205 V's Clio On Track

[C_W 3 1 Cars]

been looking on you tube haven't seen a clio with a quicker time than your 205 at the nurburgring love that video

 

Thanks hehe. But I think this maybe partly due to videoing being banned I'm not sure! If I'd had another day on that trip to get more than 11 laps experience (as I do now having since gone back - but in a different car) I think I could have got that laptime down to nearer 8m30. A 205 with more power/better suspension and some R888s etc would/should get a very quick time round there.

[VisaGTi16v 1]

I used to own a ph1 Clio 172 which made 160bhp/141ft as it happens at Surrey Rolling road. They have incredibly torquey engines and I would say there was not much in it compared to my old 167bhp Mi16'd Visa simply because of the better power spread. The Visa may have felt quicker and was 250kg lighter but you get the placebo effect of the power building up and shorter gearing (1.6 box) whereas the Clio pulls hard from much lower revs like a GTi6 does.

 

The Clio also had staggering traction to the point where I nearly ripped the box off to see if it had a quaife in it, it really was weird and a million miles ahead of other cars ive had like psa zx 16v, xsara vts etc which spin their inside wheels at every opportunity and it felt as good as the Visa which had a Quaife in....

 

Their brakes arent great though, the abs is a liability on a bumpy airfield due to the back bouncing around and goes 50/50 split when you remove the fuse so can't do that, need a custom or Cup setup really. They also seriously suffer with mid corner camber and its common to roll down to the rim unless you pump up the tyres way to hard! Need decent castor and camber mods for proper track work.

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

Its defiantely going to be down to the driver as already pointed out.

 

I've run against both a chipped Clio 16v on a trackday at Croft & newer Clio 182 (afaik) at Cadwell in my 1.9 8v & both were very evenly matched.

 

The Clio @ Croft was on proper track tyres iirc & he caught me under braking but once I let him pass he put this to better use & pulled away from me.

 

Conversely the 182 (or whatever it was) at Cadwell was stuck to my boot for a few laps so I let him pass & stuck to his boot just the same, he might've got a car length (if that) on the straights at Cadwell but I had to slow for him in the corners.

 

Graham.

[bill 0]

well sounds like theres nowt between em then really, suppose i'll just see what car takes my fancy and go for that

[C_W 3 1 Cars]

Yea, they're all very good light hot hatches. But for some reason I would say my 205 feels tougher than a Clio Sport. I don't know why because the clio 182 we had was very solid, not a single rattle, actually quite refined etc, but it just didn't feel right when it was thrashed. It especially didn't like setting off fast in 1st, it would scrabble and the bang bang bang axle tramp felt like the front would rip off. I read somewhere before that someone said that when they drove theirs hard they felt like the engine was going to blow up, whereas in the 205 the Mi16 engine and the gearbox just feel like 10/10ths is normal usage lol

[oli-pug 6 2 Cars]

As already said, it's down to you as driver and what you feel comfortable driving fast in. Pedal and driving position are very important obviously.

 

With the right driver in a car tuned to his/her driving style you'd be very surprised what'll be a hold up on track

[hengti 2]

CW, that banging on launch is 'usually' the engine mounts, apparently - they're too soft and don't wear well (got the Vibratechnics on mine; the lump's actually more-or-less solid now). wholly identify with the 205 feeling the tougher car - thought that right from the off. Clio's got a great engine though

 

slight aside, but there's a comparison of the 172Cup and the 200Cup in this months EVO, with a table of lap times next to it, which also lists the 205GTi (it'll be a standard car, presume 1.9?). pinch of salt with comparisons like this, as there are just so many variables

[C_W 3 1 Cars]

I have read about the lower "dogbone" mount failing but I don't think it was that, it drove perfectly and also didn't react abnormally to harsh power on/off, but it just axle tramped really badly if it span up. But maybe the mounts did influence that. When it did keep traction it felt really quick.