Modifying 197/200

[bignige]

Hi,

Just registered. I am looking at buying a Clio 197 or a 200 and been looking at the differences between the two and performance wise they look very much the same - but the 197s are cheaper of course.

What I really want to do whichever car I buy is modify to get increased power.

I have read that is difficult and that mapping makes very little difference?

What mods are out there and what is the best increase in power etc that people have seen - and at what cost!

N

 

[Mattb_197]

Welcome, the Clio 197/200s are cracking cars out of the box. Sadly they aren't as tuneable as say the Honda K20s out of the Civics.

You could go for a cat back exhaust, panel filter and a remap which wouldn't hurt the wallet too badly. This would give you a lift across the revs of between 5-10bhp and make the car generally a bit more responsive and more willing to go.

If you wanted to go for big power a lot of people do an engine conversion from the Megane Sports as it's just far more cost effective to do then trying to extract power out of the 2.0L N/A engine. To get 230bhp out of these your talking full exhaust system, cams, maybe some internal work and a few other bits so easily adds up into the thousands.

Not trying to put you off, as I say they are cracking cars out of the box but if you want something to modify to get serious power out of maybe look elsewhere. The Clio is more about nimbleness and handling over outright pace.

 

[Sean197]

Don't waste your money on anything other than the bolt-on engine mods e.g. exhaust and maybe a sports cat. I wouldn't even bother with an induction kit, panel filter in standard airbox works just as well. A remap would see you gain a little more power but more importantly driveability, but honestly anything above this is a waste of money.

Plenty of info available on the Megane engine swaps in the FI section if ultimately it's power you're after.

 

[bignige]

Thanks Matt and Sean.

Which is the better car to go for - 197 or 200? I see that the 197's are cheaper and I read that there is very little difference performance wise?

I have seen elsewhere people pointing out the potential mechanical issues with the cars - gearbox etc. - which is likely to be the more reliable of the two?

Does one model hold its value better than the other?

Does one handle better than the other?

Thanks.

N

 

[Foxspeed]

:welcome:

 

[Mattb_197]

The only big difference between the 197 and 200 that's worth mentioning is the gearbox ratios were changed on the 200 to make it a bit less frantic on the motorway when cruising at 70mph.

There were various other little tweaks to the design too, the engine remains largely the same bar some slight differences in the head. The extra little bit of power came from an ECU tweak. You've the cosmetic differences too, if you sit a 197 and 200 next to each other you'd be able to tell which was which. Different bumpers, diffuser, alloys and some interior changes.

 

[Mattb_197]

Some good info here on the cars

 

[Jimmy]

Welcome to the forum

The gearbox issue can affect either the 197 or 200, you are at no less or more risk with either. Having said that, although there are a lot of horror stories around about 'boxes failing, there are also a very large number of cars that have done considerable miles without any issues whatsoever. It does seem like it's purely down to luck whether cars are affected or not.

Handling-wise, there is no reason to pick one over the other. I would recommend buying based on budget, condition/service history of the individual car and preferences for spec and looks.