Trophy test-drive this Friday!

[marky-p]

Test-driving the £12995 trophy out of Renault in Coulsdon this Friday and boy am I going to wring it's neck out!
I figure I'm going to head South towards Merstham on the A23 then return via the country roads through Chipstead that run parallel to the A23 to ensure that my passenger will need new underwear.
Just trying to weigh up between getting a standard or modified 2004 172 cup for about £9k or a trophy for about £12k. Worth the extra £3k???

 

[OliS]

Just trying to weigh up between getting a standard or modified 2004 172 cup for about £9k or a trophy for about £12k. Worth the extra £3k???

IMO defniately, but it all depends on why you are thinking about buying. For me the suspension, seats, colour scheme and the fact that it is a limited edition model outweighed the options of tuning the 172 that I had at the time, or buying a faster, more powerful car.

If you are just after a front wheel drive terrorist (which I think you maybe from reading your post! :wink: ) then the modded 172 Cup would probably be the better option. Best bet is to take both of them for a spin and go from there - have fun!

 

[marky-p]

IMO, the only thing that the trophy has over the 172 cup is that it's a year younger and would have less mileage.....but that's it. People have said a 172 cup with coilovers will out-handle a trophy, stick in some recaros and you more or less have the same car for an extra grand.

I test drove my mate's 200bhp-189lb/ft track spec 172 cup recently on some open country roads and was stunned. The trophy will have to do something very special to impress me after that.

 

[hyb]

Yes you can get the same handling effect with coilover, but you'll also get a harsher ride.

The great thing about the trophy is that it handles well without shaking out any fillings you may have

 

[oliie]

You need to look at the figures a little more long term.

The 3k extra for the Trophy (assuming you don't haggle it down further) will always be there when you go and sell the car later on.

Looking at finance end-to-end over the duration of ownership you'll likely see no more than a £1k loss over today's 172... which is the same price as you'll pay for a good set of coil-overs.

O.

 

[OliS]

IMO, the only thing that the trophy has over the 172 cup is that it's a year younger and would have less mileage.....but that's it. People have said a 172 cup with coilovers will out-handle a trophy, stick in some recaros and you more or less have the same car for an extra grand.

I test drove my mate's 200bhp-189lb/ft track spec 172 cup recently on some open country roads and was stunned. The trophy will have to do something very special to impress me after that.

I have also heard the argument that a 172/182 with coilovers will handle as well as a Trophy, but I am yet to hear of any real world comparisons. The Trophy's suspension is excellent straight from the factory, it could be a bit stiffer for trackwork, but on the road it is awesome. Personally I preferred the option of having the car set up properly from the factory, rather than having to experiment with aftermarket suspension.

In comparison with your mate's 172 Cup the Trophy will feel slow, but don't be put off by this as you can always tune the Trophy's engine at a later date, and I would like to think that the Trophy will offer a much more sophisticated ride and handling experience.

 

[marky-p]

One thing I noticed with that trophy was that the brakes were covered in an orangey-rust coloured stuff which I think was possibly due it being sat outside for a month or more, exposed to the weather. Is this a cause for concern?

 

[oliie]

One thing I noticed with that trophy was that the brakes were covered in an orangey-rust coloured stuff which I think was possibly due it being sat outside for a month or more, exposed to the weather. Is this a cause for concern?

Not at all.

O.

 

[hyb]

Probly just been washed

 

[cardealer]

Hi Mark, remind me not to let you drive one of my cars. Also, when I was Sales Manager at circa 1999 that branch one of my salesmen came off the road (Chipstead area) in a VR6 p/x and was lucky to survive being impaled on ranch fencing. Not a pretty accident, plenty of claret etc. You're welcome to kill yourself, but I would have ended your test drive in a few minutes. Cheers, Steve.

 

[marky-p]

Sorry to hear about that accident. Still, the trophy cannot just be driven just up the road and back, it's known for its handling so I need to see it for myself before I give up £12k. Don't worry, I'm not one of these wideboy chavs who drive dangerously fast just for the hell of it, I too value my life.

 

[cardealer]

I have better and more open roads down here to test the handling Trophys feel better during cornering, and maybe as they are Cup based, the lower Recaros and a little noisier to add to the effect - there's definitely something about them, I'm absolutely sold on them. As mere mortals though I doubt they get us from A-B any quicker than a Cup?
Of course the other problem with test drives is the insurance. As an independent dealer my premium would go from £2500 to £6000 with a proper claim, so best that main dealers are used for test drives at least! Cheers, Steve.

 

[felix]

come on marc we wanna know your thoughts

 

[felix]

 

[marky-p]

What an anti climax!

As I pulled out onto the main road I approached the roundabout and put on the brakes, as I did so the brake pedal was shuddering quite badly. It turned out that one of the nearside brake pads has stuck onto the disc due the fact that the handbrake had been stuck on for several weeks!

You would have thought that they'd test drive and look the car over to ensure a smooth drive so now I've got to wait til Monday.

 

[cardealer]

Hi Mark, give me a call or e-mail over the weekend. Cheers, Steve 07795 560330.