Over the past few months I have been contemplating buying a new car, my old car ( a MK2 Golf Driver) wasn't fun to drive anymore, and the annual cost of maintaining it was too expensive for my liking.

I recently took proud ownership of a brand new Limited Edition Renaultsport 172 Cup. A stripped out and race prepared version of the standard (if there is such a thing) 172. I'd been toying with several cars within my price range of £14000....A new Mini Cooper S and a Honda Civic Type R were the other main competitors, but brand new were too expensice and quiet rare 2nd hand or nearly new....

One of my friends had bought one in the summer, and I had been out in it several times....it is an awesome car, its handling is excellent, very stable around corners, allowing you to throw it around as much as you like, but always maintaining the idea that its easy to push it too far, it certainly takes a fine balance. The ride is firm, but I expected that due to its high performance nature. The car is a 3 door hatchback and costs £12,995 otr. The driving position isn't ideal for me, but better than my golf, I prefer to sit quite upright when driving, however there is plenty of leg room for me (I'm 6ft 3). As far as I'm concerned the car is an excellent performance/drivers car, it has none of the trimmings the stock 172 has, Air conditioning is gone, as is sound-deadening, there is thinner glass and only single CD changer, but most importantly ABS has been removed ( the braking system is different and designed to aid progressive breaking used in race envirionments). This has all been done to reduce weight (89kgs has been shaved off) the car weighs almost exactly a ton, performance figures have also improves....0-60 comes up in 6.9 seconds instead of 7.4. It also retains a driver and passenger airbag.

Comparing this car to its rivals is no easy task I had a very hard time wondering wether to try and scrape together some more money and
get the Honda Civic Type - R, is spent weeks test drving both. The Gearchange and driving position were more comfortable in the Civic. Finally I made the decision that the Clio was better, the engine although not as rev-happy as the Type - R is more responsive, and the ride is more responsive and informative, also the cost £3000 less than the Type - R is not to be sniffed at.

The Clio Cup has had an exclusive run in this country of 800, ensuring a very resale value, the range has its own colour (Mondial Blue) and has a service interval of 12000 miles. The downside is that each Cup is the same colour, and its styling means its hard to differentiate from the rest of the Clio range, its good, because its a less obvious target for thieves and vandals, but you lose that iar of exclusivity. It has average milage in its class, although its more economical than its peers.