Clio MK1 1.4 (Maxim, RN, RT etc) - performance improvement?

[robin91]

Hi,

I'm looking for a first car and have looked at everything you can imagine, and I keep coming back to Clios because a) the insurance is cheap and b) just now I've found out according to parkers a 1.4 Mk1 Clio like the Maxim S, RN or RT will do 0-60 in about 11.1s is that correct? That is quite fast for a first car, and considering the insurance is likely to be much lower than equivalant saxos, 106s etc, it makes the clio a good option.

What I want to know is, can the performance on these been improved much? (If yes, how much?) If you fitted a full exhaust system, and an induction kit for example, what would you be looking at in terms of BHP? (Baring in mind they're 75 standard.) Granted this'll knock the insurance up but if it's low to begin with I might be able to actually afford to do it!

Are they quite reliable if you were to pick one up with 60-70k miles? And are they genuinely quite nippy/fast for what they are or am I being mislead?

 

[Martin_172]

personally high millage 1.5dci like mine, £350 remap for 100bhp and more torque than a 172.

£35 a year road tax
£300 a year insurance (19 2yrs ncb)
70mpg all day long if u behave! over 50 if you dont!

 

[Inferno182]

I've got a MK1 Phase 3 (1997) RT, you wouldn't belive how quick it is off the line for a 1.4... in terms of speed i can pull away from things like saxo vtrs and fez bombs from the traffic lights through first and second, (not by much to pulls away).. after that it dies a little with it being a 8v

 

[montana]

I enjoyed my little Mk1 RT (back when I joined this site in 2003), it was quite fast and was a perfect car for me at the time after owning a little mk1 uno as a first car

Changed it for a 306 2.0 xsi which was a mistake!!