70 replies to this topic

[bennyboysvuk]

thanks for the help guys. I'll tell u why I keep awing these questions. Basically I want to sell my rx8 for a fast convertible. Being 21 I can't just go out and get insured on a Carrara or Z4 or boxter S. Then my friend suggested a VX220 or elise. Not only does VX look great but its cheapish. I don't do track days but I love driving, and having a little "race car" on the road is very appealing. Then I looked at the performance figures and saw the acceleration was 5.6secs. So then I thought how amazing it will be to have those numbers on a small low down great handling car! I was 100% sure about NA until I heard people saying clios and smilar cars can "keep up". Now I know it may sound petty but I hope that if I was going 50mph or so next to a Clio sport or similar vehicle and we both shoot off I would be quicker. I originally thought the vx220 was a small, amazing handling quick accelerating sports car.

Regards
ollie

I think you underestimate the Clio. A committed Clio Trophy will stay with an E36 M3 up to about 80 mph at which point the M3 slowly pulls away. It's not that dramatic though. To blow another car away on acceleration up to 100 it needs to be substantially quicker. That the NA doesn't romp away from the Clio is no surprise, but until you get over 80 ish an M3's not going to romp away from you either.

[danger7]

Why do you want to know if it 'feels quick'? Genuine question - what are you after? And of course, all things are relative to what you're used to.

I'll be honest with you - coming from my father's (auto) Mercs, I'm disappointed with the acceleration from standstill on my tubby. When you accelerate in the Mercs, it's like Concorde taking off: the power delivery is immediate, smooth, quiet, consistent, and breath-taking.

From standstill in the (unmodified) tubby, if I'm maxing the revs, I find first and second hard work; once in third things get better - and when the boost kicks in the car takes off. If I'm already up and going, want to pick up and put my foot down - then I still quite often scare (sh*t) myself with the power delivery in the Turbo.

I don't know how the acceleration statistics compare, but the Mercs 'feel quick', to use your phrase, whereas my tubby feels a bit lethargic in the initial stages from stand-still (IMHO). It may be purely psychological though - because if you're hammering it, in first and second the engine is very noisy and sounds as if it's working (too) hard, and I find I run out of revs too quickly. When the boost bites though, I'm like 'Whoah'!

Hi,

Just being picky but Concorde was never quite, those Olympus engines were what killed it commercially along time ago huge noise , I know what you mean though. If you want a little more ummphh in the lower gears I'd suggest you fit a precat downpipe, it helps the turbo spool up and you get less lag as a result. Its a relatively cheap mod Euro 170 but worth it. Regal and Courtenay's have them, its the 76mm dia straight bore remap is not required.

Cheers
Ian

[chris79]

thanks for the help guys. I'll tell u why I keep awing these questions. Basically I want to sell my rx8 for a fast convertible. Being 21 I can't just go out and get insured on a Carrara or Z4 or boxter S. Then my friend suggested a VX220 or elise. Not only does VX look great but its cheapish. I don't do track days but I love driving, and having a little "race car" on the road is very appealing. Then I looked at the performance figures and saw the acceleration was 5.6secs. So then I thought how amazing it will be to have those numbers on a small low down great handling car! I was 100% sure about NA until I heard people saying clios and smilar cars can "keep up". Now I know it may sound petty but I hope that if I was going 50mph or so next to a Clio sport or similar vehicle and we both shoot off I would be quicker. I originally thought the vx220 was a small, amazing handling quick accelerating sports car.

Regards
ollie

I think you underestimate the Clio. A committed Clio Trophy will stay with an E36 M3 up to about 80 mph at which point the M3 slowly pulls away. It's not that dramatic though. To blow another car away on acceleration up to 100 it needs to be substantially quicker. That the NA doesn't romp away from the Clio is no surprise, but until you get over 80 ish an M3's not going to romp away from you either.

Sorry I disagree.

I had a 172 cup from new which is just as quick as a Trophy give or take a few tenths of a second and it was on par with a 330Ci up to ~100, then not quite as quick over that (private track of course!)... an M3 would leave a clio for dead, even up to 80, 340bhp vs 180bhp is no contest, the M3 is a very rapid car.

[IceOllie]

Chris - What would you say its like compared with your VX220? (p.s. which VX220 you got?)

[gazcaddy]

thanks for the help guys. I'll tell u why I keep awing these questions. Basically I want to sell my rx8 for a fast convertible. Being 21 I can't just go out and get insured on a Carrara or Z4 or boxter S. Then my friend suggested a VX220 or elise. Not only does VX look great but its cheapish. I don't do track days but I love driving, and having a little "race car" on the road is very appealing. Then I looked at the performance figures and saw the acceleration was 5.6secs. So then I thought how amazing it will be to have those numbers on a small low down great handling car! I was 100% sure about NA until I heard people saying clios and smilar cars can "keep up". Now I know it may sound petty but I hope that if I was going 50mph or so next to a Clio sport or similar vehicle and we both shoot off I would be quicker. I originally thought the vx220 was a small, amazing handling quick accelerating sports car.

Regards
ollie

I think you underestimate the Clio. A committed Clio Trophy will stay with an E36 M3 up to about 80 mph at which point the M3 slowly pulls away. It's not that dramatic though. To blow another car away on acceleration up to 100 it needs to be substantially quicker. That the NA doesn't romp away from the Clio is no surprise, but until you get over 80 ish an M3's not going to romp away from you either.

Sorry I disagree.

I had a 172 cup from new which is just as quick as a Trophy give or take a few tenths of a second and it was on par with a 330Ci up to ~100, then not quite as quick over that (private track of course!)... an M3 would leave a clio for dead, even up to 80, 340bhp vs 180bhp is no contest, the M3 is a very rapid car.

You are correct I had a 182 and my bro used to have a 330ci and there was nothing in it to 80/90 after that I would imagine the BMW will pull away. An M3 is in a different league though it will hit 100 in 11.5 and the clio is about 17 secs.

[chrisobrien54]

My two cents... the VX may not be the fastest thing on the road but pushing it hard is way more thrilling than anything I can think of (bar Atoms/kit cars etc)

[chris79]

Chris - What would you say its like compared with your VX220? (p.s. which VX220 you got?)

I've got a standard VX220 Turbo, it is definitely faster at any speed than my 172 Cup was without a doubt. I can't comment for the N/A VX220 though because I've never been in one, or came up against one... both the Clio and the VXT are quick cars, but it's all about power to weight ratio:-

VXT 200bhp / 930kg * 1000 = 215bhp per tonne

VX N/A 150bhp / 880kg * 1000 = 170bhp per tonne

Clio = 172bhp / 1080kg * 1000 = 160bhp per tonne

No contest for the VXT really!

This is why it's not all about how big/powerful your engine is, if your car weighs a huge amount it cancels out the extra power to some extent, although bigger BHP/Torque figures will give better performance at higher speeds, but then again who wants to be racing at silly speeds!

(sorry if those figures quoted above are slightly out, I did them from memory!) Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on this?

[Flanners]

WTF has happened to this site, could this be attributed to the fall in the prices of VX's......this is like Max Power.........FFS!

[chris79]

WTF has happened to this site, could this be attributed to the fall in the prices of VX's......this is like Max Power.........FFS!

So comparison of cars is unacceptable? I guess that goes for Evo, Top Gear and other respectable media publications. This discussion is hardly 'my car is faster than your car' Max Power convo??

[oblomov]

I've got no idea what my VX will do 'against' an M3. M3 drivers are probably the worst "My car's faster than your car" types on the road. I just let them go, even though my penis is very small.

[Yellow_or_black?]

I just let them go, even though my penis is very small.

[calletson]

My friend has a clio 172, and when we're talking he will always comment "the vx isnt that much quicker than mine...." and so on.... I honestley dont care and im sure most members on here wouldnt It doesnt matter, the vx looks better, is convertible, isnt as common blah blah blah.... If you have a vx parked on your drive it will snap necks as people pass by, doesnt matter if you have a rx8, 330ci, M3, S2000 etc the vx will always get most looks, and that in my book is worth an extra few seconds of the stats. That is why my NA 0-60 time is as good as 3.6 secs

[danger7]

Well said 0-60's or 0-100's are meaningless in the real world, what would be more interesting is an A-B blast along your favourite stretch of twisty road that would tell you more. Cheers Ian

[deckard]

From Channel 4 car reviews - Renaultsport 172 2.0 16v (172bhp, -01): 130mph, 0-60 7.2 sec, 35.8mpg
Renaultsport 172 2.0 16v (172bhp, 01-): 138mph, 0-60 7.4 sec, 34.9mpg
Renaultsport 172 Cup (172bhp): 138mph, 0-60 6.8 sec, 34.9mpg
Renaultsport 3.0 V6 (230bhp): 147mph, 0-60 6.4 sec, 25.2mpg

The 0-60 figures speak for themselves really between the cars - ones a fast supermini and ones a supercar

http://www.channel4....ull/null/1709/8

Edited by deckard, 09 March 2008 - 07:58 PM.

[EdButler]

Did everyone on this site previously have a Clio!?!? Im getting worried... My old 190BHP Seat Ibiza TDi could probably 'do' my VX at in-gear speed and get 45mpg while it was at it... Do I or anyone care on here? Nope!

[gazcaddy]

Renaultsport Clios are cracking little cars, nothing wrong with them at all or the people who own them. I havent been on this site for a while becuase as informative as it is, there are some right arseholes on it. For example you get shot if you talk about straight line speed, shot if you dare ask a question whats been asked before, you get the usual reply "use search". Its such a shame that this forum is spoilt by a few who are stuck up their own arse

[danger7]

It seems an age thing, I'm an old git so Clio's are probably the stepping stone to greatness as an XR2 was in my day to a Cossie and yes a Clio 172 would murder an XR2 but hey there's only 20 years seperating them, I feel old. Cheers Ian

[jasvxt]

I've got no idea what my VX will do 'against' an M3. M3 drivers are probably the worst "My car's faster than your car" types on the road.

I just let them go, even though my penis is very small.

At least you honest Eric

[james141]

shot if you dare ask a question whats been asked before, you get the usual reply "use search".

Lol this forum is tame in this regard, a lot of forums you will get kicked off and banned if you dont read the FAQ's and search first plus all the flames you will get people on here get off lightly!

[bennyboysvuk]

thanks for the help guys. I'll tell u why I keep awing these questions. Basically I want to sell my rx8 for a fast convertible. Being 21 I can't just go out and get insured on a Carrara or Z4 or boxter S. Then my friend suggested a VX220 or elise. Not only does VX look great but its cheapish. I don't do track days but I love driving, and having a little "race car" on the road is very appealing. Then I looked at the performance figures and saw the acceleration was 5.6secs. So then I thought how amazing it will be to have those numbers on a small low down great handling car! I was 100% sure about NA until I heard people saying clios and smilar cars can "keep up". Now I know it may sound petty but I hope that if I was going 50mph or so next to a Clio sport or similar vehicle and we both shoot off I would be quicker. I originally thought the vx220 was a small, amazing handling quick accelerating sports car.

Regards
ollie

I think you underestimate the Clio. A committed Clio Trophy will stay with an E36 M3 up to about 80 mph at which point the M3 slowly pulls away. It's not that dramatic though. To blow another car away on acceleration up to 100 it needs to be substantially quicker. That the NA doesn't romp away from the Clio is no surprise, but until you get over 80 ish an M3's not going to romp away from you either.

Sorry I disagree.

I had a 172 cup from new which is just as quick as a Trophy give or take a few tenths of a second and it was on par with a 330Ci up to ~100, then not quite as quick over that (private track of course!)... an M3 would leave a clio for dead, even up to 80, 340bhp vs 180bhp is no contest, the M3 is a very rapid car.

You are correct I had a 182 and my bro used to have a 330ci and there was nothing in it to 80/90 after that I would imagine the BMW will pull away. An M3 is in a different league though it will hit 100 in 11.5 and the clio is about 17 secs.

It will pull away yes, but it doesn't exactly blow it away though does it? If you're in the M3 and you have the hundreds of hp and money spent you'd want it to have a lot more over a Clio than it does.