Right folks, after a year in Cupped 182 FF and a year in a Trophy, I think it's time for a change.
Actually I wasn't really planning it, but after reading eCOTY earlier today I trundled down to the local Renault dealer to have a look at a 200.
After ten minutes I had the keys to a test car and 45 mins of later I was convinced.
In a straight line it feels at least as fast as the Trophy, but much more solid and stable. This doesn't make it feel less frantic, just more planted and tied down. They've been clever with the exhaust note too - grunty on throttle blips, screamy when revved out, and nice and quiet in 6th gear on the motorway.
I don't need to tell you it goes round corners like it's on rails, it really is amazingly well tied down. The steering feels notably quicker and more immediate than the Trophy with less dead travel around the straight ahead (much more like the steering of the BMW mini). There's less feedback through the thick steering wheel than the Trophy, but you still feel completely part of the car, the Recaro seats holding you in perfectly.
The reach / height adjustment on the steering wheel allows you to get the perfect driving position, although there's a bit more height between the brake and throttle pedal than the 182's so heel & toe will need a little practice.
Brakes are trully awesome too.
So, it can take on a Trophy for handling, pace and driver involvement. Where it moves the game on is in the build quality, which feels very German after my track-scarred Trophy. There's a lot more space in the back too, and the boot's a little bigger than the older cars.
So, now the big question: how to spec it!
In Switzerland we only get the FF so here's the spec I'm going for:
-Glacier White with black pack
-Black Cup Wheels
-Recaro Pack
-Grand Tourismo pack (Luxe pack)
-Cup Chassis
-Steering headlights
-Rear spoiler
Let me know what you think of the spec - is there anything on there I shouldn't get or anything I've missed out?
Cheers,
Jake
Actually I wasn't really planning it, but after reading eCOTY earlier today I trundled down to the local Renault dealer to have a look at a 200.
After ten minutes I had the keys to a test car and 45 mins of later I was convinced.
In a straight line it feels at least as fast as the Trophy, but much more solid and stable. This doesn't make it feel less frantic, just more planted and tied down. They've been clever with the exhaust note too - grunty on throttle blips, screamy when revved out, and nice and quiet in 6th gear on the motorway.
I don't need to tell you it goes round corners like it's on rails, it really is amazingly well tied down. The steering feels notably quicker and more immediate than the Trophy with less dead travel around the straight ahead (much more like the steering of the BMW mini). There's less feedback through the thick steering wheel than the Trophy, but you still feel completely part of the car, the Recaro seats holding you in perfectly.
The reach / height adjustment on the steering wheel allows you to get the perfect driving position, although there's a bit more height between the brake and throttle pedal than the 182's so heel & toe will need a little practice.
Brakes are trully awesome too.
So, it can take on a Trophy for handling, pace and driver involvement. Where it moves the game on is in the build quality, which feels very German after my track-scarred Trophy. There's a lot more space in the back too, and the boot's a little bigger than the older cars.
So, now the big question: how to spec it!
In Switzerland we only get the FF so here's the spec I'm going for:
-Glacier White with black pack
-Black Cup Wheels
-Recaro Pack
-Grand Tourismo pack (Luxe pack)
-Cup Chassis
-Steering headlights
-Rear spoiler
Let me know what you think of the spec - is there anything on there I shouldn't get or anything I've missed out?
Cheers,
Jake