The infamous 197 flat spot

[Kelv]

I wouldn't say ive noticed the flat spot as they are often described, but then the car has hardly been used anyhow.
what I hate about it, is that when its cold started, its like a bloody kangaroo up the road, its sooo shockingly bad.

 

[Inequality Street]

My 200 has the silencer removed and a de-cat, and I have a KTEC cat back in the post to me now. Will see if it differs at all. I have noticed a very very slgiht flat spot low revs, but nothing that worries me.

 

[leeds_182]

I decatted my 197 and the flat spot was horrendous!

 

[Sir_Dave]

I nearly went with an MCS but the prices aren't comparable to 197/200's imo.

My fully-spec'd 200 with 12k and 2 years old was just over £11k from Steve at R-Sport.

Dick Lovett had a non-JCW R53 with saggy leather and 60k for £12k.

I paid £10.5k for the GP on 44k miles, its probably still worth that. Not sure i could say the same for the 200

Having owned all the different options in this thread, if the 197/200 was the better car, id have one lol.

 

[Chapppers11]

I paid £10.5k for the GP on 44k miles, its probably still worth that. Not sure i could say the same for the 200

Having owned all the different options in this thread, if the 197/200 was the better car, id have one lol.

Ah I see, you are so much more savvy at buying cars than me lol.

I thought you meant that if you wanted something newer to get a Mini.

A Mini of any age is more expensive than the alternative Clio.

 

[Gaz_]

My 197 didnt have a flat spot, it had a black hole. Meant that i either had to rag it like a vtec, or get overtaken by 320d's.

Personally, if you want something newer, buy a mini. I've got Renaultsport in my veins, but everything after the 1*2 is quite frankly flawed. Drive a 197 extensively, dont just rag it on a test drive - where you wont notice all the day to day problems with its (lack of) power delivery.

For whats its worth, in the GP (& the normal mcs), i can pull from 1.5k rpm in 6th, with no hesitation or flatspots.

Aye come on, tell the full story, yours had some clobbered together power doh exhaust on it, which is where lots of use issues come from.

On a standard set up there is one 'slightly' noticeable. A fast chip or the like map will sort it on a standard car with better cold start behaviour.. That's how mines been running for the last 12 months. Recently just bought an akrapovic exhaust which removes secondary cat. It's still not noticeable.

To conclude, poorly designed exhaust systems exaggerate it.