27 Aug 02
Nevertheless, in second and third gear, and preferably mid-corner, are where the Clio shines brightest. The weight loss, some suspension mods (it's lower, wider and stiffer), and the fact that it's louder than standard all make the Cup feel rampantly enthusiastic; it just loves to be driven hard. The steering is extremely communicative, and there's plenty of front-end grip on the turn-in to a corner. Go in smoothly and quickly and the Clio will lift an inside rear wheel. Lift-off and the rear-end becomes entertainingly loose like the stock Clio 172.
Difference is, as the Cup is lighter, and has that widened-track and those suspension revisions, it's much more composed than the 172, which itself isn't shabby. The Cup corners with almost race-car like adjustability, so it's more controllable than the standard car, with super-sharp responses. On a track day, I'd imagine that a Clio Cup would very convincingly cream all of its current rivals. It even comes without ABS for that very purpose, though that's not quite so great on the road, where the brakes are a little snatchy and it's easy to lock-up over uneven surfaces. But as the Cup feels more alive as a result, that's easily forgiven.
So, the Cup is the most thrilling new hot-hatch you can buy, albeit far from the most comfortable or cosseting. The Cup is more akin to an Integra Type R than a Civic Type R (praise the heavens); the latter or a Mini Cooper S would make much easier companions day-in, day-out, but neither is such a hoot when the going gets twisty (and neither is as cheap, either).
Now back to the burning question: is it as good as the Daddy? Possibly not. The 205 GTi is still a remarkable machine today, incredibly adept at cornering and extremely rewarding to drive. Plus, of course, it has the wowing, 'this car is 18 years old!' factor. It's almost not worth the discussion, a kind of 'is Schumacher better than Fangio?' question.
Each are the best of the current breed. Put against its peers, the Cup doesn't suffer the subjective discussions of icon status. Quite simply, against the current crop of hot-hatchbacks, the Clio Cup doesn't have to be as good as the Daddy. Because it is the Daddy.
