Who needs ABS anyway....172 Cup (Renault Clio 172 Cup)

Name: freetimeaction

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Product:	Renault Clio 172 Cup
Date:	05/11/08 (460 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Quick | Sporty | Limited Edition

Disadvantages: No ABS | No AirCon

Note: That is actually my Clio 172 Cup shown in this listing :)

The Renault Clio Sport 172 Cup is the stripped out version of the normal 172.
I purchased mine in July 2008, after parting with my 206 GTi, and since haven't looked back.

The Cup was made from 2001 - 2004, and weighed in at 90kg less than the standard 172 sports.
I'll cover the differences between the Cup and a normal 172 Sport, to give you an idea of why the Cup is seen as a drivers car.

Exterior:
The Cup is available in Silver, or Mondial Blue (being the limited edition colour).
There are 2 small 'Cup 172' badges located on the door pillars, which determines the Cup from the normal 172 sports.
The 172 Cup comes with a Cup spoiler, and a Cup front spliter. The front headlights are not HID like the other sports, as this was for weight saving reasons. The Cup sits 5mm lower, with uprated springs and shocks for a more sporty feel. 16" Turinni alloy wheels are fitted, which are a multispoke alloy wheel.

Interior:
The interior of the Cup is slightly different, with fabric seats (no leather here), no AC or CC, and no rear headrests. It does however have colour coded trims including the airbag trim, steering wheel trim and gear knob.
The boot has a hole for a spare wheel, but only 2 cans of 'Tyre Foam' is supplied rather than a wheel.

Engine:
As with the 172 Sport, the 172 Cup has a 2 litre engine, 16v and 172psi engine under the hood. Producing a slightly quicker time of 6.5 0-60 with it's weight saving.
This car can produce an average of around 32mpg, which is fantastic if driven gently, but it does encourage you to use those horses.
There is a 'kick' or extra pull at the 5k rev range, which isn't as strong as a VTEC in a honda, but there is a noticeable change. There is NO ABS or Traction Control with the Cup, which can be a huge concern when buying the car. I'm also sure there are a lot of Cup owners out there without the knowledge of this.

Road Presence:
It's just a Clio. To any other driver, this just looks like another Clio, they won't know the paint is limited edition, they aren't aware there is a 2 litre engine in this small hot hatch. You can have lots of fun when playing with bigger cars.

Brakes:
The lack of ABS hasn't been a problem with me, the use of the 4 disc brakes have helped me with sticky situations, and (touch wood) I haven't missed the ABS.

My experience:
I love this car, it accelerates well, brakes well, handles even better and looks fantastic. I would give this car a 10/10 for everything, as I honestly beleive it's the best hot hatch for it's money.

Summary: A fantastic hot hatch, and a great pocket rocket

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