Handling differences between 200 & 197
- Thread starter Mike
- Start date
Magazines such as EVO seem to rate the 200 a fair bit higher than the 197.
personally i cant say, as i have never driven a 197!
personally i cant say, as i have never driven a 197!
With the right driver behind the wheel, both are weapons, you could have a very experienced 197 driver who knows the car take 200 and vice verser
Did a track session last year with a pro driver, driving my scooby and he was destroying the other scoobies on the track being driven by the likes of us but they were in much more powerful scoobies and had at least 100 bhp over mine yet in his hands another story
Reason why I stopped at 380 BHP and started spending the money on training sessions instead
Did a track session last year with a pro driver, driving my scooby and he was destroying the other scoobies on the track being driven by the likes of us but they were in much more powerful scoobies and had at least 100 bhp over mine yet in his hands another story
Reason why I stopped at 380 BHP and started spending the money on training sessions instead
Avergae driver would not be able to tell the difference and when I say average I mean 99% of people wouldnt tell the difference.
Its meant to be better but very hard to tell, its slightly stiffer and apparently the steering is more refined but it still uses the electronic steering which is a little numb in feel.
Its meant to be better but very hard to tell, its slightly stiffer and apparently the steering is more refined but it still uses the electronic steering which is a little numb in feel.
I have a 200 and have recently been taken out in a 197 (thank you Gregg) and the first thing was how soft the 197 Cup is compared to the 200. The 200 is so much harder its rediculous. I also returned the favour we took out mine, we both agreed that the 200 felt a bit sharper, a bit more eager. It seems to be quite a few little things that actually add up to the cars feeling more different than i exected. IMO
Do you know how old Gregg's cup is as surprised as well considering it's a cup that it was noticeably softer compared to 200.
Be nice to see if anyone can compare models which have had spring/shock changes as well, as I know mine being 5 years old those springs and shocks are going to be worn + wear and tear in joints and bushes
james_h
Platinum Member
From what I have read.. the 200 cup is stiffer/firmer than the 197 cup, but the 200 is softer than the standard 197..
I though this article had some good points..
http://www.testdriven.co.uk/new-renault-clio-renaultsport-200-cup-and-clio-renaultsport-200/
I though this article had some good points..
http://www.testdriven.co.uk/new-renault-clio-renaultsport-200-cup-and-clio-renaultsport-200/
To be honest I replaced my 80some thousand mile FF springs and dampers with some from an 18k mile R27 and didn't honestly notice much difference.
The bit about the normal 200 being softer mistook that for all 200 models compared to 197 which was why i was surprised it was then mentioned being a lot harder
On the cup setup are the anti roll bars different as that would then have an overall effect on how the suspension re-acts, esp. making it more snappy etc.
I think the 200 Cup has a stiffer ARB but the 197, 197 Cup and 200 are all the same.
Thicker front ARB just gives you more understeer, in the absence of a much stiffer rear end.
Thicker front ARB just gives you more understeer, in the absence of a much stiffer rear end.
james_h
Platinum Member
from that article
Standard chassis: efficiency and comfort
The development of the standard chassis from the Clio Renaultsport 197 was guided by a bid to strike the best possible balance between performance and comfort when driven daily. Clio Renaultsport 200 marks an improvement in terms of comfort over its predecessor thanks to:
•new damper settings (15 per cent softer),
•the use of hydraulic double-effect dampers. The energy which needs to be dissipated is absorbed in part by an additional level of valving. The performance of these new dampers is particularly appreciable on longer journeys and motorway drives.
Meanwhile, body movement is kept in check thanks to the larger diameter front anti-roll bar, up from 20mm to 21mm. Specifically-developed Continental Sport Contact 3 tyres (215/45 R17) ensure swifter, more precise steering response. The new design of the standard aluminium alloy wheels is now 1kg lighter and the ensuing gain in terms of unsprung weight contributes further to the new car’s enhanced steering response and crisp acceleration.
The ‘Cup’ chassis: glued to the road
New Clio Renaultsport 200 is also available with the Cup chassis which has been engineered to deliver an exacting ride and uncompromising driving enjoyment. Its ability to corner flat is enhanced by:
•uprated dampers (15 per cent stiffer) compared with the Cup setting on Clio Renaultsport 197
•stiffer springs compared with the standard chassis (uprated 27 per cent at the front and 30 per cent at the rear) for even better handling
The ride height remains 7mm lower than that of the standard chassis and the resulting lower centre of gravity ensures improved cornering performance thanks to reduced weight transfer. Torsional rigidity has been improved by 10 per cent enabling the potential of the independent steering axis front suspension to be fully exploited.
Last but not least, the Cup chassis now comes with a higher ratio steering rack (7.5% quicker than the standard chassis) which, combined with other specific development work, favours feedback to the driver in conditions of varying grip.
plus all the aerodynamic developments, better coeffeciencys etc
Standard chassis: efficiency and comfort
The development of the standard chassis from the Clio Renaultsport 197 was guided by a bid to strike the best possible balance between performance and comfort when driven daily. Clio Renaultsport 200 marks an improvement in terms of comfort over its predecessor thanks to:
•new damper settings (15 per cent softer),
•the use of hydraulic double-effect dampers. The energy which needs to be dissipated is absorbed in part by an additional level of valving. The performance of these new dampers is particularly appreciable on longer journeys and motorway drives.
Meanwhile, body movement is kept in check thanks to the larger diameter front anti-roll bar, up from 20mm to 21mm. Specifically-developed Continental Sport Contact 3 tyres (215/45 R17) ensure swifter, more precise steering response. The new design of the standard aluminium alloy wheels is now 1kg lighter and the ensuing gain in terms of unsprung weight contributes further to the new car’s enhanced steering response and crisp acceleration.
The ‘Cup’ chassis: glued to the road
New Clio Renaultsport 200 is also available with the Cup chassis which has been engineered to deliver an exacting ride and uncompromising driving enjoyment. Its ability to corner flat is enhanced by:
•uprated dampers (15 per cent stiffer) compared with the Cup setting on Clio Renaultsport 197
•stiffer springs compared with the standard chassis (uprated 27 per cent at the front and 30 per cent at the rear) for even better handling
The ride height remains 7mm lower than that of the standard chassis and the resulting lower centre of gravity ensures improved cornering performance thanks to reduced weight transfer. Torsional rigidity has been improved by 10 per cent enabling the potential of the independent steering axis front suspension to be fully exploited.
Last but not least, the Cup chassis now comes with a higher ratio steering rack (7.5% quicker than the standard chassis) which, combined with other specific development work, favours feedback to the driver in conditions of varying grip.
plus all the aerodynamic developments, better coeffeciencys etc
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