Clio V6 - Phase One
Discussion
Loved my Phase 2 (and would personally choose a Phase 2 over a 1 any day, but I know some purists say the first is the best).
Agree you won't loose much money on one if you get one. Running costs are kind of high for a hatchback, so what you save in depreciation you would probably spent on running, but engine wise they are pretty bullet proof as 250ish bhp is pretty lazy from a 3.o engine.
Oh, and I can't think of another car which gets so much attention, from comments about 'where did you get the body kit from' to people in the know who want to have a proper look around and ask questions.
Agree you won't loose much money on one if you get one. Running costs are kind of high for a hatchback, so what you save in depreciation you would probably spent on running, but engine wise they are pretty bullet proof as 250ish bhp is pretty lazy from a 3.o engine.
Oh, and I can't think of another car which gets so much attention, from comments about 'where did you get the body kit from' to people in the know who want to have a proper look around and ask questions.
I had one for 2 years and only sold it in July to help fund the purchase my first house.
I absolutely loved and had difficulty actually parting with it. It put a smile on my face every time I drove it. It is more than the sum of its parts, but I can't really explain why. It just really felt special.
If you get one, you will without doubt have people coming up to talk about it, some will ask a lot of questions. I came out of the supermarket on several occasion to find people taking photos of it.(http://youtu.be/Ogw83fD7pSM) You get people ask if you made it yourself, you will get people who a genuinely interested as they have never seen another on the road, but all the reactions I had were positive and all the interaction I had made me happy.
My girlfriend however disliked it for the above reason, she said when she was in it she noticed people looked at it a lot and she didn't like the attention.
I'm sure somebody will be along shortly and say "The phase 1 is a widow maker and difficult to drive" but you really have to driving like an idiot in the wet to get into trouble. In the dry, bags and bags of grip and I doubt on the road you'd be able to find that limit and it great fun to drive too.
When the funds are available I will without hesitation buy another.
I absolutely loved and had difficulty actually parting with it. It put a smile on my face every time I drove it. It is more than the sum of its parts, but I can't really explain why. It just really felt special.
If you get one, you will without doubt have people coming up to talk about it, some will ask a lot of questions. I came out of the supermarket on several occasion to find people taking photos of it.(http://youtu.be/Ogw83fD7pSM) You get people ask if you made it yourself, you will get people who a genuinely interested as they have never seen another on the road, but all the reactions I had were positive and all the interaction I had made me happy.
My girlfriend however disliked it for the above reason, she said when she was in it she noticed people looked at it a lot and she didn't like the attention.
I'm sure somebody will be along shortly and say "The phase 1 is a widow maker and difficult to drive" but you really have to driving like an idiot in the wet to get into trouble. In the dry, bags and bags of grip and I doubt on the road you'd be able to find that limit and it great fun to drive too.
When the funds are available I will without hesitation buy another.
Edited by Snails on Thursday 23 October 20:03
Had two phase I Clio V6's.
Cracking cars. Absolutely rammed full of character.
Dont listen to the neysayers regarding the phase I handling. Unshakable in the dry.
Remember it's a mid-engined RWD car in the wet and you will be fine.
Seating position is the only thing that lets this car down. I fitted some Recaro Pole Positions in my second one (on custom mounts) and it was perfection.
Wish I hadn't sold...............
Cracking cars. Absolutely rammed full of character.
Dont listen to the neysayers regarding the phase I handling. Unshakable in the dry.
Remember it's a mid-engined RWD car in the wet and you will be fine.
Seating position is the only thing that lets this car down. I fitted some Recaro Pole Positions in my second one (on custom mounts) and it was perfection.
Wish I hadn't sold...............
They sound nice and I'd love to make one into a track car just because, you know...... it'd be insane.
But they aren't very fast in reality, the extra weight from the engine means they aren't much if any faster than the same era of Clio RS.
I know several owners and ex-owners, one of them is for sale atm and all seem to enjoy them for what they are.
The ph1's do seem to have gone up in price over the last few years too, but the ph2 is where the money is especially in LY paint.
But they aren't very fast in reality, the extra weight from the engine means they aren't much if any faster than the same era of Clio RS.
I know several owners and ex-owners, one of them is for sale atm and all seem to enjoy them for what they are.
The ph1's do seem to have gone up in price over the last few years too, but the ph2 is where the money is especially in LY paint.
Im on my second phase one, I'm completely obsessed by them! Both versions are special, they are fast enough for UK roads and are great fun to drive at any speed. When they hit the upper rev range though....that noise is just fantastic.
The ph2 is the more finished article and almost every single part is different on either car, but essentially, they deliver the same ownership experience.
The ph1 developed and built by TWR, is lighter, and a little rawer, it just draws me towards it slightly more than the ph2.
The fact that there are significantly less ph1s in the UK than ph2s & that they are (currently) cheeper too is just a bonus.
They are becoming very collectible, theres always new people joining the excellent v6clio.net owners club looking to get hold of one. Theres a fantastic specialist who knows them inside out - SG Motorsport, and a great social aspect to the club.
Great fun, cannot recommend highly enough.....and...just look at them!!!
The ph2 is the more finished article and almost every single part is different on either car, but essentially, they deliver the same ownership experience.
The ph1 developed and built by TWR, is lighter, and a little rawer, it just draws me towards it slightly more than the ph2.
The fact that there are significantly less ph1s in the UK than ph2s & that they are (currently) cheeper too is just a bonus.
They are becoming very collectible, theres always new people joining the excellent v6clio.net owners club looking to get hold of one. Theres a fantastic specialist who knows them inside out - SG Motorsport, and a great social aspect to the club.
Great fun, cannot recommend highly enough.....and...just look at them!!!
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