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Jay said:
Yes
1) now there's a surprise
2) looking forward to it
3) there's something very wrong with you
4) nor do I
5) excellent. Get your wallet out on sunday
2) looking forward to it
3) there's something very wrong with you
4) nor do I
5) excellent. Get your wallet out on sunday
MKIII 138
clios arent really about handling or speed to me, there about a fun feeling of grabbing a cool little car by the balls and being connected to the road, the 172cup does that for me more than any other car ive driven.. even on s**t tyres. it puts a grin on your face and your mates what more do you want ? one of my friends has an impreza and he`s never embarassed to be in the passenger seat of the cup always grin together. as long as the new 197 can do this thats fine, but if its over sealed from the world outside and too refined and heavy then it will never do it, unfortunatley thats the nature of a more grown up car.
silly little car, serious performance car when modded the cup a one off imo
silly little car, serious performance car when modded the cup a one off imo
I'll be swinging by for a test drive of one, I miss my 182 from time to time - but if the 197 is anything like the 182, it'll fall apart, things will go wrong all the time, it'll be in and out and in and out for warranty work (which Renault won't fix).
The major build issues aside, the 182 was a riot of a car to drive - wonder if the 197 will be too? The options list did make me wince though
The major build issues aside, the 182 was a riot of a car to drive - wonder if the 197 will be too? The options list did make me wince though
Ok... so having started this thread some time ago... I will continue it. I am about to buy another 172 - albeit a Phase 1, and second hand!! Whoopee!! Just waiting to sell the German beast, and then I'm all French again, with the wife driving an N-reg Clio Mk1. Can't wait. Cliosport, Jon1978 is back!!!
But I have test driven a 197 F1 - the one with all the carbon fibre and extras... it's good... can't argue... but it does not have the feeling that the Cup had, and the one I drove was £18,795 - I'm sorry, but you can get a new second hand Evo/Sti/330ci/other very decent car for that, and I know which I would rather have!
But I have test driven a 197 F1 - the one with all the carbon fibre and extras... it's good... can't argue... but it does not have the feeling that the Cup had, and the one I drove was £18,795 - I'm sorry, but you can get a new second hand Evo/Sti/330ci/other very decent car for that, and I know which I would rather have!
I was 'almost' as narrow minded as you are until I had a go out in one at Spa trackday.
Cons: Not as quick as other 2.0 Clio's, but not by all that much.
Pro's: Will outhandle pretty much every other Clio stock for stock
Looks more modern
Bigger and comfier
More toys
Better built (maybe too early to tell, but had more of a Nissan interior feel than a Renault one... only a good thing imo)
Drive one and see for youself before you slate it as worthless and overpriced, as it's a really good VFM car imo. As for £16k, I'd talk a Renault salesman down to a more realistic figure as was the case when every other Renault Sport came out... that £16k is more of a guide than definitive.
I'll be getting a 197 or a Megane for my next Renault... Megane is a little more expensive and bigger, but faster and seems to handle even better, Clio looks more fun however.
youd love the williams then....pure raw drivers car
not driven the 197, but been up against a few now, and very capable cars they are too........more so than the 17/82 s id say .only been in 1 197, round spa, and the lass driving was really enjoying herself, throwing into corners etc, handles very well.. i did drive the meg round there tho, and was very impressed, very very easy to drive quickly, even in such a short run in it, id say i was knocking a fair chunk of time of the williams laps. hard to say, but just felt to be exiting the corners at a greater speed. and the instructors didnt like me getting it sideways into pouhon lol.
Shed.
when im old enough to drive a renaultsport the 197 will be a sub £7k car, the ph2 will seem like the ph1 and the mk1 will not exist anymore.
SLK 350
Indeed price wise you really can't put them in the same bracket, but they are the same kind of car built for IMO a very similar market. If I were buying a MCS:W I'd certainly hope the extra 10k would buy me more performance.
I do rate evo magazine but that sounds like a load of rubbish to me.
I have just sold a mini cooper s with extra engine work done to it so it was quicker than the works version. The 197 f1 which I have just bought would tear that mini apart around a track. Reasons for this.......
1- The Brakes ---- Try braking in the mini like you can in the r27 and you will die.... simple as that... the renault brakes are in a different league to that mini and most other cars on the market.
2- Tyres ---- run flats as standard on the mini -- If there has been any rain in the last 24 hours you can expect to die at any time.. those bmw runflats are heavy, lumpy shitters -as are there alloys.
3- Price --- jcw mini with aircon, cd, cruise, recaro interior ---- you are looking at £20k plus ....... clio r27 - £14k
So there is a £6k-£10 price difference depending on options.... and you then would have to spend another couple of grand changing the minis brakes, alloys and tyres if you wanted to have a chance of it beating the clio. The seats in the clio really help you when your going fast - they put the mini ones to shame. If you want the bmw recaro seats it will cost you £1500 and your side airbags wont work any more.
I drove my mini fast for three years- great car - but its expensive, and there is no way the works version is quicker than the clio on track or road conditions. I changed my coopers brakes and tyres for better ones and the clio still destroys it around the bends.
So sorry evo - but as someone who has paid for and driven both cars extensively- the mini is not a quicker car. It is more refined without doubt - but it should be for the money. Driving the r27 makes me realise exactly where bmw held back on the mini - the r27 seems to have been built with the track in mind - the cooper s is built with the intention of selling it to as many people as possible.
Last edited:
S2000
Send Evo an email, Redeye.
I think the thing with this magazine is that it's the jeremy clarkson of the motoring press. The majority lap up whatever jeremy clarkson says in the press or on top gear, just like the people who take whatever is written in that magazine as gospel.
I say drive both cars and then make your decision. I have and I made my decision and it didn't cost me nearly 20k.
I think the thing with this magazine is that it's the jeremy clarkson of the motoring press. The majority lap up whatever jeremy clarkson says in the press or on top gear, just like the people who take whatever is written in that magazine as gospel.
I say drive both cars and then make your decision. I have and I made my decision and it didn't cost me nearly 20k.
FN2 Type R +MK6 Golf
Your wrong mate.
Im not going to bore people too much much
Price of the new mini,£17540 clio as tested £17250
And dont bore me either with super one off deals from motorpoint because they can all be got cheaper
Around the west circuit the mini was faster
1.30.80 for the mini and 1.31.70 for the clio
The mini was slower to 60 because of the need for another gearchange but then beat the clio to 100 by nearly a second
It also has a higher top speed of 145mph against the clio's poor 134mph
Evo say the mini wins becayuse its more fun,more of the time.It also moves around quicker,engages and involves more.It is also noticably quicker in a straight line which makes it there everyday hero
ian
172, Tiguan
Sadly though its not just one off deals. Renault dealers themselves will sell you an F1/197 for 14.5k all day long! I'd love to find a BMW dealership willing to do you a similar deal on a new Cooper S.
Also the 197 is about to get revised gear ratios which will make it a lot better to live with!
MarkCup
ClioSport Club Member
FN2 Type R +MK6 Golf
That was on the old circuit,but i would love to see the cup against some of todays stuff
MarkCup
ClioSport Club Member
Nah it wasn't...it included the Bank corner which was the new addition.
172, Tiguan
You've driven one then? Longer gear ratios will improve the driving experience a great deal for everyday use.
FN2 Type R +MK6 Golf
FN2 Type R +MK6 Golf
I take it back
Good time and another example of how renault have done nothing for the last 5 years to improve there cars
FN2 Type R +MK6 Golf
I bet it does'nt stop any quicker than a 182.
The 172 cup is faster round a track than the 5 year newer car,so how is that better handling
All i can agree on is the build quality.
Other than that jon your wrong
