My 2010 Racing Blue 200

I’ve been a fan of 197’s since reading the first reviews on magazines many years ago and when the 200 came up, I decided I was definitely going to own one. Although buying one was always on my mind since moving to the Uk 7 years ago, work commitments, high insurance rates (new British driving license) and money matters forced me to drive boring cars.

Until 3 months ago when I got my 2010 RB Clio 200! It came with the ‘full fat’ spec, Recaros and the cup pack, with about 75000 miles on the clock and service history. Starting a progress thread wasn't on my mind as I’m not planning to ‘build’ a great spec car like many other members here but given the crazy mileage I’m currently doing, I thought it could be useful to have one as sort of documentation to prove that the car has been well looked after in my ownership. Also I’m always up for a good ‘car talk’ anyway! :smile:

So having bought the car I took it to Two Techs (awesome guys and great service!) for a service where I had the blowing manifold replaced with a Toyosport, lower and upper engine mounts with Powerflex ones, front pads with Ferodo DS2500, brake lines with HEL braided ones and filter with ITG. It also had an oil service, brake service, suspension check and tracking done. Suspension came up all good and clean but very slight pulling left was unfortunately persistent.

I was now ready for my first track day after 8 years so went for an evening session at Brands Hatch!


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I was very impressed with car's handling, nimbleness and the grip of ADR08r's. I've found I could ignore slight lack of steering feel and really lean on the car (credit to tyres as well). It was great fun even though I was slightly disappointed with my driving and how rusty I'd become. Hopefully I'll get back in shape after a few more track days.

The stock exhaust started blowing on track. First I bought a KTEC Pro from Steve here but it was too loud for my liking so sold that to someone at CS and got myself a brand new Milltek Resonated cat-back which in my opinion, sounds near perfect. I was sad and surprised to find out 3rd gear began crunching very slightly on track, as the gearbox had been reconditioned only a few months before I bought the car but replacing the oil with Red Line MTL almost completely cured it. Now you need to change really super-carelessly to get it crunch slightly. Well at least on the road...

Recently I noticed car was rather strongly pulling to the left under high speed, hard braking. Last week I took the car back to Two Techs for an oil service and to investigate the problem with brakes but they couldn't find anything other than very slight cracking on front pads. Pads were sanded but the problem persists. I'll visit an MOT garage next week for a brake balance test and will see from there.

Well it's been a pretty long one for someone who didn't have starting a progress thread on his mind!:smile: So what do I think about the car? Honestly, there are times I do reconsider whether it was a good purchase. This is usually when I drive 500 miles in two days for work or when I get stuck in horrendous traffic on M25 after a very long day. Most of the time though, I really, really like it. And then, there are other times when it works it's magic and I absolutely love the thing to bits! All performance cars I owned or drove before were forced induction and I must say there is something very satisfying about rev-happy n/a engines. It does need more power though, especially given the capabilities of the chassis. Maybe one day I'll have a SC one, who knows! :smile:

So as it stands:

2010 Clio 200 full fat with cup pack
Circa 85000 miles
ITG panel filter
Toyosport exhaust manifold
Milltek resonated cat-back
Ferodo DS2500 pads
Brembo Grooved discs
HEL braided lines
Powerflex upper and lower engine mounts
Yokohama AD08r tyres

To do:

Get brake imbalance sorted and go for another track day!
Get slight left pull sorted.
Get steering wheel refurbished.
Get on a rolling road (out of curiosity).
Perhaps an RS tuning re-map at some point.

Thanks for readings.
 

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Nice introduction and dare I say it... about time!!
Lovely looking car. Some nice upgrades you’ve added. Hope you get to the bottom of the pulling issue.
I’ve used Terry at TT quite a lot and rate them highly as well. Good people.

Keep us all posted
 
Very nice! Are you local to Kent, as Brands is just half an hour (if that) from me.
I've also used TT and Terry and Matt are great guys - am surprised they can't get to the bottom of the steering issue though, most bizarre.
Great pics though, I must get mine on track there next year.
 
Nice car and i really like that colour, i hope you get brakes sorted. Is is also possible that your front caliber piston/pistons are sticking. Not first brembos with that kind of problems. Check rear brakes too, one brake caliber is enough to make pulling if there is problem. Keep us updated and post lot of pics.
 
What a gorgeous colour ! Accentuates the MK3 curves superbly -)

Nice to you using it properly too. Looking forward to seeing your progress with it and how it evolves.

Have fun and stay safe.....
 
Nice car! Hope you solve issues of pulling to the left. Love Brands Hatch. Used to be my 'local' track (from Surrey) but 600 miles each way now. Still like to get there once a year & catch up with old friends at the same time.
 
Great introduction to a great looking 200! Sounds like you've made some nice upgrades already.

Hopefully you can get to the bottom of the issue you're having, fingers crossed it'll be an easy fix.
 
Lovely colour, really suits the 200. Its good to see a daily being tracked as well, this is my dream to get my 197 on a track. Have you thought about a few Powerflex engine mounts? Most people say the lower engine mount and torque mount make a massive difference with minimal downsides. I have changed the torque mount and its made a great difference to changing gear, feels more solid. Only downside is more vibrations at idle but its far from horrendous and after settling down I only notice it through the steering wheel.
 
Thank you all for the kind messages and warm welcome and apologies for late reply; I felt I had to come up with an 'update' before I reply the topic and finally I've one! Before I go on, let me please reply everyone:

Nice introduction and dare I say it... about time!!
Lovely looking car. Some nice upgrades you’ve added. Hope you get to the bottom of the pulling issue.
I’ve used Terry at TT quite a lot and rate them highly as well. Good people.

Keep us all posted

Thanks mate. Yes, TT is really great, can't fault them slightly so will be definitely going back in the future. I've solved the pull under braking problem by replacing the rear pads, will look into the slight pull / swiwel joint issue some time next year.

great introduction...what a great looking motor..:thumb:

Thank you! :smile:

:good: Lovely intro and even better looking car...

Thanks! :smile:

Very nice get your name down for Spa next year

Thanks man! I already got my name and with a bit of luck (unless things fuck up at work) I should be able to make it! :smile:

Very nice! Are you local to Kent, as Brands is just half an hour (if that) from me.
I've also used TT and Terry and Matt are great guys - am surprised they can't get to the bottom of the steering issue though, most bizarre.
Great pics though, I must get mine on track there next year.

Thanks man! Well I live in Hove at the moment and Brands (to my knowledge) is the closest race track I have. I am moving to London in a month though so will be even closer. I really love the track, was there yesterday and had an incredible time. Look down this post for details! :smile:

Terry actually did get to the bottom with the steering & breaking issue; advised to get the LHS suspension swiwel joint and possibly the hub replaced for pulling left and all pads for pull under braking but I was reluctant go for it, as brakes had huge amount of life left and the pull wasn't so severe to spend all the money at that time. Brakes I've got sorted by replacing the rear pads last week and will do the hub some time next year.

Nice car and i really like that colour, i hope you get brakes sorted. Is is also possible that your front caliber piston/pistons are sticking. Not first brembos with that kind of problems. Check rear brakes too, one brake caliber is enough to make pulling if there is problem. Keep us updated and post lot of pics.

Thanks! All brakes (calipers) were serviced recently, just after I bought the car. It turned out problem was with the rear pads though, replacing them solved the problem of pull under braking.

What a gorgeous colour ! Accentuates the MK3 curves superbly -)

Nice to you using it properly too. Looking forward to seeing your progress with it and how it evolves.

Have fun and stay safe.....

Thanks mate!

Nice car! Hope you solve issues of pulling to the left. Love Brands Hatch. Used to be my 'local' track (from Surrey) but 600 miles each way now. Still like to get there once a year & catch up with old friends at the same time.

Thanks! Yes, it really is a great track. Not that I've great experience on tracks but it does seem to fit the Clio pretty well IMO. I especially love the paddock hill, although I'm far from mastering it and am yet to find the balls to enter trail braking! 600 miles sounds quite far, where're you based now?

Great introduction to a great looking 200! Sounds like you've made some nice upgrades already.

Hopefully you can get to the bottom of the issue you're having, fingers crossed it'll be an easy fix.

Thanks! I've solved the issue with breaks by replacing the rear pads :smile:

Lovely colour, really suits the 200. Its good to see a daily being tracked as well, this is my dream to get my 197 on a track. Have you thought about a few Powerflex engine mounts? Most people say the lower engine mount and torque mount make a massive difference with minimal downsides. I have changed the torque mount and its made a great difference to changing gear, feels more solid. Only downside is more vibrations at idle but its far from horrendous and after settling down I only notice it through the steering wheel.

Thanks! I've already had the lower engine mount and torque mount replaced with Powerflex's while getting the Toyosport manifold fitted, as it was advised to do so. This was only a couple weeks after I bought the car and the manifold had begun blowing, so I can't comment much about their improvement on handling. I hated the mounts at the beginning due to ridiculous amount of vibration they introduced (for a road / daily car) BUT they eased off huge amounts since (circa 10000 miles), and extra vibration is hardly noticeable now.
 
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Thanks! Yes, it really is a great track. Not that I've great experience on tracks but it does seem to fit the Clio pretty well IMO. I especially love the paddock hill, although I'm far from mastering it and am yet to find the balls to enter trail braking! 600 miles sounds quite far, where're you based now?

In Inverness up in the north of Scotland now, but I do get to Brands to meet up with an old mate for track days.
 
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Last week I got the rear pads replaced with new OEM Brembo's which solved the problem of pulling left under hard braking. The car was faultless (apart from the slight pull to the left which would go unnoticed by anyone driving on a track) so I thought I should take the soonest opportunity to go back to Brands before winter hits properly. Forecast showed OK for Saturday (2nd) but rain for 9th so with an impulsive booking on Friday, I ended up there on Saturday (yesterday)!

This was my second time with the Clio on track and second time ever at Brands. There's still HUGE amount of room to improve my driving and exploit the little Clio to it's full potential, but compared to my last visit I was more confident, smoother and faster. I had a brilliant time overall and it was great to leave the track with that sort feel of accomplishment. I think the rawness, sort of 'adjustability' of the car and it's 'suitability' to track driving (this isn't the only car I've driven on track but it's the most track-oriented one of a few) makes it so special and fun; It becomes like a tool on track, one that you can go back and master by practice.

There were only 2 other Clio's (182's) on track. One was quite fast, was going 3 legs everywhere, looking incredible from behind. Couldn't manage to spot them at the paddock though. Chatted with the drivers of the other one, nice chaps. They said they usually see 5-6 Clio's on track days.

Here're a few photos from Saturday:

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Car needs new front tyres and pads replaced soonish. I'll replace the pads with DS1.11's (were DS2500) and will get new ADR08r's for the front. Some idiot scratched RHS of rear bumper while probably parking behind me but won't be bothered with the paint just yet. I'll apply some polish, recover it as much as I can and leave the rest for a possible paint job in Spring.
 
In Inverness up in the north of Scotland now, but I do get to Brands to meet up with an old mate for track days.
Far but very pretty around there! I spent a weekend at Cairgorms a couple of years ago, the whole area was stunning.
Let us know when you come down to Brands, I'd like to join you guys if I can :smile:
 
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Great looking car, good to see other well used cars. Mines on just under 75k and no plans of selling it or letting up, gonna start some track days too next year!
 
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