13 Apr 07
The Cup chassis makes the Clio F1 feel edgier and more characterful than the regular 197 - so would-be buyers of the 197 would do well to wait until September to get the Cup pack.
But what Renault really needs to do with the Clio 197 is strip away the extra weight it's carrying around - make it lighter and some of the old Clio 182 magic should come back. At the moment RenaultSport can only do so much with a car weighing 1,240kg, especially if it continues to shun the idea of slapping a turbocharger onto the engine to improve low- and mid-range performance.
We want more from the Clio, and some stickers and stiffer springs are certainly not the whole answer.
For now though, it'll have to do. So if you fancy getting hold of the current best Clio 197, you'd better not think about it for too long. Only 500 are going to be made for the UK, identified by the numbered plate in the interior, and they'll be snapped up pretty quickly, even at £17,250, which is £1,255 more than the regular 197.
