About
Putting the CLIO through its paces.
RS192: Product Development
We commissioned Scorpion Exhausts Ltd to design and manufacture a custom specification exhaust system to fit the Renault Clio Sport 182 2.0 16v.
The specification was to be a lightweight, very high quality stainless steel system, that produces more power and torque than the standard exhaust. It had to be silenced to a suitable level for road use. We did not want any intrusive exhaust noise to penetrate into the car. We believe the typical Clio 182 driver, is a more mature enthusiast who would not appreciate a loud boomy exhaust. They would instead prefer a more purposeful raspy sound than the standard exhaust. It has to give proven performance gains and the design of it has to suit the car's image. It needs to be easy to fit and not require any modification to the standard car. For the more focused drivers who use their 182 on track or in performance orientated environments, an optional decat & sports cat pipe was also commissioned.
The Design
The Development
A critical stage of the development was to subject the prototype components to a series of tests on the dyno (rolling road) to check the actual performance. Firstly, the standard Clio 182 with the standard exhaust system was tested to give us some base power/torque figures to compare to. The car was then fitted with the Scorpion prototype systems and we did some extensive back to back power runs. The Dyno testing lasted a full day whilst we tried various options, fitting and refitting components, and "back to back" runs to ensure the results were accurate and reliable between each system. In between dyno runs we also subjected the car to "on the road" tests to see how each system performed whilst driving.
The Results
The dyno testing was a huge success. One of our prototype systems was consistently producing 192bhp (peaking at 192.7bhp) showing a good increase in power and torque over the standard system. We found that a twin rear silencer set up out performed a single one, and that the decat pipe produced more top end power but lost a little bit of torque compared to the standard Renault catalytic converter. We also discovered that our prototype sports cat pipe made hardly any difference over the standard cat pipe so any further development on this component was halted. On the road tests backed up the dyno results. The single silencer system was a lot louder when driving and didn't feel as powerful. The twin silencer system with the 2.5" centre pipe was clearly the best system overall. It produced the most power on full throttle with the decat pipe fitted.
Design of the system began with us supplying Scorpion with a standard specification Clio 182 test car to build the exhaust on site at their factory in Derbyshire, UK.
Scorpion then made us a few different prototype systems, all slightly different ranging from different bore sizes, to a single rear silencer set up. We also had a decat and sports cat pipe made. After extensive road and dyno testing we chose the exhaust design that offered the best overall combination of performance, design, look, fitment and noise level.
Further Developments
Once we had chosen the final design our test 182 car was sent back to Scorpion for further development and testing. After Scorpion had tweaked the design and were happy with the fitment, the test car was subjected to 6 weeks of extensive road use. This was to ensure the exhaust performed in a variety of different environments and conditions that would occur on a daily basis. It was also to test the fitment of the system to make sure there were no problems in the design. The road testing was a huge success and the prototype system performed faultlessly. The noise level was spot on, and you could feel the the extra power and grunt on full throttle.
Now it was time for the system to be put into full production. In early 2008 Scorpion manufactured the first batch of systems and they are now available to purchase. This system is exclusive to us and not available to buy from anyone else.
We have looked at all the other Clio 182 exhausts on the market and we have priced the RS192 very competitively. We believe it offers great value for money for anyone wishing to upgrade the exhaust on their Clio 182. We are sure you won't be disappointed with the RS192! On a recent dyno test day, our system produced significant more power than a well known system already established in the market, made by a very reputable exhaust manufacturer and costing a lot more money.
It is made from T304 grade stainless steel using state of the art technology at Scorpion's UK factory in Derbyshire.
In 2014 we had the centre pipe design amended by Scorpion to include a new flex joint. The latest centre pipe
design features a stainless steel 2.5" bore centre pipe with a flex joint and a built in silencer measuring
400x130mm located at the front end. The centre pipe only weighs 3.35kgs! This centre pipe will connect
to the standard Clio 182 cat pipe or the optional Scorpion decat pipe.
