just been thinking, we know how we all go on about how the valver is a beast in not just performance but how reno radically changed the looks and everything else from the stock clio, but what i was wondering is why?, why go to the extra expense, anyone know what made them not just lower and drop in the engine with some nice wheels? with me only being about 9 at the time my conclusion is they wanted to stand out in a fierce hot hatch market, but in the very early 90s you tell me as i dont know if there was a lot of competion. why go the extra mile......................
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valver desgin stage
- Thread starter Craggy
- Start date
just been thinking, we know how we all go on about how the valver is a beast in not just performance but how reno radically changed the looks and everything else from the stock clio, but what i was wondering is why?, why go to the extra expense, anyone know what made them not just lower and drop in the engine with some nice wheels? with me only being about 9 at the time my conclusion is they wanted to stand out in a fierce hot hatch market, but in the very early 90s you tell me as i dont know if there was a lot of competion. why go the extra mile......................
Coz thats the Renault Way !! Make a bold statement !!
Just look around Today !! New Megane Radically different to anything else on the market in hatch back form. Bold statement with the rear of it !! Some like , some dont, but what matters is it gets noticed !!
Aventime radically different to anything else on the market, Well was until they decided to stop production.
Vel Satis again different !!
Then go back to the ESPACE !! A people carrier with seven seats, that wasnt like a mini bus !! Oh and lets make it out of fibreglass. Now the espace is a clear market leader in the seven seat mpv !! Even though they now dont use fibre glass, and have gone to a monulcote design. (spelling not sure on that one).
The bottom line with Renault is lets make a car that is so different, that it gets noticed. CREATEUR DE AUTOMOBILE as the advertising slogan says !!
Renault have a history of always doing something different. Maybe its to do with the fact that theyre a nationalised company so can afford to take a few risks? I dont know, but Renault design has never stood still. Citroen used to be renowned for radical design and thinking but in the last decade or so went right off the boil - look at the Saxo, a bog standard hatch, not much of a replacement for the AX really...
The Clio chassis was a fairly good starting point. People forget that in 1991 the Clio Mk1 completely cleaned up the small car market because it was the first small car to offer a "big car feel". Everyone else then followed suit: the old Polo, Fiesta and Nova were not exactly up to the job.
The fact Renault went to such an effort with the 16v was partly due to an active motorsport arm, partly demand (insurance only dampened the UK market)...oh yes, and the small matter of the 5 GT Turbo! Renault had to make a hot hatch that was clearly a step forwards. Its not true that turboing was too unreliable; Renault were simply developing the new(ish) 16v technology.
Renault Sport developed the 16v for its Group A rallying aspirations and was racing a Clio shell with the F7P 19 16v engine before the Clio 16v came into being. The 16v was never a limited edition, but it was the homologated car Renault cited when they rallied the 16v and 16v-powered Maxi. In late 1992, Renault Sport decided to exploit the Group A rules and up the capacity of the 16vs engine to 2000cc - hence we had the Willy. The Willy then became the homologated car (replacing the 16v on the books), but was a limited edition.
The fact that the 16v and Willy duo are so highly regarded more than 10 years after their inception speaks volumes about them and their enduring design.
I remember seeing the first standard Clio and thinking what a stupid name for such a nice car !!!!!
Then came the 16v and the Williams WOW!!! I wanted one but they were far to expensive for me back then. The local hairdresser(!) had a Williams brand new and hes still got it now....
Then when I first saw the 172 on top gear WOW again!!! had to have one this time, no regrets
check out this site for the history of renault, given that theyve been going this long youd think they would have ironed out all the little niggles!!!!!!
http://www.renault.com/gb/decouverte/saga_p1.htmhttp://www.renault.com/gb/decouverte/saga_p1.htm
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