28 Jan 04
For 2004, the Renaultsport Clio has gained an extra 10bhp, making it the most powerful production hot hatch in its class. Even better, the revised Clio sports a range of handling improvements over the 172. This car spearheads revisions to the whole Clio range before an all-new car, based on the underpinnings of the Nissan Micra, arrives in 2005. These revisions also signal the end of the stripped-out Clio 172 Cup, despite Renault selling over 1,800 in the UK since its launch. If you're still hankering after one, then get to your dealer quick as there's only about 50 still unsold.
Those extra ten horses have been released by re-designing the exhaust system, all the way from the manifold to the rear silencer. A metallic catalytic converter makes its first ever appearance on a Renault, whose thinner internal walls than a ceramic converter allow it to be more compact and less resistant to the free flow of exhaust gases. From this, the exhaust is fed into two rear silencers mounted side by side, with both tips poking out from the rear bumper, Clio V6 stylie. Because the two silencers rob space, the spare wheel has been removed and is replaced by a can of get-you-home foam.
The changes between the 172 and the 182 aren't just about power and pretty exhausts, however. The chassis has undergone revisions that are more significant than they first appear. The front track (distance between wheels) has been increased by 12mm and the rear by 16mm; the wheelbase (between front and rear wheels) has also been stretched by 13mm. All this talk of millimetres may not seem much, but in essence it is pushing the wheels further out to the corners of the car, giving better stability and improved grip.
The suspension hasn't been left out either. Stiffer front springs (up 10 percent), and a thicker anti-roll bar at the rear (up 2mm to 24mm) grant 12 percent more stiffness overall. The castor angle of the front wheels has increased from 1.35 to 3 degrees - this helps to keep the wheels more vertical with the road under hard cornering. All these small changes, coupled with a newly designed, 10mm wider tyre co-developed between Renaultsport and Michelin, keep the 182 firmly pressed to the tarmac.
