wise, the WRXS was more competant (ST's are really under braked, Craig has now swapped pads & discs and is saving for some APs) and my dad could carry considerably more speed through the slower corners too but there wasn't much between them through the faster ones.
No video of those two together unfortunately...
All in all, the ST was the quickest on the straights (when it could put its power down) of the three but is let down by it's brakes big time and although Craig has upgraded the rear ARB, springs and bushes all round it's still a bit wallowy. A set of B8's are on the shopping list!!! The WRXS has silly amounts of grip and handles well but again it can't brake as well as the 197 can. The 197 is the slowest in a straight line but I'd say through the bends there's not much between that and the WRXS, if anything I could carry a little more speed.
I've been lucky enough to drive the ST & WRXS on the road... I love the 197, although you do really have to work the engine (which is part of the appeal for me). Where as the ST and WRXS just pick up so readily in every gear, in fact the ST can feel a bit lazy sometimes, it's effortless. The WRXS has a similar sort of ''pull'' but it's more revvy and feels more frantic than the ST. The ST is a great car, feels very solid but it does wallow about a bit compared to the WRXS. Which in turn feels quite wallowy in comparrison compared to the 197. As on track, the 197 has the best brakes for fast-road driving and the ST is the quickest in a straight line.
It's horses for courses really, they're all so different and have their own strengths which always makes for a fun blast out or trackday as in reality they're pretty close in performance despite what the stats would say on paper. I'm biased towards the 197 though, obviously.
ST;
WRXS;
On track; It was quite damp in the morning so my dad had an obvious traction advantage with 4WD, I didn't find it too bad but Craig was spinning the wheels in 3rd and 4th. In the dry there wasn't much between the 3 with the ST being the fastest down the straights and the WRXS getting better exits out of the chicanes.
Clio 197 vs WRXS - In the wet my dad could pull away out of the corners but he was a little nervous through them due to a very sideways (no impact luckily, just a change of underwear) moment the previous year at Druids in his old Impreza ('07 WRX). I had a definate advantage under braking though. In the dry the difference between the WRXS and the Clio 197 on the straights wasn't as pronounced, he could pull away initially but I'd catch him right back up on the brakes and I'd say cornering speed were pretty much the same.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss1E2piXNnU
Clio 197 vs Focus ST - Craig struggled for grip coming out of the chicanes in both 2nd and 3rd gear in the dry and in the wet he was spinning the wheels into 4th as well coming up Deer Leap. The thing is a monster once it grips though. But, the brakes are poor (OEM discs with Mintex 1144 pads at the time) and he didn't have much confidence in them. Under braking and through the corners, I was much more comfortable in the Clio but once he got the power down he was gone. It was like somebody had hit the fast-forward button!!! Bear in mind that his car is far from standard though.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqMPARXtOc4
WRXS vs Focus ST - My dad had masses more grip in the wet and was quicker all round, but in the dry Craig could pull away from him on the straights slightly. Braking wise, the WRXS was more competant (ST's are really under braked, Craig has now swapped pads & discs and is saving for some APs) and my dad could carry considerably more speed through the slower corners too but there wasn't much between them through the faster ones.
No video of those two together unfortunately...
All in all, the ST was the quickest on the straights (when it could put its power down) of the three but is let down by it's brakes big time and although Craig has upgraded the rear ARB, springs and bushes all round it's still a bit wallowy. A set of B8's are on the shopping list!!!
The WRXS has silly amounts of grip and handles well but again it can't brake as well as the 197 can. The 197 is the slowest in a straight line but I'd say through the bends there's not much between that and the WRXS, if anything I could carry a little more speed.I've been lucky enough to drive the ST & WRXS on the road... I love the 197, although you do really have to work the engine (which is part of the appeal for me). Where as the ST and WRXS just pick up so readily in every gear, in fact the ST can feel a bit lazy sometimes, it's effortless. The WRXS has a similar sort of ''pull'' but it's more revvy and feels more frantic than the ST. The ST is a great car, feels very solid but it does wallow about a bit compared to the WRXS. Which in turn feels quite wallowy in comparrison compared to the 197. As on track, the 197 has the best brakes for fast-road driving and the ST is the quickest in a straight line.
It's horses for courses really, they're all so different and have their own strengths which always makes for a fun blast out or trackday as in reality they're pretty close in performance despite what the stats would say on paper. I'm biased towards the 197 though, obviously.
ST;
WRXS;
Edited by FLD_WILLIS on Friday 13th May 17:24
Lovely! Nice to see one on track aswell!
I miss my 197 sooo much! Would have loved to have taken it on track. They feel so capable on the road, you never feel as though you're anywhere near the limit!
They still look good now, the 200 is a bit over the top for me. These, however, are pefect!
I miss my 197 sooo much! Would have loved to have taken it on track. They feel so capable on the road, you never feel as though you're anywhere near the limit!
They still look good now, the 200 is a bit over the top for me. These, however, are pefect!
Slagathore, I know what you mean about them on the road. I think I've seen the ESP light blink on twice in the whole time I've had her, it's ridiculous how much grip they have. Even with the ESP turned off, it's still very difficult to break traction. When I was on track I don't think I got anywhere near to the limit of the car, don't get me wrong I wasn't dawdling around but it's so hard to unstick the back end, even in the damp. Haha, yeah there's good banter between 197 & 200 owners regarding the looks!!!
TX, it's just a plate he uses for shows, trackdays etc. (MikeOGO being his usual name on forums), he has a blank yellow one on the back. Now that one was a pain in the arse trying to buy... I must've gone into 3 different shops for him asking for a blank rear plate before I managed to get one sorted, they must've thought I was planning a heist or something...
TX, it's just a plate he uses for shows, trackdays etc. (MikeOGO being his usual name on forums), he has a blank yellow one on the back. Now that one was a pain in the arse trying to buy... I must've gone into 3 different shops for him asking for a blank rear plate before I managed to get one sorted, they must've thought I was planning a heist or something...
Edited by FLD_WILLIS on Friday 13th May 20:19
FLD_WILLIS said:
Slagathore, I know what you mean about them on the road. I think I've seen the ESP light blink on twice in the whole time I've had her, it's ridiculous how much grip they have. Even with the ESP turned off, it's still very difficult to break traction. When I was on track I don't think I got anywhere near to the limit of the car, don't get me wrong I wasn't dawdling around but it's so hard to unstick the back end, even in the damp. Haha, yeah there's good banter between 197 & 200 owners regarding the looks!!!
I remember taking my brother out and scaring the crap out of him! Not from the straight line speed, but more of just the lack of braking before corners. I won't repeat what he called me Edited by FLD_WILLIS on Friday 13th May 20:19
I had one quick lesson in what lift off oversteer is on a roundabout, but even then, it was fairly tame, and I quickly learned never to lift off like that again. That was entirely down to my lack of experience, though. Having watched the video on 5th Gear with Tiff Needell at Castle Combe, in the right hands, they certainly enjoy a bit of oversteer.
Other than that, never got even close to using it properly.
It's a shame they're so expensive to tune, the chassis could take soo much more power.
That Fifth Gear segment is great, Tiff has ridiculous car control!!!
Gareth, you should have got it, the R27s are pretty rare and seem to be attracting slightly higher prices that normal ones now.
C0ldpl4ya, with the usual remap and breathing mods (standard induction setup is unbeatable, standard manifold is 4-2-1, standard cat is very unrestrictive, so you don't gain too much from a filter/cat-back combo without the remap really) you can see about an extra 10BHP at peak. Doesn't sound a whole lot but it's more how it affects the car lower down the rev range that makes the difference (peak torque isn't until ~5500RPM and peak power until ~7250RPM). With matched inlets you can see another 2BHP maybe, but again it all helps give the engine more shove low down. With mild ''fast road'' cams you can get another 5BHP but they come in at £800 plus fitting regardless of what brand you go for. Bascially to get another 25BHP you'll be looking at spending the thick end of £2000. Compare that to how much of a gain you'd get on a turbo engine for the same money... I have a few things planned that should hopefully see her get upto around 220BHP (currently 193.5BHP, bang on the book figure, according to Dastek rollers), but I'm not chasing a figure per say, I'd just like a little more grunt because as Slagathore says, the chassis is immense and feels like it could handle a chunk more. The Clio 200 Cup racers are ''only'' 205BHP by the way, the 197s were around 199BHP...
John D., no real point to them, I just think they look quite cool and a bit different. I think all cars look better without numberplates but didn't want to chance losing mine if I took them off so I just velcro'd these over the top. They're the plates they use in dealerships for the display cars.
Gareth, you should have got it, the R27s are pretty rare and seem to be attracting slightly higher prices that normal ones now.
C0ldpl4ya, with the usual remap and breathing mods (standard induction setup is unbeatable, standard manifold is 4-2-1, standard cat is very unrestrictive, so you don't gain too much from a filter/cat-back combo without the remap really) you can see about an extra 10BHP at peak. Doesn't sound a whole lot but it's more how it affects the car lower down the rev range that makes the difference (peak torque isn't until ~5500RPM and peak power until ~7250RPM). With matched inlets you can see another 2BHP maybe, but again it all helps give the engine more shove low down. With mild ''fast road'' cams you can get another 5BHP but they come in at £800 plus fitting regardless of what brand you go for. Bascially to get another 25BHP you'll be looking at spending the thick end of £2000. Compare that to how much of a gain you'd get on a turbo engine for the same money... I have a few things planned that should hopefully see her get upto around 220BHP (currently 193.5BHP, bang on the book figure, according to Dastek rollers), but I'm not chasing a figure per say, I'd just like a little more grunt because as Slagathore says, the chassis is immense and feels like it could handle a chunk more. The Clio 200 Cup racers are ''only'' 205BHP by the way, the 197s were around 199BHP...
John D., no real point to them, I just think they look quite cool and a bit different. I think all cars look better without numberplates but didn't want to chance losing mine if I took them off so I just velcro'd these over the top. They're the plates they use in dealerships for the display cars.
Edited by FLD_WILLIS on Saturday 14th May 10:32
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