Cup Pack or no Cup Pack?

[Applez]

Hi all,

Been on this site for a few months now just reading up and hopefully getting a Clio 200 in the next month or so.

I'm going to go for a Full Fat chassis but not sure wether I should get the Cup Pack or not, is it worth it? I'm not going to be tracking the car, just fast road use.

Whats peoples opinions, is it worth sacrificing some comfort for a bit more cornering ability? Or is it just as good without?

 

[slime]

...I doubt you will see much difference between the two, but I have always had the cup pack fitted, although the quicker steering is quite noticable when I have comared like for like....I just feel that the car is more complete with a cup pack.....

 

[MarkCup]

For fast road only use, non-cup, all day long.

I came from/still have a 172 Cup and thought long and hard about cup/non-cup when looking to buy mine...the below back to back comparison by Evo swayed me along with opinions from other members on Cliosport.net.

http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evolongtermtests/256042/renaultsport_clio_200_cup.html

Still feels like a hot hatch, is still stiffly sprung, still grips beyond belief, and still performs incredibly well on track.

If you get turned on by red calipers/dark wheels then go for it, but for an all round road driving experience...the cup suspension pack is not necessary. At all.

 

[jaik]

The non-Cup chassis has a stiff ride. The Cup chassis is even more so, it's unnecessarily hard on most roads. However, having test driven both I preferred the quicker steering rack of the Cup and the extra crispness and accuracy to the turn-in enough that it outweighed the harsher ride.

My advice is to try both if you can as it's a compromise one way or the other.

 

[PB.200]

Its not a proper 200 without the Cup pack.

Whether its "better" with or without it in various situations is another matter but for me RenaultSport is not about taking the soft option.

 

[MarkCup]

LOL, it is NOT the soft option...it's the "not ridiculously hard on anything but billiard table smooth roads" option

I'm looking forward to some side by side comparisons on track this year...should highlight how little (if any) the cup chassis gives you in terms of outright pace advantage.

Mostly it's about the feel of the thing...so it's subjective, there is no right or wrong, no better or worse.

 

[Yiannis197]

Well, I haven't driven/been in a clio without a cup option so I couldn't say anything based on my personal experience. According to EVO though

http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/242809/renaultsport_clio_200.html

the negative point of the clio 200 was that is soft (softer than than the 197 non cup) whereas the positive was ''Sharp enough for most''. For most??? hm....

For me it's not how quicker the clio is on track with the cup chassis, it's the feeling you get out of a car. And the cup is definitely sharper, it feels more responsive, more alert, less body roll as well. And this is a fact, always according to the motoring press and I have no reason to dispute it.

I wouldn't buy a clio sport for comfort that's for sure. I'd def go for the cup option but I suppose this is down to the individual. Whichever you decide you'll love it. 200 is a great car!

 

[thingd12]

I have driven both and for fast road use I would have to say NON-CUP becasue its a little less harsher ride than the CUP Pack option but the Cup steering is noticable and a good add-on to have .

I am driving round in a NON-CUP clio 200 I am not planning on using it on a track there is not problems with it. Although the roads in the UK are shocking with pot holes etc... and they are not all smooth or nothing.

 

[Roy]

None cup pack simples it will do all you want as it stands but the choice is still yours

 

[smiler]

having owned both a 58 plate 197 i had from new with cup pack
and now a 07 plate non-cup i'd say non cup if your looking to modify suspension ect anyway, if your not looking to change that then go cup

 

[PB.200]

If it were not for the cup pack no Renaultsport would win a group test and i suspect most people(not all) buy based on reviews.

Its cup pack or corsa vxr!!

 

[smiler]

If it were not for the cup pack no Renaultsport would win a group test and i suspect most people(not all) buy based on reviews.

Its cup pack or corsa vxr!!

haha well ive had both and ive purposely gone for non cup as im making a few changes over time but dont get me wrong the cup pack was brilliant so much better over non cup

 

[930Tech]

I've not driven a non cup pack so can't say whet they are like but the cup i have is very harsh on rutted country roads to the point were i've had to back off.

On track it's fantastic, mates have started taking the piss this week though about the red calipers, friggin clarkson, hopefully that'll die down.

 

[STROTT]

Had a 200 with a cup pack and now have a 200 without a cup pack!!

Basically I found the cup pack really hard and experienced a constant small resonance/vibration through the car on anything but smooth roads.

Yes the cup pack feels so planted and inspires confidence but if you have never experienced a cup pack car a non cup pack car still provides massive entertainment but soaks up the bumps.

My solution get a non cup pack car and get the alloys sprayed anthracite!! :thumbup1:

 

[jaik]

On track it's fantastic, mates have started taking the piss this week though about the red calipers, friggin clarkson, hopefully that'll die down.

It can't be too hard to take the piss out of them back for listening to whatever Clarkson says

 

[Adey]

cup pack for me
car feels more 'planted' and inspires confidence
runover a matchstick and you'll feel it though -as most of the guys have said "its your choice" im used to my cars having harder/lower/sports suspension so im used to getting thrown around on our 'super smooth' highways!!:001_rolleyes:
try to testdrive both variants if you can

 

[Yiannis197]

It can't be too hard to take the piss out of them back for listening to whatever Clarkson says

brilliantly said

If it were not for the cup pack no Renaultsport would win a group test and i suspect most people(not all) buy based on reviews.

so true!

 

[Applez]

Thanks for all the replies, think I'll definately have to have a drive of both over a few different road type and make my choice from there.

I'm not thinking of making any suspension changes and would like to experience the RS as much as I can, so am edging towards the Cup Pack, will just have to try it first hand!


Many thanks once again guys!

 

[homerdog]

If it were not for the cup pack no Renaultsport would win a group test.

so true!

Except that Evo said that the 200 would have finished higher in their COTY test if it didn't have the Cup chassis, because it was too harsh for the road...

 

[MarkCup]

Lol