Renault RS Replay review – a standout in-car data logging system

Increasingly performance vehicles are utilising highly sophisticated data logging systems. Lap times, G-forces, acceleration and many more mind-blowing Motorsport inspired stats can be viewed in real-time or recorded for analysis later. EFTM have experienced such awesomeness in the Nissan GT-R, Chrysler 300 SRT8 and even the luxurious but tame Infiniti Q50 2.2 S Premium.   But it’s the Renault Clio RS 200 Cup Trophy we drove recently that is an absolute standout.

What is it?

Renault has created an online hub called R.S. Replay. Using any USB device in a R.S. Monitor equipped Renault you can record in real-time any journey you take. In my case a trip to Bunnings and the first leg of my daily commute to work. Of course competitive drivers will choose to exploit the software on actual track days.

How does it work?

It’s a very simple process and not just one for tech heads.

Firstly you create a profile at renaultsport.com. Once done you click on the R.S. replay section to log on. It’s as simple as creating a Facebook profile, in fact easier.

Then you insert a USB device into the centre console of your appropriately equipped Renault, in our case a yellow Renault Clio RS 200 Cup Trophy! Flicking a virtual red switch via the R.S. Monitor commences the ‘recording’ process.

You can create a circuit in your local area and store it via a GPS stopwatch page. The system then recognises future trips to the same location and starts lap times as soon you cross a certain start point. Of course attempting to better times and braking patterns around your local neighbourhood will soon land you in court and ultimately on a bicycle. Uploading and sharing such data would relegate you to serious dunderhead territory. Renault even warn about this on start-up.

 

So after recording some blistering times at an officially sanctioned track day, it’s a matter of finding a PC and plugging the USB device in.

Via the R.S. Replay site the next step is to ‘Import a run’. An ‘Acquisitions’ folder is created on your USB device automatically while you hurtle around.

By clicking on ‘My Runs’ you can then replay your drive while watching via a satellite image map. Accompanying the map are various customisable widgets. Such as throttle, brake, torque, power and speed. The list in fact goes on and on, it’s an absolute nerds paradise.

The added novelty of sharing and comparing ‘Runs’ with other Renault drivers locally or even internationally is quite simply a hoot.

For your edification I can tell you my Bunnings run took 00:0018:80 and I hit a top speed of 62km/h. I deduced from the figures that I could probably brake a little later just prior to the 90 degree left hander into the aforementioned hardware chain. During the corner I pulled 0.3 g at 22km/h, epic hey?

Worth it?

You can read our review of the Renault Clio RS 200 here. To have all this data logging wizardry onboard costs a pretty penny. You need to upgrade to a Trophy spec model to get it. So depending on a Sport or Cup tuned chassis it’s anywhere between $34,290 and $36,790.