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Will the V6 satisfy me
- Thread starter ant_v6
- Start date
Im nothing against the VX and actually think the turbo is the best value for money track car there is. Shockingly fast, but when it comes down to it Id still have my Lotus over one – even though under the skin they are the same car.
Where I am at today though it is too similar to what I have. Aside from being quicker it is basically the same thing.
Martin_172
ClioSport Club Member
Ok I know it’s a TOTALY different car but for people questioning Renaults reliability, my 1.2 16V has done 120,000 miles in 3 years and is absolutely sound, feels exactly the same as my mums 2 month old 1.2 16V apart from my clutch which is getting replaced soon.
i know ill likely get flammed for compairing a 1.2 to a 3.0 V6 but its just to give a general idea.
id take a V6 over the lotus but im only going on looks, never been in an Elise or V6
Clio V6 255 (Acid Yellow)
I bought my V6 255 a few weeks ago.
I moved to the V6 from a Fiat Coupe 20VT.
The first thing that Im going to say is that the V6 is NOT a fast car. The car is too heavy and the V6 is under-powered. In fact the V6s performance is almost identical to a 172 / 182 below 80mph. However, the lack of performance is more than made up for by the noise at 7000rpm. It never fails to put a smile on my face and if you remove the engine cover altogether then it sounds like a race car.
Contrary to a lot of the posts on this forum I think that the handling on the mk 2 V6 is amazing. Ive pushed the V6 very hard through the bends and Ive found that it grips the road relentlessly.
However, the best bit about this car (though I suspect that this can get a bit tiresome) is all the attention it gets. I have people shouting nice car from the pavement, I have people taking pictures at petrol stations, I have people flashing me and giving me the thumbs up. I even had some get her tits outs the other day as I drove past. I tried to leave the Donny South show last weekend and I repeatedly got stopped so that people could have their picture taken with the car!!
Anyway, I personally think that the V6 is a great choice. The current depreciation should slow now that they are no longer being made and the service costs are cheap.
Anyway, I hope you make the right choice!!
Ive goota agree with you there tom the V6 has a massive amount of grip to the point that on an open road in the dry i think you would back off before the car would break lose, im sure the track day heros would have a better idea of the V6s limits
So it looks like its come to decision time-ish, having the V6 i can say there a great car and a real world performa with smiles for miles, Gonna try it with the engine cover removed knowing my luck itll split a hose and spray all the interior with god knows what
Alot of talk about TVRs here, but IF price is the issue then as far as new prices are concerned you cant talk about a clio v6 and a TVR T350 in the same price range. Clio v6 can be had for around 23k new, TVR T350 i know are 38k new and from my brothers experiance of buying his Sagaris, there is no discount to be had. So thats 23k verses 38k, go for the Vee and have enough change to buy yourself a 182 as well!!!
Im surprised that no one from the admin team has recommended a Leon Cupra R yet ?
LOL, Ill recommend one after living with renault reliability!! V6 great car looks wise but I would never put up with dealers or reliability again. You dont buy a renault with your head!
Ive had a 1.2 16v clio and it was fine but when you pay 16k+ instead of 9k expectations change and renault didnt rise to the challenge of providing the service. My leon has done 9k and not missed a beat. The list for the 172 would be too long to go into now.
If you could have the V6 and another car for everyday use then Id say go for it!
I bought a V6 255 late last year, upgraded from a 172 cup which was a quick car felt quicker in the 0-30mph region, however I still remember my first drive, could not stop smiling - The attention I got was unbelieveable as if I were in some exotic supercar! Ok the speed is not spleen splitting fast but it feels as though you are navigating a wild animal, the noise is a deep gutteral one which always puts a smile on your face. I have not actually pushed the car to the limits so not sure how it would handle round a wet corner, but on the road and sensible driving you will never notice any over/understeer problems. - I love this car!
I have one dilemma though, I think I may have to sell. This is coming from a person who wanted to keep the V6 255 for a very long time. My reasons are valid. and the only other option to keep the car would cost me money. Anyway, because of this I have also been looking at other cars and the Monaro seems to be the only other car that would interest me but even then I heard that production will cease at end of this year......
Finally got around to testing the Clio V6 this morning. Really liked it – but it is a f**king odd car. It looks totally nutty up close with almost every part of the car having an on steriods apperance but really quite tastefully done. Very special visually – at least from the outside.
Inside it is a proper Clio. Compare it to the Audi TT interior and it is a let down but then that car has one of the best cabins there is. Compare it to the Mercedes CLK and it isnt so bad – both are unimaginative and plastic with the wood veneer of the Merc replaced with a bit of faux suede in the Renault. There are some useful touches that seem fantastic coming from the Elise like having a trip computer and stereo controls on the steering wheel. Absolutely no boot space at the back – the space in there might fit two half full and squashed supermarket carrier bags so everthing needs to be shoved in the small space between the seats and engine or in the 911 style bucket under the front access lid. Seriously, the Elise has more luggage space. Totally impractical in most peoples eyes.
Now the important bit – what I made of driving it. Easy to just get in and go unlike some cars where you need a bit of time to get used to it. The engine makes a nice noise sitting behind you. Not as sweet as the Alfa V6 I used to have, more gravelly than smooth but much louder. You do get a sense that you are in a supercar that some half-wit has styled on a hatchback.
I found the six speed was easy to use but nothing special. Hard to really get a good blast on the outskirts of London on a Saturday morning but the car does go well and it sounds great when you give it lots of revs. Interestingly it didnt seem super quick and to be honest just a little disappointing. It is a faster car than my Lotus (at least in a straight line) but it doesnt feel it, I actually think my old GTV V6 felt quicker. But obviously it isnt – you have to wring the french sh*t boxs neck to get the true force of it. I was only taking the car to around 100mph because of the traffic and the unfamiliar roads – the biggest number on the zones would have been 40 or at the very most 50mph where I was. Overtaking cars was easy enough so it must have a fair bit of mid-range grunt.
The handling is a difficult one to judge – the only places where I could see how the car stuck to the road was on roundabouts and although I had to go around a couple a few times to get a decent run I think it is pretty sure footed. One of them I really went for and was actually quite surprised that it didnt start to show some sort of trait – it was totally stuck to the road. The Elise would have gone through similarly (and I guess ultimately quicker if it came to it), something like a TT would have been squealing like a child at the Neverland Ranch. Id love to take one out on a track and find out why all the motoring journalists get bitten. Handling wise it is easy to tell it is in a different league to regular fast road/sports cars but there is no way I can tell how good.
I keep hearing how these cars attract a lot of attention – I didnt see any. I did get a fair bit driving the Lotus there and back though, the best being when a London bus driver asked me to swap? Simpleton!
I blow hot and cold with my car and at the moment I am quite warm. I do like the Renault, it looks incredible and to me is both outrageous and good looking. It is as rare as they come. Has petrolhead written all over it with it being such a daft concept. I know that for the same cash I could get myself a quicker (used) car and a better badge like a Masserati 3200, BMW M3, Porsche Boxster or even an older 911 but will they be as cheap to service? Or as special to own? What are the realistic alternatives – something like a TT or a 147GTA?
Will I do it? I dont know – I am giving it serious consideration. If Id got the right deal in there today I would have done it, but as is often the case with dealers I got offered something too hard to swallow for my car so I think I am going to punt it privately which slows everything down but is good in a sense as it gives me some breathing space. To be honest the one thing that worries me the most is depreciation, second to that is there seems to be a lot of cars on the market for such a rare breed, many at around a year old – many of them less. Why are people not keeping them?
People arent keeping them because they are a toy. As with all toys its easier to chop and change. Some of us I am sure are quite determined to hold on to our V6s but were all different. I kind of agree with Steve in that I have driven many cars that are faster and better handling than my Vee, but none of them have given me as much amusement, except a Caterham R500..... In short, I knew the second I drove mine that I was having one. End of story.
Mitch
I know what you lot mean, but I do analyse these things a lot especially at 20 grand. I did like it a lot and I reckon it is the better bet as a daily driver than my Elise. Even if I had £50k to spend on a car Id be the same – like this bit, not sure about that bit... it is all about getting most of my boxes ticked.
Seriously, if the dealer had come up with something today Id be pissing my pants with excitement at the thought of collecting it in a weeks time.
That said, you may be right and I really do appreciate you guys being objective about it when a lot of people would just be too biased to see where I am at. Thanks
Clio V6 255 & 172
Let the force guide you, if it dont feel right its not for you.
It was right for me and I dont regret it for a second, all the best in whatever you decide to blow your money on,
.Hi Ant,
I was in a very similar position, I had taken my elise to a dealer, test drove the V6 and then got an insulting offer on mine, had he offered me a better price then I to would have signed on the dotted line. However, I came away still with the frame of mind that I was going to get one, and a month or so later I sold my elise privately and got a Mk 2 V6. Since owning it I have really got to love it. I to was aprehensive about doing the deal, but I havent looked back since.
Steve, sounds identical to my weekend for me.
Im almost certain I am going to do it but it may take a while to sort everything out. Having had some time to reflect of the Clio I am really keen on the idea. Close to perfect for what I need. The only other alternative for me is a TT which must be the most unimaginative choice I could make. And Id get bored with its handling within 6 months.
Im quite happy to drive around in my Lotus for a while longer as I look for a buyer. It is a really nice car to have so I cant compain too much! took some photos on Sunday and stuck it on Pistonheads.
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/49118.htmMy Car
