Anyone upgraded from a 172/182 track car?

[driver_hr]

Hello guys, i have a stripped out 172 which i mainly intend to use as a budget track car. Done donnigton park couple of months ago, enjoyed it but was let down by the terrible weather an i have Bedford autodrome booked end of this month so i havn't really enjoyed the car properly yet.

I'm more then happy with my 172 at the moment but was just looking around on the internet for a possible upgrade later in the year, just wanted to know what you guys would consider a good upgrade to the Clio with a budget of 4k for the car, then ofcourse more needed to make it track ready. Possible choices for me so far are Megane 225, focus ST, Astra VXR. Are there any cars i missed out? idealy want 280-300bhp with simple mods. The megane 225 seems to be a popular trackday choice but i couldn't really find much info on the VXR or the ST in terms of track action.

No definite plans to change the 172 at the moment, just considering the options. 2nd trackday is at the end of the month, hopefully its a dry day so i can really see what the car is capable of.

Any information will be appreciated, Thank you

 

[imprezaworks]

R26.

 

[Clio_fool]

How many track days have you done previously? There's a reason that there are so many clios on track and fully built for the job.

 

[JB21]

Stick with the Clio to learn a bit of track craft, then once you've reached the limits of the car consider an upgrade to something like the R26, the others you mention need a good few quid to get them up to scratch for track, the R26 however is good out the box with tyres and brakes.

I keep considering an upgrade but the Clio is just so damn fun with a few choice mods.

 

[Duck Hunt]

I had a sorted clio for the track ,wanted more power over 10 grand later back with a clio ,cant beat the fun per pounds everything else is so expensive for not much gain

 

[imprezaworks]

Fabia went? ^

 

[Coops Mk1]

unless you have very deep pockets you won't beat a well setup clio imo, so unfortunately 4k really isn't going to cut it as an upgrade budget.

I'd sink the 4k into the clio once you are familiar with it and find its weak points. starting with tyres, diff, brakes, suspension. it'll be more capable than a stock VXR astra at that point and much much cheaper to run

 

[imprezaworks]

Other alternative depending on how far you want to go would be the ep3.

 

[welshname]

If you're after more power in and around that price point then you've got two options where you don't need to spend the earth to make it capable on track as a starting point.

EP3 if you're into your N/A cars, and Megane if you're into boost. EP3 can have some impressive figures for a normally aspirated car, so it's one to upgrade slowly over time and stop the boredom happening too soon, 225 megane doesn't have a diff and imo when you're close to 300bhp you need one so I'd wait until there's more budget and look for an R26.

Both of these have much higher running costs than the Clio in terms of parts like tyres, brakes etc.

 

[M.C..]

Love my track Clio, it would be nice to have more power to get past the idiots who don’t move over to let you past but apart from that it’s a great car and reasonably cheap to run.
If I did change I would like a supercharged mini but that will cost more than £4K

 

[scotiamr2t]

R53 mini would be my choice if i had to change the clio for something else. Handling is similar to the clio, with the right mods they are almost as reliable and far quicker (in a straight line) than a clio.

The only reason i wouldn't just boost my clio for more outright pace is the ridiculously weak JC5 gearbox.

 

[Goodj]

MX5 and a pocketful of change.
No prizes for laptimes at trackdays

 

[driver_hr]

Thanks for all the replies guys, to answer a few questions the clio is my first ever track car which ive only done 1 trackday in which was a wet miserable day. I have been a passenger in a few other cars an ive also driven a couple of mates cars round track for a few laps but these were not track prepped cars.

I bought my clio as a budget option to start me off with trackdays, but dont get me wrong i absolutely love it, cant wait till the end of the month for my second track day, hopefully its a nice dry day an i can really enjoy the car an see how well it handles.

At the moment its stripped out, bucket seat, 3 point harness, apex lowering springs, fattys induction, HC disks, an a cat back exhaust. I plan to do a trackday every 4 - 6 weeks hopefully. Next stages for the car are some track focused tires, better brake pads, Cup shocks with cooksports. I think it will be a very capable car an will keep me happy for the foreseeable future. I was just thinking if i wanted to upgrade towards the end of the year an invest more money into a track car what would be the options. So far it seems like megane 225s are not rated very highly as they have no diff, so the options are, keep my clio or buy a megane R26. Maybe the best option is to buy a mint 172 cup an spend a bit of money on that lol, always loved them but i do think i want more power...hmmm

Lets do a few trackdays in the clio first an take things from there, for the time being its the perfect track car for me, one which i have not tested the limits off yet

 

[adamlstr]

Done donnigton park couple of months ago, enjoyed it but was let down by the terrible weather

19th October 2017?

If so, I was at Donny that day, it was an utter deluge of rain.

I wouldn't go near an Astra VXR or Focus ST unless you've got funds to throw at Suspension and Diff, for track work. The 225 would be the best 'out of the box' car on track.

 

[masekwm]

Take a Clio 1*2, add a diff, decent suspension, upgrade the pads & refresh the fluid and fit some track spec tyres = perfection for a track day car.

 

[adamlstr]

Take a Clio 1*2, add a diff, decent suspension, upgrade the pads & refresh the fluid and fit some track spec tyres = perfection for a track day car.

+ Refresh ALLLLLL the bushes.

 

[JB21]

No point spending money on a mint Clio for track, keep what you've got as it'll only end up in the armco at some point, lol. If you want more power look at getting some 197 cams or even catcams. You can pretty easily get 200hp per tonne from a Clio which would equate to a part stripped Meg 225 running around 250/260hp.

You'll find a lot of people have 'upgraded' on here and most always come back around to the Clio, just do loads of days adding mods you think it needs as you go.

 

[Coops Mk1]

ai its all about power to weight, mines 855kg and 192 bhp = 224bhp per ton. so its not shy

for comparison a standard 225 is 1335kg and 225bhp = 168bph per ton

 

[Coops Mk1]

DISCLAIMER - all weights of not my cars researched from da internetz, so could be wrong, lol

although I have no idea what a bph is, flol!

 

[Danith]

something with a K20 in

 

[JamesBryan]

A standard Clio vs a standard Megane are pretty much the same at around 170 bhp per ton.

Stick with the Clio as parts and consumables will be cheaper.

 

[Goodj]

A bucketful of tuition is faster than another 50hp at the wheels

 

[Peperami]

Looking at your mods list, id prioritise some well set-up coilovers, 15's and sticky tyres. They will add far more speed to your clio than an induction kit or exhaust, and more than buying a 4k car will. Dont waste money on cup shocks and springs, thats a road set-up. And Apex springs are dreadul!

In a well set-up cup with good coilovers i'd easily pass and lap R26's on track. A smaller diameter steering wheel will make it feel like a different car too.

Oh and tuition. You have the perfect track car base already, i wouldnt waste money starting again. The more track days you do the more you'll realise that speed is in the corners, not the bhp. Enjoy it

 

[driver_hr]

@Peperami I stipped the car a week before the trackday an the rear was sitting so high, so came across some apex springs local to me an had them fitted the next day, yes they are dreadful, ride is very harsh but because of this they may be ok on track? Reason why i was thinking cup shocks an cooksport/eibach springs was because they are so cheap compared to decent coilovers an they recieve good reviews on here. Brand new cup shocks are £125 on ebay an can find some decent used springs compared to like £500 for coilovers. I have 16" alloys from a 182 on my car, any reason why you recommend the 15s? an yep forgot to mention i have a 350mm steering wheel fitted aswell. Thanks for the replies guys

 

[JB21]

I done a full year on APEX springs and cup shocks and found them great for the money on track. If you have £4k spare though decent coilovers are worth the money. Have a look at BC DR coilovers from Kam racing as they are very reasonably priced for what you get, especially if you go for the adjustable top mounts as well.

 

[imprezaworks]

15’s will handle better and cheaper tyres.

 

[masekwm]

Before spending a load of cash on the Clio, I'd also look to see what's available secondhand. Far better to let someone spend a load and then you pick it up cheaply.

 

[driver_hr]

@JB21 Had a look an the BC DR coilovers are at £782, i just cant justify spending that much on the clio. They have V max coilovers which seem to be very cheap, would they be a better option then cup shocks + cooksports?

 

[JamesBryan]

You can get Bilstein B14 for less than the BC's. You won't have as much adjustability but they're much better than Vmaxx.

 

[Duck Hunt]

still got the fabia

Fabia went? ^

 

[JB21]

@JB21 Had a look an the BC DR coilovers are at £782, i just cant justify spending that much on the clio. They have V max coilovers which seem to be very cheap, would they be a better option then cup shocks + cooksports?

No they're shite!

 

[Clio_fool]

@JB21 i just cant justify spending that much on the clio.

So the £4k for next years replacement car was theoretical? Anyone with one eye and blurred vision can tell by the replys that you'd be much better prepared for track work by upgrading your clio than spunking £4k on a more powerful car.
As you're new to track days you'd learn a lot more and become a much better driver by steadily upgrading the clio as you gain experience anyway.

 

[driver_hr]

I rather keep the clio as a budget track car, just cant justify spending over £700 on coilovers for a car which i paid under a grand for. Car is mostly sorted anyway, just needs better tyres, more track focused brake pads an cup shocks an coosports/eibach springs an thats me done with the clio. Then i can maintain it an enjoy trackdays. As far as the upgrade maybe i need to raise the budget an buy a R26 an slowly start getting that ready for track an thats if i decide to upgrade as im sure the clio will be suited to me just fine for many many trackdays

 

[imprezaworks]

I’d look into H&r springs too. On the road mine are great. I’ve had both the cooksports and eibachs. Would opt for the H&r next time around.

 

[marc1330]

Just to add my two pence worth . I have a 172 cup that i have had 12 years now and its gone through many different guises. It currently sits on ITB's cams and some headwork. I only used for some road fun and i do some sprinting and hillclimbing in it.
Suspension wise I would just refresh everything that you can suspension wise maybe chuck some eibachis/cooksports etc on and just get some track experience in. Thats all I have done except for some PMS top mounts and strut brace , it will feel spot on.
In October I bought a standard R26 looking to buy something a bit more grown up on the road but still useable on track and sell the clio on.
I must admit it has blown me away how capable the thing is in standard trim It gets down the road quicker and easier than the cup and the grip it has is amazing!!
It doesn't have the sense of drama and nimbleness the clio has when you take it out though which is the thing i will miss when/if I come to sell the clio.

 

[Knuckles]

To echo what has been said, i’d Learn the car and how to drive on track before upgrading.

Once you can drive at the limit of the car, upgrade the parts that are letting you down, rinse and repeat until there’s nothing left to upgrade then move on.

I’ve been doing track days for a few years now and apart from wanting a bit more power, the clio is ideal for my talent and needs. Plus, you can accelerate longer and earlier and brake harder and later than most other cars so that’s where you’ll make up your speed

 

[Budgie]

Spending money on parts for a track car isn't money wasted. Buy a second hand set of Bilstein for £400 and they'll always be worth £400. Buy a set of buckets for £500 with subframes and they'll always be worth that. Buy a Whiteline for £100, well, you know the rest.

 

[TRH_Racing]

I went to an r26 after my 182 track car, best move I’ve made

Now making the megane a track car

 

[Aydon182]

R53 mini would be my choice if i had to change the clio for something else. Handling is similar to the clio, with the right mods they are almost as reliable and far quicker (in a straight line) than a clio.

The only reason i wouldn't just boost my clio for more outright pace is the ridiculously weak JC5 gearbox.

R53 minis aren't far quicker in a straight line

 

[scotiamr2t]

R53 minis aren't far quicker in a straight line

With the same money spent on engine mods, yes they are. Standard for standard agreed there isn’t much if any difference