In chassis terms Renaultsport has tried to widen the gap between the regular Clio 200 and the more hardcore Cup chassis variant. The normal car’s dampers are 15 per cent softer than a Clio 197’s, and feature what Renault calls ‘double-effect’ valves for improve ride during motorway cruising. The Cup model, meanwhile, has 15 per cent stiffer dampers than the 197 Cup, and stiffer springs (27 per cent at the front and 30 per cent at the rear) than the standard Clio 200. Cup cars are also 36kg lighter and feature a quicker steering rack, but they’re also less well specced; the dashboard is made from a harder plastic, and even air conditioning is an option.