Considering jumping on the 197 bandwagon....

[MitchGTI]

hi guys, I have a S3 at the moment but just want to get into something abit cheaper but still fun to drive, i have been looking at diesels but i just cant take the plunge i drive diesels all day long at work so ide get toooo bord! so been looking into the clio 197 f1 edition... anyone no much about them? a first hand review rather than the odd review you read on the net?!

cheers

[tony_danza]

I've got a 200 with the Cup chassis.. it is a far superior handling car. I bought it as a track car with the intention of buying a Cayman S too, but as yet I can't keep out of the thing - so I'm banking the money and using this full time for now, it really is easy to live with every day to my surprise. I drove 197s, I didn't rate them and neither did the press.

197's are ok on the whole, have annoying short gear ratios, long 'rack and the seats fall apart. and prices are falling through the floor because of the 200, so you have 2 choices:

1. Capitalise on someone else's misfortune and pick up a 197 for a song & buy coilovers.
2. Spend a touch more and get a 200 Cup.

Mine's pretty much as quick around Oulton as my stage2+ GTI was, and that was a well set up Golf. Says a lot of the little car!!

Pennies to run and insure, no VAG tax on mods and nigh on perfect out of the box.  

[Poverty]

I want to get one for the missus so that I can take it round the track!

[jhtrophy]

The f1 ie the r27 is a great car, much better than normal 197
 

[tony_danza]

Do it, Pov - they're a hoot.

Forget all that "there's something else faster in a straight line" crap, these things carry speed through bends like you wouldn't believe - that's what counts around a track.

Mine's done 3 trackdays in 3 months, it begs to be played with like a puppy!

[MattPoss]

I test drove a 197 the other day, must admit I was rather impressed. Was miles different to my GT-TDI but the dealer just wasn't budging on price. Also I've gathered up a fair few parts on my Golf and don't really want to let them go (sad I know )

Fancy a petrol now but just can't decide what to get

Matt

[rich83]

The 200s are great little cars. But by god you've gotta cain the living daylights out of the engine! My bros got one in pearl White White a black roof, and it looks the dangles, esp with a set of black cup alloys on it!

200bhp, good handling, brembo 4pots.... What more do you want?

[tony_danza]

Oh yes, no turbo-torque here - life at 5000+ RPM!

[simonp]

I had an R27 before the Golf, which has the Cup chassis and most of the options available as standard. Was a great little car and I never had any trouble with it apart from the previously mentioned seats (the cover came away from the seat carcass on mine).

After a couple of years it did start to feel one-dimensional and I yearned more of an all-rounder, hence the VW. I thought I'd miss it more when it was gone, but I don't. I still go to press the start button when I get in and out of the Golf, though. Keys are so old-fashioned!

The 197 doesn't have quite as good a chassis as the 200 with a little more body roll, but it is available with excellent xenon headlights, unlike the 200. It's better looking, too, in my humble opinion of course!

[Poverty]

well the GF is game, is the 200 really that much better than the 197? And what about the 182, it would be cheaper for me to just buy one of those as a track car instead of trading her corsa in for a 200!

[Janner_Sy]

i want to get my missus into track days.  She wouldnt drive the nurburgring, and one slowish passenger lap, after almost running over a biker who'd had an shunt with a porsche ahead of us, meant she refused to go out again so she sunbathed all day

[Poverty]

i want to get my missus into track days.  She wouldnt drive the nurburgring, and one slowish passenger lap, after almost running over a biker who'd had an shunt with a porsche ahead of us, meant she refused to go out again so she sunbathed all day

 

That sounds exactly like something my GF would do! Shes keen on the trackday idea but I think one bad experience could put her off!

[Janner_Sy]

i shat myself as well

[tony_danza]

well the GF is game, is the 200 really that much better than the 197? And what about the 182, it would be cheaper for me to just buy one of those as a track car instead of trading her corsa in for a 200!

Ahh, tough call - depends on a lot of things I suppose. There won't be much in it in terms of laptimes.

A 182 will be cheaper to buy, mod and run on track. It'll be lighter on its tyres and brakes, uprated £60/corner & £100 for pads. It will however be old,  possibly in need on maintenance and prehaps a little unrefined for using as a daily driver for some people. You may blow it up, but there's plenty of spares about. They've bottomed out in depreciation, so you're not losing much as long as you don't stack it. I'm not sure I'd want to run a 1*2 on track without a cage though.

The 200 is more up front (although the £200/month PCP deal is still on) and uprated tyres & brakes are around £100/corner & £150 for pads. If it breaks, you take it back on warranty and have it done for free. It's a lot more refined and much safer that the MKII. Worry free motoring and will run rings around most things out of the box. It is heavier and more expensive to run.

From my point, the 200 is really easy to live with. I'm enjoying not modding a car, just turning up at a track in relative comfort and having a day's hooning with doing nothing other than swapping the wheels over.

If you do want to mod, then all the stuff off the Clio Cup race cars is available off the shelf at the dealer. It's buttons too, half the price of anything VAG.

[jhtrophy]

Wouldn't run a 182 without a cage Tony? Bit ott!!!