ninjaguppy

To start Im not interested in a my d*ck is bigger than yours thread. I have an sti putting out a whack of power but I miss my old Saxo Vts and fancy a new '197' . Anyone got anything to report on them? Quick? well built etc? Not that fussed because i like em and thatswhat matters but an informed opinion is always welcome! I await the 'should get a 182 trophy brigade'

davyboy

Get the fantastic Recaro seats

Bakerman

I had a Saxo VTS and loved it almost as much as the AX GT I used to blat around in, nothing like skinny tyres (165/15) and 90bhp to make you work for it. The issue I have with modern motors (including Scubarus/Evos etc) is that they are far too quick too easy and the fun for me has gone, sure they go fast (if thats your thing) but I never feel like I have them by the scruff of the neck the way older cars used to make me feel (205/AX/106/Saxo etc etc). Same thing has happened to modern motorbikes, they are just too competant.

Prefer the 182 to the 197, 197 looks a bit too sensible and grown up for me.

Other than that no help to you at all, sorry !!

ninjaguppy

thought that!! Either grey or racing blue with climate and recaros? Are xenons worth 500bar I wouldnt have thought so?

ninjaguppy

I agree. 330 bhp is nice but so lifeless unless dangerous! My vts used to make me grin! But im older and would like a touch of class as well so the 197 seems right? And surely they can t be that slow?

stilover

I've been put of Renaults ever since I owned a 172.

How about the new Vauxpoo Corsa VXR? Look like it could really be a good car (the only Vauxpoo I've ever considered buying, as they're all, well, poo).

197BHP, and the men at Vauxpoo recon they've tried to give it old school thrills (according to the blurb in Evo magazine). Look better then the Clio too.

Must admit, my ideal situation next year would be to hava a Corsa VXR (or even just a Suzuki Swift Sport) as an every day car, and either the new Evo X (360+) or hopfully a Focus RS MkII (come on Ford !!) as the weekend car.

Edited to say : If only Peugeot still made the 106 GTI. I'd have one of them new tomorrow. Best car I've ever owned for putting a smile on my face.

Monkeybone

Drove one a few months ago, overall very pleased.

Sense of speed is warped in them as the power delivery has been smoothed out, it's still there but just not as noticible kick any more.

6 speed box has stupidly close ratios, but it does pull in every gear nicely.

Handling is superb, much better than my 172, and the Brembos were quite nice to boot Felt amazingly planted round the bends.

Like the Megane, an F1 special edition is out soon...

Renaultsport.co.uk - Community - e-Newsletter

Or get the standard one for £12,999 from Buymynewcar. Or spend 14,799 on a MEgane F1 230.

scott8629

I would wait until the bring out the 197 Cup/Trophy/F1 or the 207 Cup/trophy/F1.

Look at the last model

172, 172 Cup, 182, 182 with Cup Pack, 182 Cup, 182 Trophy!

Same with the Megane

Madness

Andygreer

iTrader: (4)

Our lass has a Cup, its Awsome, Nippy and great Fun

stilover

If you like Yellow?

Clio 197 F1 (with Cup Chassis)

PistonHeads Headlines

Cup Chassis available on standard 197 later this year.

ninjaguppy

i cant decide! I love the look of that 197 but I also fancy a new ctr! Its doing me box in. Folk keep saying the Civic will kill it but you cant help liking that funky renault.

MooseRacer

Huh? A CTR wouldn't see which way a Clio 197 went on a typical bumpy B road.

Sub97

Hardly.

One might be slightly quicker than the other in different conditions, but I can't think of any in which one "wouldn't see which way the other went". Unless it was a reliability survey..

talizman

iTrader: (1)

Sadly not yet an option in the UK market yet apparently.

Or at least they weren't recently....

Edited to say, the Renaultsport car builder has now been updated... They are an £850 option.

I stand corrected!

pimmo2000

iTrader: (6)

I was behind one the other day and he dropped and gear and booted it and it made a really really nice noise, like the noise you get from an X5 only not quite as loud.. very powerful sounding... Moved quite well too, I didnt play

MooseRacer

Sorry, but you're wrong.

Blueblaster

And you're an idiot if you think that two cars with broadly the same power/weight ratio, designed with broadly the same brief would not be more or less as fast as one another. One might pull away by a small amount but you would have to be driving so close to the limit to do so that it would be dangerous.

MooseRacer

Oh silly me Of course if you're driving at speeds sensible on public roads they will be similar. Why did I not think of that?

The fact is the Clio has a much more competent chassis on anything other than race track surfaces. Honda have some catching up to do in that department with the new CTR...shame they've gone back to torsion beam rear suspension, doesn't bode well.

Monkeybone

Clio won hot hatch trackday car of the year 2006 award from track and race car magazine as well.

Sub97

Yes of course, they are that completely different that the CTR driver would not even see which way the Clio had gone, how silly of me.

jonc

Lets not forget that Clio's also have the cost driven torsion beam rear suspension. Not the best setup, but not too shabby either.

Blueblaster

Firstly I never said "sensible speeds". Secondly, how do you know the Clio has the most competent chassis? Thirdly, how would you like to measure "wouldn't see which way a Clio 197 went?" It obviously can't be tested on a public road so when the two cars go head to head on a track, by how much does the 197 have to win to justify your claim? I would suggest from the boldness of your statement that the 197 would have to be 15-20% faster. Ain't going to happen. We'd be talking fractions. You are wrong.

MooseRacer

No, just not a blinkered CTR owner

Edit: Or a Clio owner come to that

Jap2Scrap

I'm not sure where the F1 team derived bit came from for the 230 F1 and 197 F1. I've never seen one in the race bay at Enstone.

Cracking looking and handling cars though, both the Clios and the Meganes, as testified by the number in our car park.

Matteeboy

How's the sales job at the Renault dealer going then?

Jap2Scrap

I'm happily making laser sintered nylon parts for the R27, thanks for asking

Blueblaster

Note to self: Never again bother to discuss anything with MooseRacer as he can't construct a reasoned argument to back up his soundbites.

r32

197 got wupped in the last test I saw by a new MCS..............

MooseRacer

Strange, I thought I'd replied to this:

The current (or should that be old now?) CTR is a good car with arguably the best engine in it's class, the best drivetrain in it's class, it's well put together and won't let you down. Until recently residuals were good too.

However, even at it's launch it's chassis and steering feel weren't class leaders. The chassis is reasonably well setup for track use but struggles (relatively speaking) onroad. The steering is devoid of real feel and doesn't inspire confidence in tricky conditions.

So in my opinion and no doubt yours is different, if the 2 were travelling "briskly" down a typical bumpy, twisty road unknown to the driver - let's say it was raining too as we know how the CTR likes the wet (especially on OEM tyres) - then the Clio would pull away significantly.

If it was my own money I wouldn't put it anywhere near a Clio, but I would not be under any illusion that the Clio 197 is a better drivers car.

Blueblaster

Alright, I'll bite. So let me get this straight. You would choose one car over another on the basis that it is slightly faster on a wet, bumpy, twisty B-road that you don't know? Well, I can't speak for everyone else, but I can't argue with that kind of reasoned logic.