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Advanced Driving

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More and more manufacturers are offering advanced driver training with the purchase of one or more of their performance models. A case in point is Renault’s new Clio Sport, which was launched in South Africa last month and whose new owners qualify for a complimentary ‘performance driving’ course. The new Clio RS is powered by a normally aspirated 2,0-litre 16-valve engine, producing 147,5 kW and 215 N.m of torque – enough to send the 2-door hatch from zero to 100 km/h in 6.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 225 km/h. In short, enough power to get you into trouble if you’re not careful.

Renault Driving Academy. After attending the launch of the new Clio RS we were invited to Killarney race track in Cape Town, to join Renault and other motoring enthusiasts for a few lessons.

Although Cape Town offered up a rather wet and gloomy day for our training, the wet weather helped to highlight the imperfections in our driving style. Here are some of the key points we learned…

  • Always look as far around a corner as possible – change lanes if it will help – because you never know what lies ahead.
  • In relation to a pedestrian, you don’t realise how fast you are going and how much time you need to stop.
  • A car itself is perfectly safe, it’s the person behind the wheel that creates the problem.
  • Smooth control of brakes, throttle and steering make your driving faster and safer.
  • ABS, EBD and ESP will save your bacon, but they can’t perform miracles.
  • There is more grip in the wet than you think, but there is still less grip than in the dry.

Incidentally, you may be pleased to know that your SACarFan journo has some ‘street cred’ and posted the fastest time of the day in the gymkhana test – that is until instructor Deon Joubert had a go and went 2 seconds quicker!