MOTOR
GARAGE
O
n a bent road Renault
Sport’s last Clio cleaved
your face into a grin with
its tight, alert chassis,
sweet six-speed manual and a naturally-
aspirated two-litre donk that, at its
7750rpm redline, caused the curling of
toes and widening of pupils.
But unlike the lucky few who have
some serpentine road at their doorstep,
us city-slickers have done a day’s
driving by the time we’ve been to our
favourite road and back. By which
stage, in Renault Sport’s last Clio,
after cleaving your face into said grin,
your backside would be mercilessly
pummelled by a harsh ride and you’d be
generally wrung of all your humanity.
Not to mention, you could only fit one
body in the boot.
She wasn’t the most comfortable, or
practical thing. And lately, I’ve been
thinking about this idea. Let’s call it
the “90/10” – the percentage split thatLONG-TERM DIARIES
DISTANCE THIS MONTH 3052KM | TOTAL 4503KM FUEL THIS MONTH 8.2L/100KM | AVER AGE 8.2L/100KMOur new pocket rocket
The Clio RS200 EDC is less thrilling, but will it be more liveable?
makes performance engineering for the
masses such an art. The 90 per cent is
everyday use, so you prefer a car that’s
comfortable, quiet, practical, rides well
and easy to drive. The 10 per cent, which
is traditionally what MOTOR cares most
about, is about the kick as you nail the
throttle, how much the exhaust note
tempts you to find a long tunnel, the
car’s behaviour at, and beyond, its limit.
They’re difficult goals to intertwine
and it’s probably why many performance
cars are perfectly capable and
comfortable commuters, but average
on a track. Or why some bewitching,
road-registered track weapons will have
you shopping for a car trailer and a tow
vehicle. Or torching the thing after a
long drive.
The new, turbocharged Clio RS EDC is
an attempt by Renault Sport to improve
the old Clio’s performance in that 90 per
cent zone without loss to the old car’s
thrilling behaviour in the other 10.Which makes it the perfect subject for
a long-term report, particularly given
we’ve just delivered the long-term
verdict on its more driver-focused, less
comfortable and less practical rivals –
the Fiesta ST and 208 GTi. Meet 1CD
6HB, MOTOR’s new Flame Red Clio RS
Cup Premium, in all its range-topping
$ 3 7, 2 9 0 g l o r y.
That extra $8K over the base Sport
Clio scores you goodies like the stiffer
Cup chassis, RS Monitor 2.0 (the sat-
nav central screen which will have your
nose buried in the user manual for days),
reversing camera, leather seats and
“Arkamys 3D” sound system.
The goodies are buttered on the base
Clio RS offering: four doors, six-
speed EDC twin-clutch auto and new
147kW/240Nm turbo 1.6-litre four –
based on Nissan’s MR16DDT, the same
engine in the DeltaWing, interestingly.
The bigger price scores you no extra
performance – 0-100km/h is the same122 march 2015 motormag.com.auWorldmags.netWorldmags.net