newbie car driver. olde bike rider.
Discussion
Hi there, new to this forum. I have had my bike license for 3 years now, and my missus pressurised me into getting a car. so I did, I got rid of my bike and have bought a Clio 1.2. I wasnt expecting it to be fast but, god its slow. I have bought some new wheels for it, because the wheel trims are scuffed to hell. I got some 15" alloys from ebay, nothing too flashy as I dont want to look a tw**. wondering what tyre pressure will be needed in them or if it will be the same as the other wheels?
also, I wondered if I put an induction kit on it, if it would accelerate a bit quicker? I am not going to put a kit and try and make it look like something its not, but its painfully slow and boring. sadly its all I could afford on the insurance really. any tips.
also, I wondered if I put an induction kit on it, if it would accelerate a bit quicker? I am not going to put a kit and try and make it look like something its not, but its painfully slow and boring. sadly its all I could afford on the insurance really. any tips.
I'm not sure you'll really notice much difference in performance by fitting an induction kit, you'll just damage the resale value. Unlike bikes, the entertainment from cars tends to come from handling rather than power (unless you get silly with the power in a car). Even a 172 isn't going to feel fast after a bike, but if you can adjust to appreciate the handling then the 1.2 isn't that bad at all, and the 172 even better should you want to move on in a year or two's time.
stevo1985 said:
So basically there is nothing I can do? :-(
Well, a 1.2 Clio is slow. Sure, you can make it faster, but modifying engines is extremely expensive for the horsepower gains you'll get and it'd be more cost effective just to upgrade to a 172/182 etc.Don't despair though, a basic Clio 1.2 can be a lot of fun! At least the one I had as a courtesy car for three months was
I rather enjoyed it in the corners.RobM77 said:
stevo1985 said:
well the wheels I have bought should make it even more fun in the corners.
eh?But more likely they'll change the looks but make bugger all difference to the handling unless wrapped in some sticky rubber.
stevo1985 said:
wont it it improve the grip abit? I felt it slightly sliding the other day as I was yinging it round a corner. I have bought some alloys off ebay
Some things to note:1) larger diameter wheels and tyres give a longer (therefore bigger) contact path. This gives an increase in grip, although it will mess up some of the work of the suspension design engineers.
2) wider wheels and tyres give a wider (therefore bigger) contact path. This gives an increase in grip, although it will mess up some of the work of the suspension design engineers.
3) lighter wheels improve unsprung mass, which gives the potential to allow the wheel to be controlled better, thus staying in contact with the road longer giving better grip and giving a better ride. However, that potential can't be realised without changing the tuning of the suspension (spring and damper rates).
In short, it's not that dynamically sensible to change wheels on a car, and the only reason that most people do it is to improve a car's looks.
Finally, why does more grip equal more fun? Surely fun is in the handling?
You'll be wasting your time, trying to find performance from a 1.2 Clio.
As someone else has said, save your money, get your insurance premium down and in a couple of years buy something better.
P.s. welcome to the world of motoring. And remember, 2 heads are better than 1...thus, 4 wheels are better than 2.
As someone else has said, save your money, get your insurance premium down and in a couple of years buy something better.
P.s. welcome to the world of motoring. And remember, 2 heads are better than 1...thus, 4 wheels are better than 2.
stevo1985 said:
dont worry, i/m not going to put a turbo on it or anything like that, I was just enquiring if I could make the best of a bad thing.
although I am already pretty sure that 2 wheels are better than four.
It depends what you want really. Four wheels and Two wheels provide very different experiences, and that's subjective although I am already pretty sure that 2 wheels are better than four.
However, contrary to popular belief four wheels can actually be faster than two if you don't mind putting up with the same engineering focus as a Fireblade or an R1. Faster in a straight line takes a lot of money (as you're finding out with the Clio!), as that requires getting a standing quarter under the low 10s, which is where the fastest superbikes are at currently (unless you fit slick tyres, but that's not really fair as that makes a car track only, but if you do then 0-100 in under 5 isn't hard to achieve from a car, note that an R1 is about 6 secs for the same measure). Faster round a track doesn't take much at all, and can be done for a similar budget to a superbike.Regarding the Clio, you need to be very careful when modifying to not mess up the work that Renault's engineer's have done, although obviously they were aiming at pleasing not just people like us but also old ladies and learner drivers etc, so you do have a slight advantage in your favour. Engine power is very expensive to gain to be honest, and I think it's probably cheaper (and a lot safer financially) in your case to just upgrade to a faster Clio (and get the upgraded suspension and brakes of course). Cornering could probably be improved but it's a minefield because so many things have knock on effects on other things. Springs, dampers and ARBs is where I'd start, but actually I wouldn't touch it, again preferring to saving for a faster Clio sorted by Renault themselves.
If you don't mind the lower safety ratings and worse refinement, you may be better off buying an older hot hatch that's depreciated to the same level as the Clio. Even a Mk1 Clio actually - how about a 16v?
HTH
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