I have no doubt the 197 is a more capable car, after driving two for two days on the 'scheif! But they're not as much fun 8)
Prices starting to stabilise finally...
artdealer said:
At last I feel happy about the bundle I spent on early 36k service, damper refurb and new front discs 3,000 miles ago. When I come to sell it later this year it will stand me in good stead...
g40steve said:BenG said:
Ive been thinking of this for a while now. I honestly cant think of a hot hatch that I would replace the Trophy with . . .
I love it with a passion !
No mods 197 Cup will give the Trophy a run for it's money.
On track std vs std the brakes on the trophy will give up laps before the huge 197 brakes.
Awaits the slating
ok the flaw in my argument... but anyway when you press the brakes at the end of the straight and they give you nothing..... 1 oh shit your life flashes in front of you, then you turn in hope and miracle the trophy still turns in and goes around the corner..... 90+ mph round a hairpin followed by a quick change of pants.
before that happens though as i know the trophy better then a 197 there's no way a standard 197 would keep up with me in a standard trophy
:wink:As a Trophy owner it seems obvious to me that the Trophy is better. However, I doubt that my driving ability is anywhere near good enough to get everything possible out of a Trophy, plus I still haven't dared take it on a track yet. For me it's not whether I could drive it faster than a 197 that's important (but I probably could because the Trophy just brings out the best and gives extra confidence even in a driver of my ability), it's the whole ownership experience. It has an exclusivity that the 197 (even the R27 or the 197 Cup) doesn't have imho.
When I first owned it I got desperate to see other Trophies and became extremely frustrated when I didn't see any. But then I realised that was also part of the fun. After a year and a half I've still only seen 2 others and 1 of those was one of the 50 left hookers in Switzerland. Oh dear, I must be becoming a Sad Old B******, but I don't care cos I've got a Trophy and I know it's the Trophy which will be better remembered in 20 or more years time.
Anyway if/when I change it, I will go for a totally different type of car like a Caterham or an Elise.
Good point from Ajr about higher mileage with work done being worth more and about the fun factor. Anyway unless the economy completely stuffs me I'm not planning to sell at all. Maybe Elises and Caterhams will become so cheap in the present climate that I'll end up buying one AND keeping the Trophy. There I go dreaming again.....
When I first owned it I got desperate to see other Trophies and became extremely frustrated when I didn't see any. But then I realised that was also part of the fun. After a year and a half I've still only seen 2 others and 1 of those was one of the 50 left hookers in Switzerland. Oh dear, I must be becoming a Sad Old B******, but I don't care cos I've got a Trophy and I know it's the Trophy which will be better remembered in 20 or more years time.
Anyway if/when I change it, I will go for a totally different type of car like a Caterham or an Elise.
Good point from Ajr about higher mileage with work done being worth more and about the fun factor. Anyway unless the economy completely stuffs me I'm not planning to sell at all. Maybe Elises and Caterhams will become so cheap in the present climate that I'll end up buying one AND keeping the Trophy. There I go dreaming again.....
BenG
ClioTrophy Moderator
I think the comparison on track between the Trophy and 197 is not the full story. I personally think I could beat a 197 A-B along a B road, thats where the Trophy excells most other hot hatches.
BenG said:
You forget i had a T for 2 1/2 yrs & the Cup is not just another hot hatch it's the next generation RS :wink:
On my favourite test track the brakes on the 197 are awesome (they should be as they are the same as the R26). So much confidence being able to brake as late as possible & still be in control.
I used to melt the brakes on my Trophy & there is nothing as frightning as arriving at a bend & the brake pedal going to the floor.
I demo'd my T to several on here & a few buyers, the finger marks in the bolsters & pale faces tell a story :lol: :lol:
To take a 197 for a test drive is the same as taking a trophy for one, you never get to understand the full potential of the car until you start to push the limits more & more.
BenG
ClioTrophy Moderator
[You forget i had a T for 2 1/2 yrs & the Cup is not just another hot hatch it's the next generation RS
/quote]
That just means there are plenty of bugs to iron out
Is it a step forward from the Trophy or is it just a step in another direction. So the brakes are better, what else ? Ive never drove a 197 cup so I cant really comment on whether it an improvement over the trophy but I cant see it being more focused and composed on the B roads that I drive every day, track work is irrelivant to me. I would like to take the T on track but if I was a track day enthusiast I would of bought a 172 cup not a Trophy.
There have been good reviews of the 197 but not in the way the Trophy was raved about.
I guess it all depends what you want from the car at the end of the day, Trophy ticks all the boxes for me. The 197 is probably a great hot hatch, but nothing special + it looks like a womans car.
Just my opinion of course.