Renault Clio 197 R27 CAR review

The Clio F1 Team R27. That's the 197 special edition named after this year's slothful F1 car, right?

Ooh, get you. We should be feeling sympathy for Renault. It wraps up the World Championship with the R26 racer, launches a brilliant Megane special edition boasting the same name, and can do no wrong. But, so far, the new R27 F1 car has been a bit of a dog. Which is a fair burden for its Clio 197 namesake to carry; particularly as it has no more power, so will still get eaten by Corsa VXRs and Peugeot 207 GTIs if the driver is averse to revs. A bit like, err, the F1 car on the track. But we shouldn't be too sniffy. Below the surface is the Cup chassis option pack, which will be available to all Clio 197 buyers this autumn. It's the beginning of Renault's familiar, admirable policy of continuous hot hatch development.

So the F1 Team edition isn't actually all that special?

It's no Trophy, that's for sure. You get some horrid stickers (optional, luckily), darkened rear glass, a '1 of 500' limited edition plaque, a better stereo and leather Recaros. Doesn't seem hugely impressive for a heady £17,250 list price - not when Corsa VXRs go for £15,595. Yucky Yellow is an option but, thankfully, so are other colours. And the rest of it – red-painted four-pot Brembos, Anthracite alloys, 7mm lower suspension, stiffer front and rear dampers plus cleverer bumpstops – is all part of the £800-ish Cup pack. That's the bit which has to be good.