[petrolhead611]

This is how a French magazine described the Renault Clio 172 Cup,a stripped out road legal group N homologation special that I have just acquired an example of with only 31K miles. Renault made 3000 of these 1000Kg 172BHP little cars( for less than $2700).
Drove it home from Scotland yesterday taking as many country roads as possible. It will probably outcorner most cars( except Elises etc), and its normally aspirated 2 litre 4 cylinder engine is so flexible that it can accelarate from 38-138mph in top gear.
0-60mph in 6.9 seconds -that was really good 14 years ago when first introduced for a 12'6" long car,- and its not shabby now is it Mr Abarth 500.
Trouble is, my wife hated it at first glance and hasnt even ridden in it yet( little does she know that it has a boneshaking ride, the set up was developed for the track by RenaultSport- Renault's specialist car division- with really aggresive camber,wider track than the already not so ordinary Clio 172,lowered 1/8th inch,suspension tuned for oversteer on a front wheel drive car, and its so stiff that it will lift a rear wheel when pushed in corners,most of the braking effort on the front-so much so that the Annual Roadworthiness Testers here had to be issued with a special dispensation notice to pass the car with less than the usual permitted rear wheel braking )