2002 Renault Clio 172 Cup

Highlights

• Desirable Cup 172 model
• Excellent service record and history
• Professionally upgraded brakes and suspension
• Less than 84,000 miles on the clock
• Presented in excellent overall condition

Overview

If you love your hot hatches to be raw, visceral and doused in a generous soaking of motorsport finesse, then the Clio Cup 172 is definitely the machine for you. Produced by Renault in 2002 as a Group N homologation special, it took already fantastic recipes of the Clio 172 (lightweight, big naturally aspirated engine, great handling) and went full Colin Chapman with it. Yes, they simplified and added lightness. Thinner glass, unique suspension, no air-conditioning, no ABS and no traction control. They don’t come much purer than this.

The result is startling. Despite the base 172 already being a light car, the Cup weighs in at a featherweight 1,021kg – a full 89kg lighter than the standard car. That’s like deleting a prop forward from the kerbweight. As you might expect, this means that the Cup changed direction with aplomb, offering fabulous feedback and one of the purest, rawest driving experiences you can imagine.

Of course, as such a fine handling car, they became beloved of trackday aficionados and street racers, which meant that many of them either got bent around a lamppost or stripped and roll-caged. Thankfully, neither is the case for this lovely example, which has clearly been well cared for and cherished by its owners. In fact, it spent a period in storage from 2016 to 2022, after which it was recommissioned and put back on the road again.

As a fan and collector of the model, the current owner knows these cars very well, and has applied some carefully chosen upgrades which enhance the driving experience even more.

Speak to any motoring journalist, or anyone who’s driven one for that matter, and the Cup 172 will rank very highly in their “all-time greats” list. In our opinion, these wonderful little cars are only going to get rarer, more collectible and much more valuable as time goes by. Now is the perfect time to add one to your fleet, and this is a truly gorgeous example.

History and documentation

• First registered October 2002 (Phase 2 car)
• Six former keepers, current keeper since March 2023, though change of keeper not registered until September 2023
• Mileage at last MOT (July 2024) was 81,369 miles - verified by service and MOT histories
• Mileage at time of writing 83,644 miles, although this may rise slightly before the sale concludes
• Put into storage in September 2016
• Recommissioned by BTT Motorsport in September 2022
• Stamped service book with services as follows: Jun 2004 @ 12,370 miles, Jul 2005 @ 23,733 miles, Sep 2006 @ 29,376 miles, Nov 2007 @ 36,093 miles, Sep 2008 @ 39,897 miles, Sep 2009 @ 43,370 miles, Nov 2010 @ 50,751 miles, Oct 2011 @ 57,240 miles, Dec 2012 @ 63,971 miles, Feb 2015 @ 68,738 miles, Sep 2016 @ 73,101 miles (service before being put into storage), Mar 2022 @ 73,130 miles (timing belt service), Sep 2022 @ 73,230 miles (recommissioning)
• Invoice for a further service in Apr 2024 @ 81,259 miles
• Full document pack
• Collection of invoices and old MOT certificates
• Three keys
• Current MOT expires 23rd July 2025
• V5 present in owner’s name
• HPI clear (checked November 2024)
• London ULEZ compliant

Interior

• Original grey cloth interior, presented in good overall condition, with a little wear evident to the rear bench and driver’s seat outer bolster
• Black carpeting runs through the cabin and is paired with a set of black over-mats, all of which appear to be in very good order, with no significant wear
• Smart body coloured trim features across the dashboard fascia, around the main instrument housing and on the top of the gear shifter
• The internal trim and switchgear all looks to be present, correct and in nice condition, with some wear and blemishing consistent with the car’s age and mileage
• The owner informs us that any plastic trim in the cabin that has gone “sticky” with age has been replaced and refreshed
• Electrically operated windows and door mirrors
• Factory fitted radio/CD system
• We’re assured that everything in the cabin works as it should, with no issues or faults reported
• The boot is finished with grey carpet, and the boot floor looks solid and clean, with no signs of repair, damage or corrosion
• Full-size steel spare wheel and OEM Renault Clio toolkit added (not supplied as standard on the Cup models)

Exterior

• Finished in striking Mondial Blue paintwork
• The paint was machine polished when the car came out of storage in 2022 and still looks very well, with a fine shine and no notable swirls or marks
• There are a few minor scratches and stone chips, as should be expected
• The bodywork presents in excellent condition, with straight, well-aligned panels, even panel gaps and no damage or notable corrosion we could identify
• All of the glass elements – which are unique to the Cup model – look to be in fine fettle, with no cracking, delamination or chipping we could discern
• New headlights were fitted in 2022, so they look very clean and crisp, while the rear clusters are also in lovely condition
• All of the external trim and badging appears to be present and in very good condition, with no cracking or warping we could see
• The car is sitting on its original set of 16-inch Speedline Turini wheels, finished in gunmetal – they have been refurbished and look very well indeed
• A matched set of Avon tyres (195/45) adorn the wheels and don’t appear to have any damage

Mechanical

• 1,998cc naturally aspirated, 16-valve, four-cylinder
• Five-speed manual transmission
• Front-wheel drive
• Factory performance figures: 170 bhp / 172PS, 147lb-ft, 0-62mph in 6.9 seconds (Autocar clocked it at 6.7 seconds) and a top speed of 138mph
• Factory upgrades over the standard 172 include modified wishbones for a wider track, uprated spring rates and Cup-specific dampers from Sachs
• Excellent service record, including a new timing belt fitted in March 2022 at 73,130 miles
• The engine bay is lovely and clean, with no signs of leaks or any other issues we could identify
• A JMRS induction kit has been fitted, along with a RamAir performance cone filter
• New fuel injectors were fitted in September 2022
• A new MAP sensor and heater motor were fitted in April 2024
• The current owner has had the brakes and suspension overhauled and upgraded
• Grams performance springs fitted (slightly lower)
• Front Brembo HC drilled discs, matched with Ferodo DS2500 pads
• Goodridge stainless steel brake hoses fitted front and rear
• Powerflex bushes fitted to the rear beam
• Custom stealth de-cat exhaust – sounds purposeful, not droning
• We’re assured that there are no mechanical issues that the vendor is aware of, and that the car starts, drives and stops beautifully

Summary

Few cars are as well suited to the narrow, winding and weirdly cambered roads in the UK as a hot hatch. And, when it comes to sheer driving pleasure and exhilaration, very little comes close to the Clio Cup 172. It’s one of those cars that just nails the sweet-spot, offering plenty of power with an agile, well sorted chassis.

This gorgeous example has been very well cared for too, with carefully chosen upgrades and a meticulous record of maintenance. So if you’re the kind of person that goes for a drive “just because” – and you’re on this website, so we’ll assume you are – then this is the perfect car for you.

To arrange a viewing, please request this in the Q&A section. You can click through to the seller's profile and use the 'Email Me' function to arrange a viewing privately. This seller is located in Rothley, Leicestershire.