Renaultsport Clio Trophy 220 - Get to Know
New for 2019 is our super high-tec Renault Clio Trophy 220.
Following on from the Renaultsport Clio 200, the Trophy boasts various upgrades from this model and is the fastest accelerating Renaultsport Clio ever produced, eclipsing even the revered Renaultsport Clio V6. The book time for the Clio 220 Trophy is 6.6 seconds however we have already clocked an impressive 5.9s dash from 0-60mph and this was without the benefit of its optional launch control...
So what makes the Renaultsport Clio 220 Trophy perfect for our use? As we are sure you are aware these little Clios from Renaultsport have set the bar over the last decade or so in terms of hot hatch performance.
Awesome, understeer resisting handling, powerful, high revving engines and stiff suspension, particularly in Cup and Trophy variants, mean that over a lap, particularly on circuits with shorter straights such as Brands Indy or even Donington Park, a well driven Renaultsport Clio will keep up with more powerful, more expensive machinery. Which is exactly what owners want to see.
But why did we decide we needed to add a Renaulsport Clio Trophy 220 to our fleet of trackday hire cars? Well, essentially, we needed to try to meet increasing demand from our clientèle for a semi-automatic performance car. Whether you agree or not, the reality of modern day driving is the vast majority of cars being daily driven are automatic models, with 80% of Porsche and 90% of Aston Martin models being sold with only two pedals.
This means that when you attend your track day, not only are you having to deal with the steep learning curve of (a) a new car being driven on a circuit that you may not be familiar with and (b) you are also trying to acclimatise to driving a car with 3 pedals and a gear lever again. This is going to slow down your rate of progress, and most likely make you work harder than you are used to within the cockpit.
A well judged paddle shift system with two pedals and a dual clutch gearbox means our customers can now enjoy the best of both worlds when hiring one of our trackday cars. The feel of a manual car with well timed gearshifts and a blipping throttle on the downshift; and no additional pedals or work required from the driver from the cockpit. But mainly it means that you can just get on with getting the most value out of your day and the money you have invested in your driver training. No more wasted sessions trying to get used to clutches, heel-toe procedure and rev-matching. Let the car take this work on so you can develop your lines quicker.
The reality is, as much as traditional racing drivers may hate to admit it, the latest tech being produced by performance car manufacturers from the road will switch gears faster that you or I would ever be able to with a manual gearbox, so embrace it, go faster, make easier work for yourself, enjoy your day even more.
Moving on from the gearbox, the Renaultsport Clio Trophy 220 has more grip than previous models thanks to its larger tyres and electronic limited slip diff, with the two combining to make sure you stay on your racing line, like a heat seeking missile locked on to the next apex. No understeer here, particularly if you are smooth on turn in and balance the throttle correctly, gradually loading up the lateral G.
Put the Car in sport, then move the gear shifter over to manual mode and hold down the sport button again to go into 'Race' mode. This give us crisper throttle response, more power, more noise and, well, more 'Renaultsport'. This model certainly is more grown up than previous versions, but the fun factor is certainly still there. Couple this with the super intelligent 'RS Monitor', you will have access to data such as lap times, G-force, brake and throttle inputs, 0-60 and 0-100 speed times and more. This will give you more value as you work together with your race instructor to decipher what this information means for you, and how you can potentially be smoother and faster.
Your trackday hire Renaultsport Clio will come as the factory intended, bar the specification of upgraded brakes suitable for your trackday and appropriately specified tyres. We want you to gauge where Renault are currently sat in the performance car hierarchy, we want you to sit comfortably, and we are convinced you will be impressed.
