Renaultsport Clio 182 Trophy

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The Clio 182 Trophy has been produced by Renaultsport's factory in Dieppe and will be sold to just 500 British enthusiasts (although 25 left-hookers will be built for minted Swiss Renault fans too), it costs £15,500, and is the last hurrah for the second-generation Clio before the all-new model arrives in early 2006.


Alloys and red paint are unique to the Trophy

Power comes from the same 2.0-litre engine as found in the more common Clio 182; that develops 182bhp and 147lb ft of torque, and gives the Clio Trophy a sub-seven second 0-62mph time and a top speed of 140mph. And compared with the regular 182, the Trophy gains Recaro sports seats, unique paint and Trophy livery as well as lightweight alloys and a rear spoiler borrowed from the Clio V6.

[B]Improved suspension [/B]

Changes under the skin are more dramatic, though. The Trophy's suspension is based on that of the Cup, but is lowered by 10mm thanks to shorter springs. The dampers are truly special, too. Developed by Sachs Race Engineering for competition cars, the front units cost 10 times as much as the regular 182's units. That high price is due to a remote reservoir which holds nearly half of the damper's oil and gas. This remote reservoir allows a thicker damper rod to be fitted which, along with a new hydraulic bump stop, lengthens suspension travel and reduces body roll and yaw.

Although stiffer than other 182s, the Trophy doesn't crash and jar over poorly surfaced roads - something which affects other sporty superminis such as the 206 GTi 180 and Seat Ibiza Cupra R. Only at high motorway speeds does the Trophy shimmy a little over bad patches of tarmac, but the compromise here pales into insignificance when you head for a section of twisty back road.


[B]Recaro seats hold well[/B]

The Trophy feels completely at home pushing hard through more challenging corners. The stiff suspension keeps body roll down to an absolute minimum, and any that does creep through is absorbed by those snug Recaro seats. The Michelin Exalto 2 tyres' grip is exceptional, even in wet conditions, and allows corners to be taken at what would be a truly frightening lick in lesser hatches.

The sense of confidence you get sitting in the Trophy is amplified by steering which communicates exactly what's happening under the front wheels. And while the driving position isn't ideal for those with long legs, you can soon get reasonably comfortable in the Clio's cabin. The throttle's quick to react, the brakes are strong - even after a sustained beating on a track - and the clutch is perfectly weighted. The five-speed gearbox has a slick, positive action and is very satisfying to use.

Those who like their tyres smoked will be glad to hear that the standard-fit ESP can be turned completely off. It allows a degree of tomfoolery even when it's switched on, too, limiting power to the front wheels only if it really has to. With the ESP off you can get the rear of the car to slide wide with some entertaining lift-off oversteer - although it is nowhere near as snappily vicious as it can be on a classic hot hatch such as the Peugeot 205 GTi. And comparing the Clio 182 Trophy to the venerable 205 GTi is inevitable, because the perky Pug is still one of the best-handling front-drive superminis out there. So it is ironic that the Renaultsport Clio, and not the Peugeot 206 GTi, is its spiritual successor.


[B]Each Trophy is indiviudally numbered - the sign of a true collector's piece [/B]

Renault's decision to devote a separate division to designing, developing and building (some by hand) its range of sporty cars has paid dividends. Since 2000 we've had the Clio 172, 172 Cup, 182, 182 Cup and now the Trophy - not forgetting two generations of the rear-wheel-drive Clio V6 - all of which have been brilliant drivers cars. Peugeot on the other hand has struggled to bring 138bhp and 180bhp versions of the 206 to market in time to compete with the Clio, and neither has shared their forebear's unrivalled success.

Renault has raised the bar for hot hatch excellence - again. The Clio Trophy is the best of its kind that Renault has ever produced, and puts every other hot hatch on the back foot - including contenders like the excellent Golf GTI. Even Ford and Vauxhall should be more than a little worried with the launch of their hot Focus ST and Astra VXR imminent. And if the current 182 Trophy impresses us this much, just imagine what's in store with the third evolution of the Renaultsport Clio, due out in autumn 2006...

Credits: Oneshift News Team