NEW Clio R.S 18 coming soon...not for UK market

[MarkCup]

Probably because it's not the end of the world.

It is if you genuinely get enjoyment from shifting gears, using a clutch, and rev matching yourself. To me it is an integral part of driving, as much as pressing the brake, the throttle, or steering is to people who enjoy pulling paddles or pressing buttons.

I can see how having a car do that for you appeals to some...for me though. Nope. Not interested. As said, I know the car at its core is sound...and if they'd offered me it as a manual I'd probably not be in the RS right now as the Fiesta ST would never have happened.

 

[RMDavis]

Makes me laugh when people complain it has flappy paddles.

Makes me laugh when people complain and slate a car/gearbox they haven't even drive themselves.

As they say, opinions are like arseholes. We've all got one...

 

[MarkCup]

Makes me laugh when people complain and slate a car/gearbox they haven't even drive themselves.

As they say, opinions are like arseholes. We've all got one...

Would you like a car that steered for you? Braked? Accelerated?

An autonomous Clio RS... How much of a thrill to drive would that be?

 

[RMDavis]

Would you like a car that steered for you? Braked? Accelerated?

An autonomous Clio RS... How much of a thrill to drive would that be?

That's a train you've just described not a car...

 

[Daz.]

It is if you genuinely get enjoyment from shifting gears, using a clutch, and rev matching yourself. To me it is an integral part of driving, as much as pressing the brake, the throttle, or steering is to people who enjoy pulling paddles or pressing buttons.

I can see how having a car do that for you appeals to some...for me though. Nope. Not interested. As said, I know the car at its core is sound...and if they'd offered me it as a manual I'd probably not be in the RS right now as the Fiesta ST would never have happened.

I laugh because people take such offence at change and drop the dummy.

If I'm shopping, oh no! my normal bread is sold out - worst thing ever I'll never buy it again can't believe they did this to me. or, spend 0.3 seconds picking the one next to it instead and continue on my way.

All the super hatches have paddles, AWD and ridiculous prices, Renault have done exactly the correct thing by offering a slice of that for half the price - it's only the small percentage of hardcore fans/and magazines that give a s**t. You can't be a hero matching the revs on a downshift when taking the kids to nursery.

It's complained about (and the new RS Megane) that they have 5 doors, so f**king what! It's what has kept me interested in RenaultSports, with kids now it's completely impractical not having the extra doors, My current Megane is quicker than an EDC but so what, for day to day daddy duties, stop start traffic AND a decent drivers chassis for a reasonable price what's not to like?

Everyone who doesn't but an ST buys an RS for exactly the reason Renault made it, to appeal to the majority.

 

[RMDavis]

I can totally understand the preconceptions when it comes to that gearbox. I have always liked the MK4 Clio but the gearbox was a real deal breaker, but I took the plunge and took a 220 Trophy for a test drive a few weeks ago and it honestly blew me away!

Fair enough it wont appeal to everyone, and the unfair reviews haven't helped. But I urge anyone on the fence or even if your dead against it, just to try and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

It really was a cracking car to drive, and the paddles didn't detract from the driver involvement IMO so much so, I'm looking to buy my own soon.

 

[Goodj]

Are Renault taking lessons from Mazda on "special editions"?

Another vote for a Brand New Hyundai.

As for Renault saying "ooo, the UK wouldn't want it". Fair enough. But UK didn't want an auto-only RS Clio either

 

[The Psychedelic Socialist]

All the super hatches have paddles, AWD and ridiculous prices, Renault have done exactly the correct thing by offering a slice of that for half the price - it's only the small percentage of hardcore fans/and magazines that give a s**t. You can't be a hero matching the revs on a downshift when taking the kids to nursery..

How are the (auto only) Clio RS sales figures compared to the (manual only) Fiesta ST?

 

[Goodj]

I laugh because people take such offence at change and drop the dummy.

If I'm shopping, oh no! my normal bread is sold out - worst thing ever I'll never buy it again can't believe they did this to me. or, spend 0.3 seconds picking the one next to it instead and continue on my way.

All the super hatches have paddles, AWD and ridiculous prices, Renault have done exactly the correct thing by offering a slice of that for half the price - it's only the small percentage of hardcore fans/and magazines that give a s**t. You can't be a hero matching the revs on a downshift when taking the kids to nursery.

It's complained about (and the new RS Megane) that they have 5 doors, so f**king what! It's what has kept me interested in RenaultSports, with kids now it's completely impractical not having the extra doors, My current Megane is quicker than an EDC but so what, for day to day daddy duties, stop start traffic AND a decent drivers chassis for a reasonable price what's not to like?

Everyone who doesn't but an ST buys an RS for exactly the reason Renault made it, to appeal to the majority.

Isn't this what the GT Line is there for, much like a Fabia Monte Carlo, looks vaguely the part but is just a shopping trolley with a bodykit?
I'd have prefered RS to distance themselves and become more skunkworks-like. Like special editions with welded-up rear doors, obscene engineering and £50k pricetags. Not "GT Line +", pandering to mums on the school run.

But hey, I'm not in the business, so i don't get to see the balance sheets.

 

[McGherkin]

I'm sure most of us don't mind having the choice. But we do mind not having the choice.

Even Porsche, whose PDK boxes are the absolute best, do not think it a good idea to not offer a manual version. VW offer a DSG Golf R and a manual one. The Mk3 Focus RS is manual. Even the Megane can be ordered in Manual. The only car that didn't get it is the one in Renault's range which deserved a manual the most. (and more power to make up for the loss of NA)

 

[Ol’ Tarby]

How are the (auto only) Clio RS sales figures compared to the (manual only) Fiesta ST?

The fiesta is cheaper though? That'll be the reason, not the gearbox?

If the Clio was cheaper than the fiesta, the figures would possibly be the other way round regardless of the transmission on offer?

 

[The Psychedelic Socialist]

The fiesta is cheaper though? That'll be the reason, not the gearbox?

If the Clio was cheaper than the fiesta, the figures would possibly be the other way round regardless of the transmission on offer?

The Clio would have been cheaper with a manual.

 

[R3k1355]

The fiesta is cheaper though? That'll be the reason, not the gearbox?
If the Clio was cheaper than the fiesta, the figures would possibly be the other way round regardless of the transmission on offer?

Why is a Fiesta that much cheaper than a Clio though?
Certainly isn't that much of a better car.

 

[Ol’ Tarby]

The Clio would have been cheaper with a manual.

Good point tbf

 

[Daz.]

All those cars are £15k+ over the Clio - damn right you should be able to choose a box.

Renault love chucking out the peach at the end of a cars life cycle, Williams, Trophy, R26.R - there's time yet to make people moist.

They saw what others were doing and went a different way, if they didn't think people didn't want EDC boxes they would have deleted it from the Megane lineup. How many people out there could be slagging Ford off for not offering a paddle box on the Focus RS?

 

[Goodj]

A Mercedes should only have an automatic, as should a Jaguar.
An MX5 needs a manual, a Radical should have a sequential box.

 

[Daz.]

^^^^ IF the sales agreed though...
Car manufacturers would f**k you over in a heartbeat to make money.

 

[McGherkin]

if they didn't think people didn't want EDC boxes they would have deleted it from the Megane lineup

If they thought the EDC went down well with the Clio they would have ditched the manual from the new Megane... Oh.

 

[Goodj]

^^^^ IF the sales agreed though....

if only they did

 

[massiveCoRbyn]

It's worth pointing out that the UK is a weird market. Go to the ring and the Germans are nearly all driving the paddle shift variant of their BMW M-car or VAG hot hatch in my experience. Renault are in the business of making money, so obviously felt going EDC was the way to broaden their appeal in other markets. Can't blame them for trying to do that. They suffered because the 200 EDC wasn't as good as it should have been. If they had released it with the Trophy gearbox upgrades to begin with, most of the moaning probably wouldn't have happened.

Even here, auto cars are getting more and more popular. I believe BMW are planning to ditch manual altogether in their M products. The reality is, most customers don't give a damn, so that's the route manufacturers will go. The hardcore enthusiasts will just have to put up with it. They won't have any choice and car companies will have saved themselves a big chunk of money by not having to develop manual gearboxes. Sooner or later, the reluctance to drive automatics by some Brits will be steam rollered by the rest of the world that prefers it.

 

[Daz.]

I can't wait for all the electric hot hatches to flood in with manual gearboxes..... oh.