My Clio 200 is almost 8000km now.
I've owned a SC'ed MCS Works, a 182 FF and a Trophy but the Clio 200 is my clear favourite. It's the best looking in my opinion (though not in photos to be fair), it has the best chassis, feels the most powerful and has by far the best brakes.
It's also ponderously well-built, ridiculously good value and offers practicality on a par with the ubiquitous Golf.
I did my first track day with it on Thursday and I was blown away by the car's willingness to entertain - simply snatch a quarter turn of lock before the apex, dab the brakes with the left foot and ride out the predictable slide for as long as you like. Where the 182 and Trophy would bounce about or kick a wheel, the 200 just glides around the corner, front and rear end responding perfectly to your brake and throttle inputs.
The gear change is as brilliant on the track as it is on the road and the brakes were strong and remarkably fade-free even after several 15-20 minutes sessions.
Equally impressive was how well the car soaked up the punishment - I drove it to the track on Thursday, spent a few hours hurling it around at full whack, lashings of opposite lock and several trips to the limiter along the way. Thursday evening I drove it home from the track. Friday to Monday my girlfriend and I drove it 1500km through the Alps and down to Liguria in Italy for a weekend by the sea. Car didn't miss a beat all weekend and there was absolutely nothing to suggest that it'd been on the track just two days previous (apart from the tell-tale wear on the tyres of course...)
Trully awesome car.
www.bespokedrivingtours.com
I've owned a SC'ed MCS Works, a 182 FF and a Trophy but the Clio 200 is my clear favourite. It's the best looking in my opinion (though not in photos to be fair), it has the best chassis, feels the most powerful and has by far the best brakes.
It's also ponderously well-built, ridiculously good value and offers practicality on a par with the ubiquitous Golf.
I did my first track day with it on Thursday and I was blown away by the car's willingness to entertain - simply snatch a quarter turn of lock before the apex, dab the brakes with the left foot and ride out the predictable slide for as long as you like. Where the 182 and Trophy would bounce about or kick a wheel, the 200 just glides around the corner, front and rear end responding perfectly to your brake and throttle inputs.
The gear change is as brilliant on the track as it is on the road and the brakes were strong and remarkably fade-free even after several 15-20 minutes sessions.
Equally impressive was how well the car soaked up the punishment - I drove it to the track on Thursday, spent a few hours hurling it around at full whack, lashings of opposite lock and several trips to the limiter along the way. Thursday evening I drove it home from the track. Friday to Monday my girlfriend and I drove it 1500km through the Alps and down to Liguria in Italy for a weekend by the sea. Car didn't miss a beat all weekend and there was absolutely nothing to suggest that it'd been on the track just two days previous (apart from the tell-tale wear on the tyres of course...)
Trully awesome car.
www.bespokedrivingtours.com