The PH Nightshift (Vol 2)
Discussion
I've always been more of a pug fan (not that that's a given 
)
But have always had respect for the hot clio's a mate of mine has a well sorted 172 that's polished & waxed to within an inch of its life. But ive just always found them a bit too capable & grown up. It sounds stupid, but to me the whole point of a hot hatch is not only to be sorted & able to upset a lot of other cars driven properly, but also have the ability to just have some good old fashion fun when you want to drive like a yahoo. I just think Renault sport never quite got that balance right and went a bit to capable and took some of the fun away as a consequence taking it away from the idea of a hot hatch. But the latest Clio really does beg to question what they were thinking.
I don't think I've ever actually been in a Megane sport or known personally of anybody to have one.
)But have always had respect for the hot clio's a mate of mine has a well sorted 172 that's polished & waxed to within an inch of its life. But ive just always found them a bit too capable & grown up. It sounds stupid, but to me the whole point of a hot hatch is not only to be sorted & able to upset a lot of other cars driven properly, but also have the ability to just have some good old fashion fun when you want to drive like a yahoo. I just think Renault sport never quite got that balance right and went a bit to capable and took some of the fun away as a consequence taking it away from the idea of a hot hatch. But the latest Clio really does beg to question what they were thinking.
I don't think I've ever actually been in a Megane sport or known personally of anybody to have one.
See, I find the Clio Sports to be fun little cars - though I've only been a passenger in one. I found that the 197 and 200 were a bit too grown up, missing the point though. They missed the spark that the older ones had.
I've been a passenger in a Megane 250. It was a good experience and kind of made me pleased I didn't own one, it was fast, handled brilliantly and looked great... But the problem I had with it are that it was trying too hard to not be a hot hatch. Coupe styling, awkward rear seat access and absolutely no rear visibility - it took all the practical elements that you get with a hot hatch were gone.
As a drivers car though it was great.
I've been a passenger in a Megane 250. It was a good experience and kind of made me pleased I didn't own one, it was fast, handled brilliantly and looked great... But the problem I had with it are that it was trying too hard to not be a hot hatch. Coupe styling, awkward rear seat access and absolutely no rear visibility - it took all the practical elements that you get with a hot hatch were gone.
As a drivers car though it was great.
Don't get me wrong, they are fun cars, I just seem to have more fun in a classic pug hot hatch. I think I just like having the classic trait of snap lift off oversteer. Something RS just doesn't do in the same form at all. I've been in a 200 and that dis really feel grown up, sat just a bit too high to get that hot hatch feel, when your supposed to be sat so low your backside's about 2 inches away from the floor.
Sounds like they tried to bring both worlds to the same place and got the worst of both rather than the best. But I have heard they are a good drive.
Odd maybe but I miss the seating position in my 200, you could nearly see and therefore place the front wheels right on any point/apex you wanted. A precision that it's bigger brother gets close to but doesn't quite match.
I don't miss about 100 other things that annoyed me about it though, oh and heated leather seats with torque mean on the road I'd never go back.
Plenty of lift off oversteer though, you have to turn the esp off!
I don't miss about 100 other things that annoyed me about it though, oh and heated leather seats with torque mean on the road I'd never go back.
Plenty of lift off oversteer though, you have to turn the esp off!
GrumpyTwig said:
Plenty of lift off oversteer though, you have to turn the esp off!
There in lie's what I don't like, the nanny-state driver aids you have to manually disable before you can have any fun. I prefer something a bit older with a conventional cable mechanical throttle body set up. In otherwords the only thing that dictates how the car acts is my input with the throttle and the steering wheel. Not an ECU dictating how much slip I can or can't have.And not too bad, the 406 is officially insured, you?
It's one of the reasons I bought my GTi on the plate I did, it still has the cable throttle set up. If it had been 6 months newer it would have been on the fly by wire set up with ESP.
Aye, just waiting for the documents to come through and for it to appear on the MID. Then I need to go put some fuel in. Only thing thats left then is finding some money to sort out birthday/mothers day presents.
Ah cool, currently watching the first practice session of the F1 season, im happy, winter's finally over.
Aye, just waiting for the documents to come through and for it to appear on the MID. Then I need to go put some fuel in. Only thing thats left then is finding some money to sort out birthday/mothers day presents.
Ah cool, currently watching the first practice session of the F1 season, im happy, winter's finally over.
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