4th Oct 2003, 19:47

Where did you get the ECU upgrade fitted mate and how much did it set you back?

8th Oct 2003, 18:29

I've had my Clio Cup since April and have so far been very pleased with it. I've owned many performance cars over the years and I'd have to say that the Cup is one of the best all-rounders I've driven.

The sub-seven second 0-60 time is plenty quick enough to entertain for months to come, as is the mid-range grunt. The cup has that genuine feeling of power, something missing in many other hot hatches. If you're thinking of buying a Cup, test-drive the competition and you'll see what I mean. I've been well impressed with the petrol consumption too, returning 35mpg around town.

By far the most impressive aspect of this car though is the handling. I still cannot believe a front-wheel drive hatch can stick likes this thing does. It's up there with some four-wheel drive saloons costing twice the price. I reckon the first parts to need replacing through wear and tear will be suspension components, or at least mine will! So take it easy!

Problems? Well, having read other owners comments I can also confirm that things have been running pretty smoothly. My car was an ex-demo, used by sales staff. I was a bit cautious about this, but ultimately the car drove perfectly and a nice little saving was made. I've driven it fairly hard myself since anyway and it's taken it like you'd expect from a road-going track car, no problems. A word of warning though, if you're after a smooth ride, forget it. These baby's rattle like every good Renault should! The rock-hard suspension doe'snt help either.

The Cup is a no frills performer, taking me back to the days of my old 5 GT turbo whenever I get in it. But hopefully it'll be more reliable!

6th Dec 2003, 12:12

Hi I am thinking of buying a Clio Cup up, but have a few questions.

1. Has anyone who owns the Clio cup ever owned a Saxo VTS and if so how much faster does the Clio feel as opposed to the Saxo?

2. Does it feel faster than a Civic Type-R?

Cheers!

16th Dec 2003, 08:55

I currently own the Clio Cup (about to sell due to a company car though!) : (

I owned a Saxo VTS before, and would say you only really notice the difference of performance from 3rd gear onwards in a straight out drag. It pulls a hell of a lot harder and from lower down than the VTS though.

All in I am glad I got the Cup as a replacement for the VTS.

One word of warning though, wet weather handling in the Cup can be a bit scary at times, it doesn't feel as sure as the VTS, but then, I'm probably pushing it a bit harder!

Ah well, roll on 2.0 DTI Vectra : (

19th Dec 2003, 04:56

Shame you got to sell your Cup, my company actually got one for me as a company car. It is actually an extremely viable alternative to most 'common' company cars. The company car tax is very low, purely because of the price, I think it amounts to something like £53 per month.

Anyway, enjoy your cup for as long as you can.

AC.

6th Apr 2004, 06:25

Hi.

I have had my 172 cup for nearly 2 weeks now. I have never had so much fun with my trousers on. I am finding that the fuel consumption is quite scary, but I think that is as the new engine is being run in. I have not found a corner that it will not take faster than I want to go round it.

I would like to modify it, but I wonder whether all it would result in is more wheel spin as it seems to be right on the limit at present?

15th Jul 2004, 14:39

Hi.

I have had a Clio Cup now for about 3 weeks, and in that time I have got a viper induction kit and have also had the ECU remapped which was then put on the rollers and is over 190bhp. I've found that you are able to keep it in gear for much longer and feels much more responsive. I would suggest this to anyone that has a Clio cup. Just a question how much drop would you suggest if I wanted my car lowered?

7th Aug 2004, 02:32

Hello to everyone. In response to all what has been posted above, I have the following to say:

1. In terms of Cup Vs. Standard Sport: Go for the sport. ABS is very likely to save your behind in a critical situation. I was once driving my 172 on a 4 lane (2 in each direction) highway, with a concrete median. I was doing about 140km/hr in the fast lane when suddenly a guy driving a Toyota Land Cruiser (and talking on the phone) swerved from the right lane half-was into my lane, making it impossible to pass him from either left or right. Let's make it this way, he was no more than 30 meters ahead of me, driving at no more than 40-60km/hr. That is once scenario where ABS saved the day! Without it I probably would not have been here to write this today!

2. In terms of performance modifications: The standard car performs so well, you really don't NEED any mods. But if you are a power junky (like myself) I would recommend an induction kit as a first modification. The standard induction system on the 172 is extremely restrictive and some people have seen as much as 15+HP gains just by installing a cold-air induction kit. Replacing the stock exhaust system is really not worth the money because the stock system is relatively free flowing and HP gains are not spectacular and cost way more $/HP vs. Induction modifications. Also, ECU/software upgraded are very effective in terms of cost and HP gains, but don't do the ECU before doing a cold-air induction kit. The ECU upgrade is twice as effective if you already have the induction kit.

I know someone who has installed a strut-tower brace in the front and in the back. In the back, this can be argued either way, but in the front you are truly wasting your money because although the car lacks this component in stock form, the engine block itself is a laterally stressed memeber and does the job of this brace already.

3. Driving the Sport 172, and being unable to out accelerate other cars is very highly dependent upon your driving technique. The car gets widely varying acceleration curves with different shift points and methods. For example, off the line, a sliding clutch drop from around 2500-3000RPM gives the best results. Less revs will bog down the engine and more revs cause too much traction loss. Never attempt clutchless shifting because the synchromesh is actually quite slow and you may row the gears. In first and second gears, shift around 6750-7000RPM. Don't bother revving past 6500 any higher gears because you will actually lose acceleration. When shifting from first to second, just after you depress the clutch and move the shifter into second, slam the gas and then dump the clutch for best acceleration surge (and make sure you are in a very smooth straight line otherwise you may skid sideways and lose control). If you shift like this, you should be able to hit 100km/hr in the low 6s range and 160km/hr in the low 18s or high 17s. A quarter mile should be completed in about 15.2-15.3s.

Cheers and drive on! And, ALWAYS wear your seat belt :)