In an attempt to become more famous than Joey Essex, I featured in one of Car Throttle's Readers' Rides videos. Posted online on the 25th February, the guys have clearly produced a fantastic quality video that somehow turned my ramblings into a pretty awesome clip.
Just so you know, despite the rattles, I still absolutely love this car. Here it is:
So my little 182, as annoying as she is with her leaks and squeaks, is becoming some what of a celebrity.
First she appeared in Evo Magazine of summer 2013, and now she's a world hit online too.
CarThrottle, the exciting online website that provides the internet with car related humour and online trends, featured my car as part of its 'Readers' Rides' section.
Yesterday I attended the Guild of Motoring Writers Big Day Out at Rockingham Raceway. It was a fantastic day out where I was able to meet several very inspirational journalists and car geeks, plus I was able to thrash my little 182 around what is one of the UK's fastest racing circuits.
A great thing about this day though, was that I was also able to sample some other cars, including the 2013 Fiesta ST and even the Reasonably Priced Kia from Top Gear. All videos and write ups for those are soon to follow.
But for now here's a couple of laps onboard my Clio. Such a shame the Go Pro ran out of battery when I remembered how to drive after these laps...
18 months on and I still bloody love the thing. I've owned my RenaultSport Clio 182 since the very end of May 2011, and in that time I've barely covered 10,000 miles. But I can honestly say that I've enjoyed every single minute of it, not least because the thing is so fun to drive!
I find myself looking forward to journeys that I know will include open stretches of road or twisty back lanes. The car seems so eager to be driven that even on days I plan on giving it a good wash and wax, I get the feeling it's looking at me in the same way a dog looks up at it's owner when they mention the park - it wants to go for walkies...or in this case it wants to be driven. I'm a sucker for a puppy face, so most times I give in. I have to admit, as a result many of the miles I have covered in this car have included a good thrashing.
The dirty girl
But at no point does the car make you feel guilty for pushing it. Instead it makes you feel guilty for not pushing it. The engine is so lumpy on tick over, it almost seems as though it's beckoning you to rev it. The steering is heavily weighted, giving the impression Renault didn't intend for this car to be a parallel parking champion. And the Cup pack suspension is crashy at low speed, as it manages to find even the smallest bumps in the road. The car may look like a city run about, but it feels so unnatural cruising through urban streets.
All that changes however, when you are faced with the white circles of unrestricted sign posts, and a tree lined road heading over a crest. The car comes alive when you open up the throttle and reach the 5000 rpm mark. At this point the Variable Valve engine awakens and manages to head sharply towards it's peak power of 170 bhp. The steering suddenly feels reassuringly weighted as the front wheels tug through the column, and the suspension begins to feel planted and predictable over dips and crests. In the stroke of 2000 revs this car transforms from a crashy city car, to a light and nimble hot hatch.
No better place does the 182 show off it's agile characteristics than a fast flowing, smooth tarmaced race track. I took the car to Snetterton in Norfolk earlier in the month with the expectation that it would suit the fast flowing corners. How wrong I was. Not only did it suit them, it felt like it was built for them.
Despite the damp conditions, the direct steering and quick response made the car incredibly enjoyable to throw into high speed turns and balance on the throttle. The light weight of the rear meant a lot of 'oppo' was applied, with lift off oversteer becoming something of a game. The car felt completely at home balling down Revett Straight at over a ton, and managed to keep off it's door handles through Riches thanks to it's planted Cup suspension.
In some ways it's a shame the car handles so well; it means that the lovely Racing Blue paintwork is rarely shiny and the white wheels are often confused as being a dark anthracite. But when a car is this fun to drive, surely it's more of a shame to not use it properly?
