If I had a Clio Cup...

[matt4478]

... I think I would have just crashed it!

I was feeling up for a thrash earlier and decided to go for a run around some local country roads with loads of tight bends and nasty cambers... Anyhow, approaching a tight left hander I stamped on the (now rather hot!) brakes and brushed off quite a bit of speed, but nowhere near enough to make the corner!

I had already picked out which bit of the hedge I was going to aim for and just froze, heart-in-mouth, buttocks clenched, underwear soiled, attempting to steer (which wasnt really helping) and lamping on the brakes... I have no idea how the car went round the corner but it did. Im certain that without ABS I would have just made a nice mess all over someones field.

So maybe if, like me, youre not the worlds best driver you should buy a car with as much safety jiggery-pokery as possible and rely on electronics to sort out your mess... oops! I just froze and could not have coordinated any kind of cadence braking...

On another note... MY GOD, that is one seriously quick car! <grins from ear to ear>

<changes underwear>

 

[GR7]

Matt, glad you made it OK, just be a bit more careful, as we dont want any Cliosport obituaries!

I have just had a very quick drive back from Edinburgh, part of it along a road which Ben Hume liked when he was up this way.

Some nice bends, but nothing as hairy as you had Matt!

 

[matt4478]

Hmmm... realised I was a bit dumb (to say the least) but just couldnt stop grinning afterwards... Think Id better leave the heroic cornering for the track!

 

[172Cup]

matt4478,

I quite agree with you. I am an experienced driver having done rallying, many track days, ROSPA police driver training (im not a cop btw) and have learnt many lessons from crashing cars also!!!!

The Cup has got really snatchy brakes without ABS, but with Servo assistance. I can only say from personal expericence that to get the best out of this set-up, one needs to have fantastic pedal control and composure. I have locked up the brakes once myself and have not done this for a long time!

Personally, I prefer NO ABS with NO servo assistance like on my Elise. You get a real feel of what the car is doing under braking.

However I am getting used to this middle-ground set-up but I agree that you have to be a 100% committed driver to get the best out of the CUP set-up, otherwise stick with a 172 ABS set-up.

You will also stop quicker 90% of the time with ABS compared to no ABS. If anyone disagrees with you, its bollox. Ive had this conversation many times with Brembo and SWRT engineers and Bosch and its proven that ABS is a safer and more performant set-up.

172CUP

 

[James20VT]

I find the all round disc brakes come in handy in the traffic lights when ur not concerntrating and singing along to ur music, and u look forward and realise ur about to squash ur lovely front spoiler then u nose dive the front hehe.