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2003 RENAULTSPORT CLIO 172 CUP

This Renaultsport Clio 172 Cup is an exciting lightweight hot hatch, which is offered by the first and only owner, who has cherished it for more than 16 years. Under the bonnet is a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated inline-four producing around 169bhp, which is coupled to a five-speed manual transmission. The odometer shows just 49,368 miles from new.

An evolution of the already impressive phase II Clio 172, the Cup model had lowered and stiffened suspension, a revised front splitter and rear spoiler, thinner windscreen glass, deletion of air-conditioning, and removal of some sound deadening material. It weighed in at just 1,021kg and had a 0-60mph time of 6.5 seconds.

This car has just one owner from new, and was first registered in July 2003. It was finished in Mondial Blue, and has the standard cloth-trimmed sport seats in the cabin. Other than anthracite powder coating to the wheels, the car remains original and unmodified.

The bodywork presents in very good order, with no accident damage and consistent panel gaps. The only note from the seller is that there is a small crack behind the plastic front grille from a bird strike. Its Mondial Blue paint is generally smart, and is original with the exception of the front bumper, which has been resprayed to rectify stone chips in 2014. Imperfections noted by the seller include a handful of stone chips on the bonnet, some minor scuffs and scratches around the offside front and rear quarters, rear bumper and wing mirror, and some larger marks on the offside door panel. There are small chips on the trailing edges of both doors, and some parts of the ‘Cup 172’ stick-on badges are missing.

All of the light lenses present well, and the seller has recently refreshed the look of the headlight covers with a restoration cleaning kit. The window and door rubbers are sound, and the door shut panels are in good order. It rides on the correct 16-inch Speedline Turini alloy wheels, which were refurbished in 2014 and given an anthracite powder-coated finish.

In the cabin, the original front sport seats are in great shape. There are no rips or tears in the grey cloth, and only signs of wear and fading commensurate with the age and mileage. Some visible bobbling is present around the shoulders of the seats. The Clio 172 Cup was fitted with a simpler rear bench seat than the standard car, and in this example it appears to have had very little use over the years. The steering wheel and gear knob are both original, though there is a small nick in the rubber insert on the right-hand side of the former, and the markings on the latter have worn away.

This Clio benefits from very good service history from new, with the last scheduled maintenance having been carried out in July 2019 at 49,288 miles. This consisted of an intermediate service and oil change. Prior to this, it was serviced in July 2018 at 49,088 miles, when the timing belt, tensioner and idler pulleys were also renewed. During the July 2017 oil service, the additional items including the air filter, spark plugs, and centre and rear exhaust mounts.

Its timing belt has been changed every five years on schedule, in 2008, 2013, and 2018. The rear discs and pads were last replaced in July 2015 at 47,946 miles. The exhaust sections and mounting brackets are known for suffering from rust, and these have been replaced on multiple occasions throughout the car’s life.

The most recent MOT test was carried out on 15 July 2019 at 49,288 miles, which resulted in a first-time pass with only a few defects and advisories. The headlights were found to have discolouration to the lenses, but this was rectified as described above. Other items were on the ‘monitor’ advisory list, including a non-excessive oil leak on the offside drive shaft, front brake disc wear, corrosion on the front suspension arms and MacPherson struts, and a defective exhaust mounting.

Due to a puncture on the offside rear tyre, it is currently fitted with a Goodyear EfficientGrip tyre. However, the other three are matching Goodyear Eagle F1 items. All four tyres have around 4-5mm of tread remaining.

Accompanying the car is a complete and original book pack, including the owner’s manual, stamped guarantee and maintenance record, an installation certificate for the Renault security system, and other user guides. A raft of service invoices and old MOT certificates are present. There is also the original jack and wheel nut wrench, two locking wheel nut keys, and a 15-inch spare wheel bought from Renault to replace the supplied tyre foam.

This Renaultsport Clio 172 Cup is an engaging and exciting hot hatch, which boasts single-owner provenance and relatively low mileage. This car has been enjoyed as intended, but has clearly been well cared-for, and there are only some minor jobs for the next owner to attend to in due course. This is a great opportunity if you have always fancied one of these lightweight Cup specials in your collection.

Summary of maintenance history: