I rented a third-generation (2005—2012) Renault Clio RS 200 from Ringfreaks.de for my first ever Nürburgring track day. The car was a fully prepared race car that seemed like an excellent introduction to the Nürburgring for several reasons.
First, I intended to share the car with my brother and do as many laps as possible in the eight-hour open-track event hosted by Destination Nürburgring. Ringfreaks is one of the few companies that rents by the day, or half-day, so you’re free to drive as many laps as you want. (Other companies charge by the lap.) The Clio RS cost 999€ per day for one driver, and the cost for an extra driver was a reasonable 100€. (100€ is less than the cost of 2 laps to most other rental companies’ cars.) These two policies made it much less expensive to share the car with my brother and drive all day long. Together we did 25 laps, which is 25% more than the largest package offered by RSR Nürburg, though RSR will let you buy extra laps.
I liked that the Ringfreaks cars are fully prepped with safety equipment. As I’d be sharing the driver’s seat and passenger’s seat with my brother, it seemed like a great idea to pick the safest car. (Our mother should appreciate the attention to safety too!) The cars also have race brakes—which never faded on me—and have built-in video (720p) and data logging, saving me sweat and tears with my GoPros.
The Clio’s FWD format and standard traction control seemed perfect for two novices on a notoriously dangerous and rainy track. As it turned out, it did rain for most of our track day, and the Clio was flawlessly communicative and stable in the wet. I only once felt the TC intervene, and I was relieved that the system was both helpful and unobtrusive.
As a stripped-out race car, the Clio is LOUD! When I was doing laps by myself, I wished I’d brought earplugs. When I was co-driving for my brother, he wished I’d shout louder. He often had to guess at what I was saying, as he could not make out my words.
Having confidence that your car will stop is very important on a race track. The racing upgrades to the Clio’s brakes—improved brake lines and Hawk DTC 50 pads—gave the little car flawless bite all day long. I loved using the brakes and was faster down the straightaways as I knew they would be ready for me in every braking zone.
Yokohama Advan Neova AD08 R tires (215/45R17) were fitted to the car. These are high-quality tires, and they were fatigue-free in our dry laps, but they do not have the supreme level of wet grip that Michelin Pilot Super Sports or PS4S do. This made me a little wary when cornering in the rain.
The car’s race bucket seats and six-point harnesses held us tightly in place as we whipped around the circuit, but they also caused me back and neck pain. I wanted to get out and stretch after two or three laps.
Ringfreaks installed a thin-rimmed Momo steering wheel in place of the Clio’s OEM airbag wheel. The Momo wheel was a joy to use. It was full of feel and information about the front tires, and it would lighten and wiggle as we skated on the slippery pavement.
The KW suspension was perfect, controlling the RS’s body yet still allowing the compliance we wanted from the car. It would be too stiff for road use but was great for speeding around the Ring.
The Clio’s 6-speed manual gearbox was stock. (We were told that it is the car’s weakest link.) I found it easy to use and did not worry about selecting the wrong gear. The brake and gas pedals had also been upgraded and were perfectly spaced for heel-toe downshifting.
Our biggest wish was for more horsepower. The 4-cylinder engine’s 200 hp felt weak as we climbed the Ring’s many hills. The engine was so harshly loud that I often short-shifted, a sin since the engine’s best power was at the redline. On the rare occasion that I did reach the redline, shift lights from the AIM system would flash red, and the car would beep a warning to upshift.
For my first time on the Ring, I very much enjoyed the Clio RS and appreciated its balance and tenancy towards mild understeer. It was a perfect partner for a rainy day like today and one that I would recommend to other Ring beginners or people sharing track cars.
If you want to go really fast, though, you’ll want a car with more power. We topped out at about 200 kph on the main straight, while the fastest cars can brush 300 kph here.
Ringfreaks themselves were very helpful and level-headed guys. They responded well to my reservation inquiries, and they were welcoming and on point during my check-in. I would not hesitate to use them again.
Mike's Steering Column 