Drive finished, smile plastered across chops, I wonder: how have they done this with such tiny adjustments? I go back to the specs, and search valiantly through. And then I find it. The kerb weight of the Cup 200 is 1204kg, whereas the 197 was 1220kg. Now, no one at Renault seems to be making a point of this 16kg weight saving. I’ve not heard any other reviews mention this, so I think I might be going mad, but every source I can check returns the same figures – 1204kg plays 1220. And while 16 kilos might not sound a lot, everyone knows every kg you can find on a (relatively) low-powered car is precious, so 16 bags of sugar being hefted into the bin is most welcome. And I think it contributes to a big difference between Cups 197 and 200.

    All of which, I am sure you’ll have guessed, makes this 200 Cup fantastic fun, and an ideal example of lightweight hot-hatchery at its inexpensive best (well, that’s discounting its own big brother, the Megane R26.R). There’s not much to dislike about the new Cup – I’m not sure about the revised front styling, which might prove to be as goppingly awful as everything that has issued forth from Peugeot since one bright spark there, upon seeing the 406 Coupé, had a ‘moment of clarity’ and boldly claimed: “Oh, what does this Pininfarina lot know about car design anyway, I think we could do better ourselves.” However, I’m prepared to withhold judgment on the beauty score, if only because of the Renault’s dynamic excellence. Because, as with every single performance version of its cooking cars Renault has made since the original Clio, it’s a bloody great little thing to hoon about in, and it’s accessible to all. The Renaultsport revolution marches on in unstoppable fashion.

Renaultsport Clio Cup 200

Technical Specification

Engine
1998cc 16v 4-cylinder petrol

Power
197bhp at 7100rpm

Torque
158lb ft at 5400rpm

0-62mph
6.9 seconds

Top Speed
141mph

Transmission
Six-speed manual driving through front wheels

Weight
1204kg

Price
£15,750

The whole truth and nothing but the truth...

The key to the Clio Cup 200's success is its simplicity – so we'll try and do the same. This is the best naturally-aspirated hot hatch we've driven. It's massive fun, so buy one now before the Barry Boys start ruining them.