To Cup or not to Cup? Renaultsport offers its Clio with or without the hardcore chassis option fitted to our long-termer, so I booked in a standard Clio 200 for a 1000-mile comparison.

They just suit too many situations to not be included. And they come little better than a Clio 172 Cup. You know that, we know that; the world knows that. But as the Renault rebirth continues ...

I jumped at the chance to head down there in the Clio. Unfortunately, my trip began in London, which could mean only one thing: congestion. Town traffic is not the Cup’s natural habitat.