RE: PH Heroes: Clio Trophy
Discussion
Volte said:
I've tried most of the french hot hatches, and, other than the shit build quality, everytime they are let down by the same thing - the seats and the driving position. 
My first "hot hatch" was an AX Forte 1.4 (A GT without the alloys and spoiler to keep the insurance down) and even though it's probably the most fun and best handling car I've ever owned, I had to sell it after 3 months cos of the terrible back pain and aches I was getting on my hour each way commute.
It was a real shame as my commute included the Cat and Fiddle and loads of other great A and B roads!
Everything else about that car I loved. Shame.
Yep, agree with that. Peugeot and Renault really defined the French hot hatch recipe - lightweight, grunty, tail-slidy, but also built of cardboard. Kind of ruins them for me. Hondas and VWs have their own personalities as well, but are comfy, reliable and will last a lot longer!My first "hot hatch" was an AX Forte 1.4 (A GT without the alloys and spoiler to keep the insurance down) and even though it's probably the most fun and best handling car I've ever owned, I had to sell it after 3 months cos of the terrible back pain and aches I was getting on my hour each way commute.
It was a real shame as my commute included the Cat and Fiddle and loads of other great A and B roads!
Everything else about that car I loved. Shame.
Edited by Volte on Thursday 15th November 01:14
Would still love a 182 Cup, though. Great-looking car as well, doubt we'll ever see that recipe again. New Clio is a bit lardy.
ikonic said:
8/10??
Sorry, but the Trophy deserves a 9.
It is put simply the greatest hot hatch ever.
(Yes, better than the Williams and 205 Gti...)
It just does not look very racey though....I would walk past it & not even notice it was `special`..180 BHP is handy though...Sorry, but the Trophy deserves a 9.
It is put simply the greatest hot hatch ever.
(Yes, better than the Williams and 205 Gti...)
Edited by FM on Thursday 15th November 18:55
As a Trophy owner I absolutely love my little red hero and it is the best handling car I ve ever drove.
In an equation of cost/fun it cannot be knocked.
Remeber guys these little babies only cost 10k now and that is great value for a limited edition car with race set up suspension and comfortable Recaro's (I am 6ft 1" but lanky so fits like a gem).
Also what car you like and purchase is your own choice, if it wasn't we'd all be driving the same thing! Now that be boring.
Great car and I hope to move up to a Megane R26 in 08. Personally build qulity is simple but sturdy and I ve had no problems with my three clios (1.2, 172 and Trophy).
In an equation of cost/fun it cannot be knocked.
Remeber guys these little babies only cost 10k now and that is great value for a limited edition car with race set up suspension and comfortable Recaro's (I am 6ft 1" but lanky so fits like a gem).
Also what car you like and purchase is your own choice, if it wasn't we'd all be driving the same thing! Now that be boring.
Great car and I hope to move up to a Megane R26 in 08. Personally build qulity is simple but sturdy and I ve had no problems with my three clios (1.2, 172 and Trophy).
mccabe1983 said:
As a Trophy owner I absolutely love my little red hero and it is the best handling car I ve ever drove.
In an equation of cost/fun it cannot be knocked.
Remeber guys these little babies only cost 10k now and that is great value for a limited edition car with race set up suspension and comfortable Recaro's (I am 6ft 1" but lanky so fits like a gem).
Also what car you like and purchase is your own choice, if it wasn't we'd all be driving the same thing! Now that be boring.
Great car and I hope to move up to a Megane R26 in 08. Personally build qulity is simple but sturdy and I ve had no problems with my three clios (1.2, 172 and Trophy).
To be frank the old Mk 2 172's can be had for £4k is the 182 Trophy really worth £6k+ more than that?? I doubt it.In an equation of cost/fun it cannot be knocked.
Remeber guys these little babies only cost 10k now and that is great value for a limited edition car with race set up suspension and comfortable Recaro's (I am 6ft 1" but lanky so fits like a gem).
Also what car you like and purchase is your own choice, if it wasn't we'd all be driving the same thing! Now that be boring.
Great car and I hope to move up to a Megane R26 in 08. Personally build qulity is simple but sturdy and I ve had no problems with my three clios (1.2, 172 and Trophy).
I have driven the 172 Sport it is nippy above 5,500 but then its only a few odd revs till change up time its not really that fast & once on the move modern run of the mill TDI's both common rail & pumpe duse can cathch a Clio Sport napping - which requires the Clio owner to change right down and then catch up and then maybe if there is still an overtaking option on go for it however by that time your well over the NSL - so pointless really.
You cannot call this a Hot Hatch - warm yes (nippy yes) but not hot. Ditto Civic Type R IMHO.
I had an RB5 impreza for 4 years before buying a golfgttdi for the wife and a Yozzasport modded clio cup. The clio is very quick with a realistic 195-200bhp and handles superbly. It's very cheap to run in comparison with my old impreza and is light on tyres even including the odd track day. It's fun, raw and reminds me of my old 205 gti. A cracking little car and superb value for money. The subaru was something else..... but cost a fortune to maintain properly.
I've owned all that cars with which this might be compared --- Integra R, 205GTI 1.9, RS2000, Impreza P1, early lightweight Porsche's such as the 964RS, 306 GTI6, early Clio 16v, nearly owned a Williams MkIII, E36M3, CSL, GT3RS, Escort RS Turbo Mk1, Caterham, Elise, ---- plus.
On the value stakes, in my view the Trophy is right up there with the best.
OK the seats are a little upright, and if you want to actually seat people in the back it's high on hope, but it's the nearest I have ever been to a go-cart in a real road car. And surprisingly benign and forgiving -- a tad of rear wheel steering helping out when it should all be going really pear shaped.
Will the 197 Cup eclipse it ?
In my view it hasn't a chance unless thay can shave 200Kg's off the weight.
On the value stakes, in my view the Trophy is right up there with the best.
OK the seats are a little upright, and if you want to actually seat people in the back it's high on hope, but it's the nearest I have ever been to a go-cart in a real road car. And surprisingly benign and forgiving -- a tad of rear wheel steering helping out when it should all be going really pear shaped.
Will the 197 Cup eclipse it ?
In my view it hasn't a chance unless thay can shave 200Kg's off the weight.
Shift light on the Clio, and the limiter, changed according to oil temp.
Fantastic little car, I had a "bog standard" 172 and I absolutely loved it. Everything a hot hatch should be, loads of feedback, cornered on rails and the sort of responsive n/a engine you just love to rev the bo
ocks off.
Fantastic little car, I had a "bog standard" 172 and I absolutely loved it. Everything a hot hatch should be, loads of feedback, cornered on rails and the sort of responsive n/a engine you just love to rev the bo
ocks off.Edited by Yugguy on Friday 16th November 08:49
900T-R said:
Cookie172 said:
Regarding the green light.. it's not really a shift light, it's just warning you that you're about to slam into the limiter 
Personally, I'd call that a shift light alright. 
Traction Control? ABS? The Trophy is a wimp next to the Ragnotti/Cup.
The cup much lardier than the Ragnotti as well, since it came with a rear wiper!
Welshbeef said:
mccabe1983 said:
I have driven the 172 Sport it is nippy above 5,500 but then its only a few odd revs till change up time its not really that fast & once on the move modern run of the mill TDI's both common rail & pumpe duse can cathch a Clio Sport napping - which requires the Clio owner to change right down and then catch up and then maybe if there is still an overtaking option on go for it however by that time your well over the NSL - so pointless really.
You cannot call this a Hot Hatch - warm yes (nippy yes) but not hot. Ditto Civic Type R IMHO.
What would you call a Hot Hatch, then? How many horsepower? The Clio has a grunty N/A motor and the Type R has a seriously revvy one, so I'd have thought if you wanted grunt like a run-of-the-mill TDi or a screamer, then one of them fitted the bill... Or maybe TDIs are the new hot hatches? You cannot call this a Hot Hatch - warm yes (nippy yes) but not hot. Ditto Civic Type R IMHO.
Regardless of whether you like them or not, I'd say all the sporty Clios since the 16v were hot hatches. Sorry, Hot Hatches.
cg360 said:
Welshbeef said:
mccabe1983 said:
I have driven the 172 Sport it is nippy above 5,500 but then its only a few odd revs till change up time its not really that fast & once on the move modern run of the mill TDI's both common rail & pumpe duse can cathch a Clio Sport napping - which requires the Clio owner to change right down and then catch up and then maybe if there is still an overtaking option on go for it however by that time your well over the NSL - so pointless really.
You cannot call this a Hot Hatch - warm yes (nippy yes) but not hot. Ditto Civic Type R IMHO.
What would you call a Hot Hatch, then? How many horsepower? The Clio has a grunty N/A motor and the Type R has a seriously revvy one, so I'd have thought if you wanted grunt like a run-of-the-mill TDi or a screamer, then one of them fitted the bill... Or maybe TDIs are the new hot hatches? You cannot call this a Hot Hatch - warm yes (nippy yes) but not hot. Ditto Civic Type R IMHO.
Regardless of whether you like them or not, I'd say all the sporty Clios since the 16v were hot hatches. Sorry, Hot Hatches.
Mind you having said that if your running a 260bhp car your never going to push it to its limits on the road - or you'll be dragged aay it a straight jacket & rightly so, while a say 1.4 100bhp Panda you can - which is most fun??
But the point is this a Hot Hatch - clearly has to be a hatchback be practical seat 4 adults & have a lot of power. Well 172-197bhp isnt a lot given run of the mill cars have similar outputs.
Welshbeef you still talking about Trophy?
Trophy has 168 power to weight ratio which is pretty impressive, Megane has 171 and I THINK S3 is 180ish? So Trophy is not too far off!
Only Hot Hatch I can think of with nearly 260bhp is the Mazada MPS and S3 and R32 which have about 240. Are these vehicles still realistically Hot Hatches in terms of cost? Instead should they not be regarded as Uber Hot Hatches? How can the average man afford one? Even less affordable when you phase in running costs too, especially petrol!
As well as the above the R32 and S3 also have 4x4 which is cheating!
Realistically you cannot put over 230 bhp into a front wheel drive car. Just look at the Astra VXR which struggles to get all that power down and through the wheels.
In terms of cost for fun you cant beat the Trophy.
Trophy has 168 power to weight ratio which is pretty impressive, Megane has 171 and I THINK S3 is 180ish? So Trophy is not too far off!
Only Hot Hatch I can think of with nearly 260bhp is the Mazada MPS and S3 and R32 which have about 240. Are these vehicles still realistically Hot Hatches in terms of cost? Instead should they not be regarded as Uber Hot Hatches? How can the average man afford one? Even less affordable when you phase in running costs too, especially petrol!
As well as the above the R32 and S3 also have 4x4 which is cheating!
Realistically you cannot put over 230 bhp into a front wheel drive car. Just look at the Astra VXR which struggles to get all that power down and through the wheels.
In terms of cost for fun you cant beat the Trophy.
mccabe1983 said:
Welshbeef you still talking about Trophy?
Trophy has 168 power to weight ratio which is pretty impressive, Megane has 171 and I THINK S3 is 180ish? So Trophy is not too far off!
Only Hot Hatch I can think of with nearly 260bhp is the Mazada MPS and S3 and R32 which have about 240. Are these vehicles still realistically Hot Hatches in terms of cost? Instead should they not be regarded as Uber Hot Hatches? How can the average man afford one? Even less affordable when you phase in running costs too, especially petrol!
As well as the above the R32 and S3 also have 4x4 which is cheating!
Realistically you cannot put over 230 bhp into a front wheel drive car. Just look at the Astra VXR which struggles to get all that power down and through the wheels.
In terms of cost for fun you cant beat the Trophy.
Well back in the 80's the 1.9 GTi was £12k that was a very high price - we have been lucky that since then the real cost of high performance cars & cars in general have decreased but today £25k on a Hot Hatch is not indifferent + probably still cheaper relatively.Trophy has 168 power to weight ratio which is pretty impressive, Megane has 171 and I THINK S3 is 180ish? So Trophy is not too far off!
Only Hot Hatch I can think of with nearly 260bhp is the Mazada MPS and S3 and R32 which have about 240. Are these vehicles still realistically Hot Hatches in terms of cost? Instead should they not be regarded as Uber Hot Hatches? How can the average man afford one? Even less affordable when you phase in running costs too, especially petrol!
As well as the above the R32 and S3 also have 4x4 which is cheating!
Realistically you cannot put over 230 bhp into a front wheel drive car. Just look at the Astra VXR which struggles to get all that power down and through the wheels.
In terms of cost for fun you cant beat the Trophy.
Also Alfa 156 GTA 247bhp, The Leon Cupra 244bhp, The Audi S3 is 261bhp, MPS 3 256bhp - and you can buy the GTA for £10k - thats so much better value than a 182bhp clio - just look at the interior & exterior and your mind is made up.
Alfa GTA is a lovely car but after Alfa ownership in the past I would never go back. They look nice but fall apart quicker than a Renault. If you spent 10k on a GTA it would be an early model with high miles and no warranty. 10k on a Trophy gets you a 55 plate car less than 20 k on clock and warranty till October 2008. The Alfa has a lot of soul but it would still struggle to get all those horses down and through the front wheels.
mccabe1983 said:
Alfa GTA is a lovely car but after Alfa ownership in the past I would never go back. They look nice but fall apart quicker than a Renault. If you spent 10k on a GTA it would be an early model with high miles and no warranty. 10k on a Trophy gets you a 55 plate car less than 20 k on clock and warranty till October 2008. The Alfa has a lot of soul but it would still struggle to get all those horses down and through the front wheels.
I love the looks - very different and very exclusive. The ones today on Auto trader show that a £10k one has 45k a £11.5k one is 17k milage! Seems fine to me.Did they do a 5 door or 3 door only?
3.2 V6 247bhp mmmm LSD stunning looks & seats - maybe the ideal replacement for my Fiat Coupe 20v Turbo?? Style & pace.
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