Just had THE race of my life!!

[Ben H]

Its a nice day up here in Edinburgh, so I decided to take my moded Valver for a bit of a spin into the countryside. I took the A1 out of the city, then the A198 - which is really well surfaced, twisty and has lots of safe overtaking opportunities. The sun was shining, I had all the windows open listening to the howl of the engine bouncing off the stone walls - and it was a fantastic road. But there were no cars up for a friendly duel

However, on the way back to the city, things picked up

I was behind a 309 GTi on the A198 with loads of people in it, which was obviuosly not going for it - but was taking the corners at a fair old speed, reminding me of how good those Pugs actually are still. Then, as I spied an opening with a short bit of dual carriageway, I had a Megane Coupe in my mirrors. And behind him was an Audi estate - a real mean looking one!!

So, dual carriageway opens up: the Megane and 309 GTi are eliminated straight away, leaving me sailing to *10+ on this clear stretch of road. The Audi extate is also going for it, at the same pace as me, but about 1/4 mile behind.

At the end of the d/c, I slowed to 60 to have look at the Audi. It had the RS and Quattro bages and Porsche wheels - on an L-plate (an Audi 80 I guess). I took it easy through the next roundabouts, then booted in onto the A1 sliproad. The Audi did too, though was still trailing, at a distance. The car definitely had major torque, but the outright acceleration (e.g. 30-70) was a bit down on mine.

I guess it couldnt have been an RS2, as that would have anhiliated me! But he was still coming up my arse every time I got stuck behind a car - and booted it as I did when the lanes were clear. It was a fast one - and he was definitely up for it!

But one of the cars I came behind was a Mondeo ST200 (old shape). He spied me - and then he started giving it some too!! I was right on his tail, and in turn, the Audi estate was on mine!!

Then, an Audi S3 joined in too!!!

By this time the traffic was heavier and we werent going much over *00, but it must have looked fantastic - and there I was proudly flying the Clio flag!! We got to the city outskirts - and then a CTR joined in too!!

I really couldnt believe this now, but it was as true as the sky was blue - and we convoyed in to the town centre in an orderly fashion, before all flashing, waving and going our separate ways.

WOW! What a drive!!

P.S. Any (serious) ideas of what the Audi estate might have been - a moded 2.8 perhaps??

 

[timrud]

2.5 quattro if they made one maybe? dunno why im thinking 2.5 btw! lol

 

[girlracer_toofast]

Now this type of race is what i call bullsh!t!!!!!

in your dreams that you raced that many cars in one go,

bit of a coincidence that! a GTi, quattro, CTR being in one place! in your dreams!!!!

Hey fancy going on a twisty bit, see If I can keep up with you??

 

[Simon172]

I really like Audis. Youre right, if it was an RS2 or 4 then wed have no chance! but it mustve been a hot one to keep up. Probably some sort of quattro. I had trouble with a quattro audi 80 jobby (beige) a while back on a dual carriage way, very torquey machines! but it wasnt an estate tho.

 

[Simon172]

twofast4u - what are you trying to prove?

 

[GR7]

Shut up twoslow! I live near Edinburgh and there are LOADS of sporty cars everywhere, especially along the Edinburgh by-pass, the A1 and the rest of the local roads. Every time I am out and about there are always a few Elises, TVRs, fast Audis, M3s, CTRs, TTs, Pugs, even Ferraris and Maseratis, but not too many 172s. Ben is easily telling the truth.

 

[Ben H]

Hmmm...yes I made it all up, just for you "twofast". And of course youll notice that I claim to have slayed them all as my car is sooooo much faster than all of them put together

Anyway (for everyone else), yeah it was so good! Mainly the Audi estate that it was with - over about 20 miles Id say. The other three cars didnt turn up to the party until the last five miles or so, by which time we were getting to the lower speed limits. I doubt Id have kept up with the S3 or CTR on the straights, so Im glad it was mainly with the Audi 80 estate.

As I say, it had Porshce alloys, all the right bages - and I reckon it was a 2.8 (I say that becuase VAG big engines tend to be that cc) made to look like an RS2. Im pretty sure it was a genuine Quattro as there was very little body roll on it. I was really giving it some out of roundabouts - which is where Ill usually make a killing - but it was always with me, just a tad slower.

 

[GR7]

Twoslowforushere, I know the A198 which runs from Longniddry along the coast road to Aberlady and Gullane past Gosford House which is bordered by the walls that Ben was talking about. Lots of nice bends if you like that sort of thing.

All of the roads in this area were recently re-surfaced, for the thousands of visitors to the Open Golf Championship at Muirfield, whereas before they were fixed, the most popular sport in this area was potholing.

It sounds like Ben came back along the stretch of dual carriageway where I overtook the Intercity train one day in my last car, my S16 Pug, as it runs alongside the railway line.

 

[Ben H]

Oh yeah...

Im glad that twofast has also calmed down a bit to asking if Id let him see if he could keep up - rather than saying outright he would beat a 172/16v!

Sounds like a bit of competitive spirit - and Im very happy to oblige.

Anytime, near Edinburgh, Im willing to illustrate some of the talents of a Renault Sport product (namely my 16v).

Come on - pick up the gaundlet!!

 

[Ben H]

Thats the road GR!

It was only the Audi estate at this point though.

 

[wongy008]

benh

dont worry about too fast from the mods you have done i dont see why you cant keep up. if you really do have 171 bhp which is possible from the mods then i cant see why you would lose to any car bar the s3. the ctr is very quick too on open roads where you can exploit the peaky nature of the engine

raced a st200 before but these only had the legs on my after 90 where it only slightly began to pull away.

wongy

 

[Ben H]

I didnt get to race the S3 or CTR really, we were all just going for it at the same time! But I didnt lose an inch!

I definitely was losing the Audi estate though, but more because of the lead I accumulated over him at lower speeds (if wed have started at 90+ then hed probably eventually passed). But in terms of outright speed I wasnt doing too bad either - and was still sticking to the ST200 like glue at well over the ton (not on his bumper or anything, I never race like that) and up to about *20.

Ive only ever driven my Valver, so I dont know how much faster mine is than standard. But from what I can gather, mine is better at pulling at higher speeds (like with the ST200). Not that I ever get a chance to do that - I very, very rarely drive fast on a motorway. In fact, Ive never got to top speed.

 

[Neil82]

I didnt get to race the S3


jsut as well it would have raped you BIG style.

 

[ClioJohn]

Is the A1 the road down to Gala? or is it the one to berwick (speed cameras r us). the Gala road is amazing.

I took my dad 1.6 civic down that road. And i must admit it was fun.

 

[GR7]

The A1 goes down to England CJ! Think Ben was on the section from Edinburgh towards Berwick-on-Tweed.

 

[GR7]

The road to Galashiels is the A7. There are some brilliant routes down to the Border towns.

 

[VTEC]

If it was an L reg, it was an S2,

2.2litre 5 cylinder and 210bhp. Not that quick and not that great a handler!

Sorry to disillusion you...

Maybe well meet on the road some day. Look out for a black CTR with the Honda-R logo...

 

[teady172]

Ben I just dont believe you mate......

.....sun in Edinburgh, stop talking sh1te!

 

[Ben H]

Had my blowing exhaust fixed today! I guess that I might have got some crucial extra inches with that sorted

Im not exactly disappointed with having the edge on a car with 210bhp! I guess that a car of that age would probably weigh circa 1400kg (?) - and therefore the power-to-weight ratio should be about 150-160bhp per ton if it has 210bhp.

My car should have a p-t-w ratio of circa 170bhp per ton (not allowing for blowing exhaust!) - so thats not too bad really. I guess that the Audi had the advantage on torque and top speed too. So overall its an outcome to be expected!

 

[GR7]

Teady, as Ben said, it was a nice day in Edinburgh yesterday and Saturday as well!

 

[teady172]

GR, tell me about it I live in Dunfermline and from my house I can see the whole of Edinburgh. Dunfermline was dull, wet and windy, Edinburgh was bathed in sunshine, its just not fair!!!

 

[Ben j]

yeah ben y dont u race tooslowformymumsdieselvan and feel his 1.2 power overwealm you!
think he needs the difference explaining again between a REAL 16v and and the new " L " plate only version!

 

[Ben H]

I once pulled up to the lights next to a guy in a 1.2 16v Clio. He spotted mine and said "oh I didnt know you could get the old 1.2s with leather, I couldnt get this with leather".

So I said "would you like to test the old and new 16v at the lights?" to which he agreed. Needless to say he was rather surprised and I had to point out the wide arches, bonnet bulge, 100bhp advantage and general "hot hatchedness" of my motor.

I really like the look of the new Clio Dynamique though - looks really good in black. Im considering picking up a second-hand diesel in about nine months time when I get my first proper job (I couldnt possibly waist my Valver on rush hour duties).

 

[JonC]

Its obviously clear that the 1.2 16V driver wasnt trying!

 

[Infinicar]

Ben H - 171bhp is a fair hike over standard. What have you done to it?

 

[Ben H]

The guy who had the car before me had the cambelt go at 71,998 miles (gutted or what! Shows that the 72k official figure for replacement was good!). Anyway, to cut a long story short, he sent the car down to a Renault specialist in Winchester. The basic price for a re-build was going to be about £1500 (it was a particularly nasty blow-up apparently ), and £2000 for a bit more

As far as the receipt and engine dyno printout tell me, it has new cams (to owners spec), vernier pulleys, a re-programable ECU, a ported head (have heard bad things about this, but seems fine with me) and a PBV to help it idle better. The block might have been bored out, as the receipt gives details of boring - but that might have been to get rid of scratches due to the cambelt failure. It wasnt mentioned to me that cc had been increased anyway. The engine dyno printout gave 171.3 bhp at the fly - although Im told that engine dynos arent the best measure

I phoned the garage before I bought the car to make sure it was kosher and the bloke said that it was the best conversion hed done power-wise. He said that he did loads of 19 16v work and that it was the first Clio hed done. He also said that some engines just responded better to work; that some just made more power than others out of the factory (oh that old chestnut eh?).

Ive never driven another 16v, so its difficult to draw comparisons. But up against other cars and from what friends tell me, theres little difference until you hit 4500-5000 rpm when it gets ahead by a respectable margin. It has never let me down chasing large engined cars at high speeds - including actually out accelerating a 530i from 70mph to 20 with a passenger.

The previous owner only kept it for another 6k miles before I bought it and its fair to say he made a loss! But I ended up having to spend loads on it to replace the transmission and cosmetic stuff like stone chips etc.

He also had printouts from a few tests he did with a journo friend of his (anonymous, sadly) using "Datatron" equipment (never heard of it myself). He got 0-60 in 6.7 and 0-100 in 19.1 out of it, which pleases me! The only thing is that my standing start technique leaves a bit to be desired!

 

[Jase1]

Just correcting u VTEC the L reg S2 had 230 bhp & 350 nm of torque (earlier model had 220 bhp) with a 0-60 close to 6secs & top end 150mph.

As far has handling - well not the most feelsome car but goes round corners better than most cars especially in the wet.

 

[Ben H]

Well that makes me feel rightly proud;]

 

[Ben H]

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