Why isn't the 197/200 a keeper?

it's all down to age and value of the vehicles IMO. They're gettng cheaper and starting to appeal to those with a more modest budget so I believe the trend will change, but upto now they've been mostly owned by the kind of person that buys a brand new car every 1-3 years and keep changing for no reason other than getting something newer. I'm giving serious consideration to chopping in the 172 and getting a 197 for some heavy performance modification
 
Willis said:
I think my problem is that it's been a while since we went hard at it. We're in Wales next weekend, hopefully that'll bring the spark back.
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This is exactly right. I got bored of mine about 2 months ago, thought about getting a Z4. Then I went for a drive with my mate round North Wales and fell in love again. The more I drive mine quickly, the more I like it. Had the centre silencer removed yesterday at Top Gear and so far it seems like the best £70 I've ever spent. Not too raspy like I feared it might be and I get crackle and pop on the over run. There is a crackle and pop sweet spot around 4000rpm (Tap throttle *crackle/pop*, tap throttle (repeat)). The flat spot is worse but I can definitely live with it for the noise!
 
sideways danny said:
it's all down to age and value of the vehicles IMO. They're gettng cheaper and starting to appeal to those with a more modest budget so I believe the trend will change, but upto now they've been mostly owned by the kind of person that buys a brand new car every 1-3 years and keep changing for no reason other than getting something newer.
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^This is what will happen^

I have every intention of keeping mine for lots of years, i often see folks at car shows who've had their cars for years, when they say 'i've had this for 10years/15 years' i think its great, was talking to a guy at a ford show this weekend who'd had a three door sierra cosworth for 19 years, thats just fantastic.

Mines all paid for so no baloon payments to come, i'm just waiting for the warrenty to expire then i can start with the modding, i can see me going down the megane engine route in a couple of years time, i can see it as a stripped out track day car like my alfa when its about 10 years old.

I'm in it for the long run.
 
Once the parts for these cars become a lot cheaper, like Danny said above, the interest in these cars will "rocket" for the want of a better word.

Imo, the future is bright for us 197/200 owners.
 
Still like my 197 after nearly 4 years of ownership. It's the longest i've kept a car. I used to change them after about 1 - 1 1/2 years.
 
For me personally I get bored of every car as they just become "normal".

Obviously I'm still in the honeymoon period with my car (well kinda) but that same boredom feeling will kick in eventually.

I think the lack of tuneability will be what really get's annoying. Although to be fair I've owned faster cars anyway but the clio does drive well.

I think people that get bored of cars would be the exact same if they had a supercar sitting at their house, everything just becomes "normal". Even if I had a Lamborghini Aventador parked up, I'd still get bored down the line as it would became normal, although my god would I love it at the start lol

Car I want to own in the future though is a lotus elise, it will be as close as I can get to an affordable "super car". Not that an elise is a super car as such but it's the closest I'll probably ever get.

You can pick a decent one up for similar money to a newish clio 200 as well, yeah it will be a lot older but they look sexy in my opinion and not overly expensive to run either.

I wouldn't say no to this one http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/...co-white-elise-s1-very-rare-36-000-mls/240959

Or even this at 18k http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/...ice-history-touring-pack-petrol-manual/849514

It's a 2009 so not overly old and would be affordable for mere mortals like most of us on here.
 
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I like my clio lot, but the fact that 197 is not easy car to drive long distances. Stupid gear ratios spoils it totally. Noise levels are just too loud for me when driving 100kmh and over in highway.
So my next car will probably be E90 LCI 330I Msport bmw with direct injection 272hp inline6 engine. It will be more economical and comfortable (quieter) than 197. I know bmw will have hard time to beat clio in twisty track.. but i dont drive track very often.
Bmw can be found with good options, (msport, mandatory..)xenons, harman/kardon hifipackage, PDC, Leather or alcantara sport seats, M-Steering wheel, Navigation, I-drive, cruise, etc..

10.jpg
 
Yiannis197 said:
You can't beat the Lotuses...if I decide to sell (which tbh I can't see that happening) I'll get an Exige. The thing is that they are so impractical, you def need a second car, and they are not so much quicker than the clios on the twisties...
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You might well be right, I haven't been fortunate to drive one. They're not overly quick at the top end either apparently.

But I'd rather be in the lotus. I just love how they look.

It's like the video going around of the supra absolutely blowing away a lamborghini and people laughing at the owner saying how much he spent on the lambo and got beaten by a cheaper car. Lambo owner was defo trying, you could hear his engine screaming.

But I'd still rather be in the lamborghini lol

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRzbytonO-M[/YOUTUBE]

Here's the view from the lambo

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vO6MgKrUs_c[/YOUTUBE]
 
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lukeeddy said:
The guy driving the lambo owns both cars
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Ah didn't know that.

How do you know?

When I was showed the video by a mate on his phone he ddin't know that either, I just assumed it was 2 different owners.

My mate loves jap cars though, his dream car is an r35 gtr, I'd rather something more exotic regardless of how capable it is.

If I was in say a tvr Sagaris I wouldn't give a crap if a guy in his focus rs was faster lol
 
Yiannis197 said:
You can't beat the Lotuses...if I decide to sell (which tbh I can't see that happening) I'll get an Exige. The thing is that they are so impractical, you def need a second car, and they are not so much quicker than the clios on the twisties...
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and people think renaults fall apart and are unreliable!
 
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