Why Renault?

[MikeO]

After the disappointment of trying one of the new Fiesta ST's and not actually liking it (yes I know that everyone else does), just didn't suit me ... decided to chop both my sensible 4-door car (Skoda Fabia) and my new shape Suzuki swift sport (great little car) for one 4-door car. Might well have bought a Focus St if it wasn't just about to be replaced at that point in time. While the 200t was not originally on my short list (less than +ve reviews etc.) a friend talked me into trying one and you know something, I actually liked the car. Teaches you I suppose to not dismiss a car without a decent test drive. So in my case, just right make/model at the right time.

 

[ryan t]

Renault seems to be a judged badly by anyone that has never experienced one ( usually boring ford fans ) I've grown up with Renaults for thirty odd years from my parents owning 5's, 5 turbo2's, clio's, Clio Williams 1's even a 25gtx which was at the time proper cool just because it spoke to ta. So when I passed my test I had to have a Renault myself, so I started with a new 2002 1.4 16v dynamic Clio in odesey blue which ends up at Ktec racing having the the suspension, exhaust and wheels sorted plus a remap from super chips ( a huge 100bhp ) but it looked the nuts. Then from there a 2002 flame red 172 which had the same treatment a car I wish I had never sold but a six month old 2005 225 Megane was next in black gold, after a remap to 265bhp I was well and truly hooked but then one day I drove past a liquid yellow 182 ff which I just had to have. The ly 182 was amazing, no car had such a presence it was such a head turner plus it sounded mental with its decated milltec exhaust. But then one day I popped into Renault to book a service and boom a extremely sexy glacier white clio200 ended up outside my house which again I loved but then I thought I missed the power and went back to a Megane r26 but regretted it almost instantly so got rid of that and bought another 200 in glacier white, which is where I am today and it's all I think about. So Renault for me is under my skin and nothing or no one could change the mind. Sorry my point was so long winded but it's just how I feel about Renaults

 

[tiababy]

I was a pretty die hard Ford fan the first few years I was driving.That changed when a BG 182 flew last me when I was driving some country roads in 2010ish.
Never seen or heard of them before but a bit of research and I had to have one. Went out a few weeks later to look at a silver172 (which sold just before I got there) then a inferno 182 (I think, again sold) then say a local dealer had 2 197s for sale a nimbus cup and an albi normal 197.
I ended up buying the albi. 4 years and some months later my itch to change had become to much (after much searching and lusting after various 250/265/275) I'm now the proud owner of a liquid yellow 275 trophy and couldn't be happier.
I just love my Renaultsports and nothing else really interests me.

 

[Kazumz]

For me, personally, it's really easy.

Uniqueness

Sure, I see Type R's, Fiesta ST's and the lot around and to be honest, they're all excellent cars, especially the new fords; absolutely mega. However, the Clio is a bit of a dark horse. They're a rare breed in Britain especially. Seeing my family's face as I drove it home, they wondered what the hell it was. I knew about them and it was actually my dream car, still is, but I can't enjoy it because I'm broke as hell. Seeing people staring wondering why someone has gone to the extend of kitting out a regular Clio and after telling them it's actually a RenaultSport with a 2.0l engine, they soon understand. Seeing an RS was like Christmas for me before I got mine, they were that wild animal in the wild that you'd only see once in a while. In fact, before I got mine, I actually only ever saw an RS once prior. A little red, unabused 197, whom I don't think the owner realized what they were driving.

They're awesome cars, things go wrong, they're charismatic, fun, nippy and agile. Also, they scream.

 

[leeboy]

I was working for a race team back in 2009 running fiesta ST's and I owned a leon Cupra R, which I could only just insure at the age of 18. The team then bought a clio cup race car and after spending many hours at the track, I was pretty hooked on the race car! So on a Saturday afternoon in March, while shopping with my girlfriend I thought I'd take the long way home ( past Renault) I saw a RB 197 - it was mint. The following Saturday it was on my drive!! It had that race car feeling that I wanted, for the road!

 

[ben_r1]

Bang for buck best way to have fun motoring. Shame about the build quality though.

 

[Lewis.]

Personally I have always loved the design of Renaults (specifically RS models) ever since the early R5 turbo. Also loved the 1.8 Clios then the Williams, then the 172's etc. in fact I have always loved the look of Clios! The 200 being one of my favourites (obviously). I now want a Megane as they look fantastic too. Not to mention the performance but that goes without saying. They are also unique. I hardly see any around my way. Everyone has golfs and bmws and audis - just a bit bandwagon.

 

[chris mcm]

They are horribly built [MENTION=132]ben_r1[/MENTION] , it's a real shame owned a BMW for 5 years and it only needed 1 wheel bearing in that whole time. But I love the wee Clio, it's so much fun, just wish it wasn't built by morons.

 

[shells2074]

I agree Chris, im just reading about all the stuff going wrong. Gearbox, clutch etc etc. I know a lot of you guys are modding but needing gearboxes and clutches is slightly unnerving.

 

[theederv]

I was at the ring in 2011, up until that point in time I had always been a die hard Ford fan, my best friend had a Sapphire Cossie that was running 410ish bhp. I always dreamed of owning one myself but that the time I didnt have an financial stability and was more interested in getting pissed at the weekends. Finally when I got a bit of money behind me I bought a Fiesta Zetec S, and then a Fiesta ST.

In 2011 I took my ST to the ring, and over the weekend we befriended a few irish chaps - one of them was called Chris and he owned a beautiful R26.R. We'd been watching the track since Thursday and I lost count of the amount of times I saw Chris in his R26.R passing or pressing expensive metal up the track. So I went over to talk to him about his car when we saw him in the ring carpark. He was an experienced regular at the Nordschleife and given my level of interest it didnt take long before I ended up in the passenger seat for a lap with him.

Given that until this point I had not completed a lap in less than 11 minutes, mostly with my indicator on and pulled over to the right lol.

Anyway Chris hauled us from Bridge to Gantry on that particular day in not much over 8 minutes. There was a little traffic but generally a clear lap.

I am no stranger to being a passenger in a quick motor, my brother was Super 1600 rally champ, my mum worked for the Subaru World Rally Team and my step dad was a reasonably successful rally driver in the 70's. I've grown up around cars/rallying/track days etc I've ridden in works spec rally cars, GT3 porkas etc etc all with experienced and professional drivers so I've had some fantastic opportunities over the years. But THAT LAP, THAT LAP.... well it changed my life.. literally.

I was a convert, never even glanced sideways at a Renault Sport before that point I must admit, my brother rally'd a 205 so the only french cars I had been interested in was Pugs. That R26.R was simply awesome, the grip level was immense, and even though I wasn't driving, there is no better feeling than completing a lap of the ring without a single car catching and overtaking you lol. Obviously Chris was a **** hot pilot, but you could tell how capable the car was.

I got home on August the 19th, and by September 1st I had ordered a brand new Glacier White 200. I desperately wanted an R26.R but the practicality changed my mind. The Meg 250 was just out of my price range (being a new car at the time) so Clio it was. Never looked back, had my 200 for 4 years and have recently bought an EDC. Always wanted to upgrade to a Meg (would have had a Trophy) but then our little chap came along and 5 doors were essential. Test drove a couple of other 5 doors options from other manufacturers and they felt empty. People hate on the EDC, but it's playful and chuckable and it still has the RS spirit, you just have to look a little harder to find it. Personally I am very happy with it, don't miss my old 200 at all for the record.

So that's the story of how I became a RS enthusiast. Stayed in touch with Chris for a while after we got back from the ring, but lost contact, so if you're out there mate, thank you for giving me that experience and for starting my life long passion for Renault Sports.

 

[nutnutwelshman]

Just back from Spa in my 200T STILL IN LOVE