Model: 2005 Renault Sport Clio 182 Cup

Engine: Standard

Suspension: Standard

Brakes: Standard

Wheels and Tyres: Standard

Exterior Styling: Standard

Interior Styling: 'Black Ice' Magic Tree and Drivers Republic window sticker.

ICE and Security: Standard

Comments: After selling the Polo I decided to look for a car that would provide driving thrills whilst still being safe and reliable. Everyday I chopped and changed my mind about what car to buy; would it be a Fiesta ST150/185, Lupo GTi, Civic Type R, Audi S3 or a Clio 172/182? The each had their own pro's and con's which made choosing very difficult. I was getting more and more impatient trying to find the right car. I'd put my foot down and decided that any spec. 172 Cup/182 Clio would do as long as it was a well looked after example.

Browsing eBay one night my dad came a across a stunning example of a Clio 182 Cup. The car was a 2005 model (over 3 years old) but had only 15000 miles on the clock. A full service history, one lady owner and a very well written advert had me interested. I would never...EVER...normally buy a car on eBay but there was something about this advert, something that made it stand out.

To cut a long story short I phoned the seller to find out that it was Tim Harvey, ex-BTCC touring car champion! The car had been his wife's run around for the last few years and she now had a new car on the way. The deal was done at £6750, around £1000-1300 cheaper than the car would cost here, there was one draw back though...a 1000mile round trip to Oxford to collect!

Tim's wife loved 'Robbie' and was very sad to see him go, I can see why! This car has real personality and is so much fun to drive. The engine is punchy low down and once past 5000rpm the VVT ensures that it feels good for every one of it's ~180bhp. The Cup model does without split folding rear seats, rear head rests, climate control, engine cover and few other bits and bobs to take the edge off the curb weight. Additional spec. includes the cup spoiler, cup suspension and the fantastic looking Racing Blue paint work. The handling is absolutely sublime!!! Spot on ride for lumpy scottish b-roads, just enough body roll to pitch the car about and that famous French over steer which is a bit nerve racking in winter time!

My Polo GT with the 256mm brakes stopped harder, Stuart's G40 was faster in a straight line but this car is the complete package and then some, super chuffed I made the change!

Plans: Miltek Exhaust, Speedline Turini's and 4 pot brakes would all be nice but it's good enough that I'm willing to wait and just and enjoy it as it is now....still got to pay it off : (

Pictures:

Edited 4 June, 200917 yr by Tav

nice, needs the stripes though IMO, best colour bar LY

stunning, this is my next car, in this colour too, and without the gash stripes, good choice

I sold cars for the local Renault dealer for 4 years and loved it when one of these would come in! We used to fight over who gets first go!

Nice car, enjoy

There is one for sale locally for less than £5k, so much performance for the money!

If this had the stripes I don't think I'd have looked into buying it.

Interior Styling: 'Black Ice' Magic Tree and Drivers Republic window sticker.

Did you manage to get the air freshener in there all by yourself this time Tav...

Or did you ring a few mates and get them round to help you fit it....

not my cuppa its french

Interior Styling: 'Black Ice' Magic Tree and Drivers Republic window sticker.

Did you manage to get the air freshener in there all by yourself this time Tav...

Or did you ring a few mates and get them round to help you fit it....

Took 3 of us just to decide which one to buy, had a terrible time of it. I'm not sure you understand just how important they are

not my cuppa its french

10 points for observation, it is indeed French...about the cars only downside...along with a few rattles and a slightly annoying driving position.

Edited 5 January, 200917 yr by Tav

Interior Styling: 'Black Ice' Magic Tree and Drivers Republic window sticker.

Did you manage to get the air freshener in there all by yourself this time Tav...

Or did you ring a few mates and get them round to help you fit it....

Took 3 of us just to decide which one to buy, had a terrible time of it. I'm not sure you understand just how important they are

Tell me about it....So many to choose from.

Is that when you bought your Japanese styleeee roof spoiler....

Edited 8 January, 200917 yr by buster.g40

for the cash you spent on polo bits if you had got it finished it wood have bean betta than the clio.

there is an art to fitting a magic tree took me years to manage it. its like taking off a lassys bra just taks practes then you can do it with one hand. give it time tav you will soon manage it your self.. i have not worket out how to take my ones off yet so the magic forest just gets bigger and bigger. (have managed the bra thow get more practise at that)

Edited 5 January, 200917 yr by 13kpologt

Well Stuart's Integra has a MASSSIVE spoiler, I didn't want to be left out!

I thought about photoshopping that and the telephone pole out of the picture, so well spotted!

for the cash you spent on polo bits if you had got it finished it wood have bean betta than the clio.

The cash on Polo bits was mostly recouped and bought the Clio...and no you couldn't make a Polo better than the Clio...well not without sacrificing a lot of comfort/practicality/safety...roll cages and coil overs don't work in the real world...good suspension travel and spot on geometry do.

...plus the ladies prefer the Clio to the old Polo, so not having any problems removing anything cheers

Edited 5 January, 200917 yr by Tav

I dunno why but I probably would have a Clio 182 but only as a weekend toy.

The only thing thats puts me off is the bad experiances 3 of my mates have had with this shape of Clio. Not the 182 versions just the normal shopping trolley ones, but they all suffered from engine management malfunctions, cutting out, stalling without reason, engine lights flashing, loss of power and such like things. Yet when taken to Renault mechanics no problems could be found, no ECU fault codes or anything.

One of my mates Clio's also had airbags with minds of their own, i.e. he hit a small stone in the road and the seat airbags went off.

Anyway, yours looks like a clean example, hope you have many miles of fun in it.

Joking aside Tav...like Steven said,i hope the car does you well and you have fun doing it.

but y spend all that cash in the 1st place then?? my turbo i think is a practical car did 100 miles a day in it for 8 month in the snow and rain with out a problem.

I dunno why but I probably would have a Clio 182 but only as a weekend toy.

The only thing thats puts me off is the bad experiances 3 of my mates have had with this shape of Clio. Not the 182 versions just the normal shopping trolley ones, but they all suffered from engine management malfunctions, cutting out, stalling without reason, engine lights flashing, loss of power and such like things. Yet when taken to Renault mechanics no problems could be found, no ECU fault codes or anything.

One of my mates Clio's also had airbags with minds of their own, i.e. he hit a small stone in the road and the seat airbags went off.

Anyway, yours looks like a clean example, hope you have many miles of fun in it.

I think the 1.2's suffer from management problems as my old mans one went on his 1.2 16v in that shape and the bloke at the Renault said it was the 5th in a matter of weeks. Either way my mates girl friend has a 182 and i have to say after driving it a couple of times, it has to be said that they are great fun, the only draw back is its not a german, not a VW and it is french as pointed out above. Still fresh though!!

Can i say that out of your list of car's you definately choose the one that i would have picked!

I'm not missing my g40 in the slightest! My VRS handles better, stops better, has MPG in the 50's and is definatley quicker between 50-70! And thats all std - cant wait to see what it does modded.

Oh and mines a sour apple - took an age to fit and had to phone the customer help line becuase my elastic was too long! :-

I've not even drive the 16v since I picked the VRS up on the 30th of November!

but y spend all that cash in the 1st place then?? my turbo i think is a practical car did 100 miles a day in it for 8 month in the snow and rain with out a problem.

'cause at the time that's what we were into...game has moved on now and we've got different interests. One of the main appeals of Polo ownership was the forum and meets but they aren't what they once were. Live and learn by mistakes. Without the Polo I wouldn't have the Clio so I am more than happy to have given it a bash, even if it was never finished...still drove the pants off it a lot.

Your Polo prob. gets you from A to B but it's not really much more than an old Polo with a powerful engine so it's not really that great on the performance front.

I'm def. not a Polo hater now, I'd still love a G40 Cup Car and a trailer and get some track time on the go...but only so many pennies! Def. not a French car lover either...but Renault Sport without a shadow of a doubt are making the best driver's hatch backs just now...R26 Megane, R27 Clio, R26.R Megane and the 172 Cup/182 Clio Cup/Trophy...pretty impressive line up of cars. I used to hold Honda up as the best with their JDM Type R's but torch has been past on now.

VRs was on the list as well for a wee while Andy but I don't get on well with Diesel, great for you though I bet running the kids around and still having performance on tap!

Edited 5 January, 200917 yr by Tav

Handling is tuned way to far towards understeer and even in the dry can be a bit of a handful - So getting it sorted soon with Polybushed front end - Seat Ibiza Sport front strut brace and WhilteLine rear ARB kit! Oh and a set of mirro polished TT comps!

i no what your saying tav

my car dose get me from a to b. but there is nothing rong with the proformance of it thow. at the end of the day with a 180ish brake in it will beat you off the line. you wood have me on the corners. but at the end of the day if i crash it so what its a old polo. at the end of the day it depends what you wont out of a car. and mine is just a grate bit of fun.hope it dose you well. you will be back to the polo's one day.you will end up geting one for a winter runabout

Handling is tuned way to far towards understeer and even in the dry can be a bit of a handful - So getting it sorted soon with Polybushed front end - Seat Ibiza Sport front strut brace and WhilteLine rear ARB kit! Oh and a set of mirro polished TT comps!

Sound like good plans! TT Comps ftw!

i no what your saying tav

my car dose get me from a to b. but there is nothing rong with the proformance of it thow. at the end of the day with a 180ish brake in it will beat you off the line. you wood have me on the corners. but at the end of the day if i crash it so what its a old polo. at the end of the day it depends what you wont out of a car. and mine is just a grate bit of fun.hope it dose you well. you will be back to the polo's one day.you will end up geting one for a winter runabout

With 180bhp you'd obliterate me off the line Ross but if we both hit a tree I reckon I'd rather be in the Clio...even if the wings are made of plastic

Excellent choice Mr Tav sir

I've had the opportunity to drive a 172 Cup a few times and they are superb little hot hatches! (I secretly want one)

Better without the stripes too

Seriously nice bit of kit you've got there.

It's cool that it came from Tim Harvey if that means anything.

I finished my 5 year stint at university last night at 22:00. It was an epic rush to get everything handed in for marking and very stressful. I always find the best way to unwind after a hand-in is to go for a drive the next day. I fuelled the Cup up and headed off towards Cairn o' Mount this afternoon. I managed to stop and take a few pictures on a wee old 4Mega Pixel pocket camera, enjoy...

Hmmm interesting...

Might be fun to drive, but still one of the girliest looking cars on the road.

Funny you should say that, I was thinking the same thing today when taking the photos. It's quite feminine, but then being french you might expect that. It's quite cutesy, prob. why the girls like them too. Bit like a Lupo in that respect I guess.

Edited 4 June, 200917 yr by Tav

Funny you should say that, I was thinking the same thing today when taking the photos. It's quite feminine, but then being french you might expect that. It's quite cutesy, prob. why the girls like them too. Bit like a Lupo in that respect I guess.

Yep, definately like a Lupo in that respect, or the Lupos fat sister, the MK6 Polo!