RE: Williams vs 182 Trophy vs 200 Cup vs 200 Turbo

[loggyboy]

Having also driven all, it would be very hard to separate the 182 from the 197/200. I think the 197 edges it (197 is much prettier than the 200 IMO), but only by a fraction.

[clarki]

Didn't like my 182 Trophy - awful ride, poor brakes and expensive to run. Did I mention the awful ride.

Sold it and bought a Megane R26, great car.

[HonestIago]

clarki said:

Didn't like my 182 Trophy - awful ride, poor brakes and expensive to run. Did I mention the awful ride.

Sold it and bought a Megane R26, great car.

Your dampers were probably shot. My Trophy could be described as a little crashy at low speeds but once up to NSL the whole character changes and its nicely compliant.

[cailean]

melvster said:

Still loving my 197 Cup 12 months on. I keep thinking whether to sell it or not but its just so good to drive on a twsity road.
In the reeds by Adam Melville, on Flickr
RS vs RS by Adam Melville, on Flickr

12 months...ha.. had my 200 full fat Cup for 4 years and can't sell it. Had another good think over Easter about a change...but then gave it a good clean...nice weather B road drive and those thoughts went away...

[keo]

Loved my Trophy, only sold it when i got my house. Regret it a bit. Fancied a 200, test drove a non cup packed non recaro car. Was impressed, was going to get one but got a two seater in the end as i don't need back seats. Still fancy a 200 though!

[W124]

I wonder if that green 200 is the old Renault press car. If it is then, just as an individual car, it's one of the best I've driven. I loved how they carried over a lot of that solidity and general sense of not sodding about into the RS250.

[clarki]

HonestIago said:

Your dampers were probably shot. My Trophy could be described as a little crashy at low speeds but once up to NSL the whole character changes and its nicely compliant.

Car was new, dampers just didn't work on crappy British roads - should have gone for a Cup, with hindsight.

[glazbagun]

melvster said:

Still loving my 197 Cup 12 months on. I keep thinking whether to sell it or not but its just so good to drive on a twsity road.
[/url] RS vs RS by Adam Melville, on Flickr

Can't believe how small that Focus looks by comparison!

[roygarth]

My Williams is as much fun as my Challenge Stradale 90% of the time!

[irish boy]

Good article. That Clio Williams would be worth a serious wedge.

[kultsch88]

Feirny said:

Whose R26?

Dan is it? White one. Could be wrong. Saw you knew him when I was researching his car on rsmegane.com. Same username and I've seen your R26 for sale online.

[Quickmoose]

Dan Trent said:

That was me too! Seemed rude not to as it was there. Probably the slowest of all the cars I drove but, oh, the noise!

Dan

Somehow that makes the top10 EVO driver's cars of all time?? (I think)... outdoing all the others..

[Axionknight]

I have a 200 Cup on at 11 plate - a great little car, t'was a second car for hooning/weekends/track days but it has been promoted to daily duty now that my leased V40 has gone back, it's pretty uncomfortable on our poor Aberdeen roads but it isn't back breaking, the fuel economy is crap though, considering the cars weight and engine size - not that I'm bothered when it drives like it does when you are in the mood, it turns in, grips and stops like nobodies business, cracking fun, a friend of mine who borrows the car on occasion (and I nab his FN2) called it "pointy", which sums it up perfectly IMO.

The 172 and 182 don't do much for me, but I love the Williams and really want to own one some day, here's hoping!

[davyvee]

clarki said:

Car was new, dampers just didn't work on crappy British roads - should have gone for a Cup, with hindsight.

The damping is the best bit of the car. The best I've ever driven on a crappy road tbh.

Did you check it had the sachs dampers? They might have forgot to put them on.

[Axionknight]

cailean said:

12 months...ha.. had my 200 full fat Cup for 4 years and can't sell it. Had another good think over Easter about a change...but then gave it a good clean...nice weather B road drive and those thoughts went away...

I feel the same - I thought mine would be a bit of a step too far for the everday commute and was pondering another "main car" as a daily driver, but with summer around the corner (ahem) and the recent nice weather we had up here, perfect for early morning jaunts, I think I'll stick to using it, hi hoooo!

[Feirny]

kultsch88 said:

Dan is it? White one. Could be wrong. Saw you knew him when I was researching his car on rsmegane.com. Same username and I've seen your R26 for sale online.

Yeah! Good mate of mine. Sorry, I know a few people with Megs locally.

[StottyEvo]

I owned a Clio 197 Cup for 6months and 10,000 miles and to be honest wasn't very impressed with it. Mainly the clutch pedal wasn't the best (although the gearbox was good for fast shifts) the biggest annoyance was the accelerator pedal. It was spongey and unresponsive compared to my expectations. The biggest annoyance was when I backed off the accelerator into a corner, the throttle closed slowly and it felt like the car was dragging me into the bend instead of weighting up the front.

I don't regret buying the car at all, it was a decent put me on for 6months but it wasn't near as special as I expected. I have driven a mk1 Clio 1.8 16v which is about 10hp down on the Williams but the same recipe and I thought that was a cracking little car.

[Fastra]

Surely these things need to be captured on video?

[HonestIago]

Reading this thread has got me very excited about getting my Trophy back on the road in the next few weeks. 11k miles in the last 5 years is a total waste - I'm going to pile them on from now on using it every day, future owner and market value be damned!

[hufggfg]

Have always fancied an alien green 200 cup and this really hasn't helped!

Now I just have to find one with the cloth seats, cruise and aircon!