Project Clio RS at the RenaultSport Trackday Feb 2015 – Sepang Circuit – Zerotohundred

I entered last Sunday’s RenaultSport Trackday with the Clio RS. Trackdays at Sepang had never felt this enjoyable for a very long time. The feeling of accomplishment still lingers 24hrs after the event. I’m wondering why.

Video: Project Clio RS 200 EDC – 3 Laps at the RenaultSport Trackday : Sepang Circuit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTgO-B3toWE

A great outing on factory stock chassis this time. All RenaultSport factory items such as suspension, 17×7.5 wheels and Goodyear F1 tyres. Brakes remained spot on, although tyres can only take so much. Chassis is amazing to say the least and prove that with premium tyres, suspension and pads,the Clio RS’s performance can be amplified further. Engine tune remained aftermarket with a Beta version flash from ProArt and Everco’s race / Street remote switchable exhaust.

Perhaps it’s the well-managed event, being primarily run in house by the people at TCEC RENAULT Malaysia. The RenautSport Trackday is dedicated to the owners of RenaultSport cars in all incarnations and welcome participation from other forms of performance cars and car clubs as well.

Here’s a Clio RS accompanied by a MK1 elise from the Lotus Car Club, an avid participant at every RenaultSport trackday

Yet another Lotus flanked by a school of the all-new Clio RS.

They even deploy RenaultSport in-pit technical support personnel to assist the RS owners with say, tyre pressure needs, engine diagnostics, support for fluids, brakes, wheel swaps, etc etc. There’s also a good company of other owners within the RenaultSport Collectif club and they are ever passionate to help.

Elite RSC members are always on-site.

So there’s virtually nothing any RenaultSport owner should worry about when they visit the circuit during RenaultSport organized track days. The in-pit support guys were professional and helped check my tyre pressures, fluid health and so on prior to driving on the circuit. It feels almost like I have a dedicated pit crew ready to serve me during a race weekend.

This Megane is almost fully racecar homologated

Or maybe it’s the Clio now being in stock chassis form which I’ve been eager to experience. Prior to this, the Clio hadn’t spend much of its life being stock. During it’s first debut at TIMETOATTACK last month, factory stock chassis items were swapped for circuit developed adjustable suspension from Titan and sticky Advan Neova AD08R performance tyres from Yokohama running on 18X8″ TSW rotary forged Interlagos wheels.

So last Sunday, I managed to experience the Clio RS in it’s purest form. Though its exhaust remained aftermarket, stainless, race / street remote switchable system crafted by Everco exhaust. Engine tune isn’t stock too, with ProArt’s beta ECU map upping the points of all possible attributes. Nevertheless, the chassis remains stock and it’s amazing how RenaultSport has bred the Clio RS for the circuit. Do watch my on-board video of the drive above.

Participants signing in prior to Trackday commencement

Or it could just be a case, like certain pleasurable activities where the more you do, the better you get, the more you want. Or It maybe it’s all three. I was also lucky to be included in the country’s only RenaultSport onwner’s club, the RS Collectif’s 2nd anniversary celebration on the same Sunday.

The RSC Committee Members

Other worth mentioning details of the RenaultSport Trackday is that they impose a 60-car limit at every event, resulting in a trackday that’s less crowded and even provide free packs of Nasi Lemak and bottled water. It is definitely a trackday that I’ll be eager to return every time.

Some Useful Links for Current and Future RenaultSport Owners