2009 Best Car Series: Vive la France!

[YSSMAN]

You guys know the rules:

- 2008/2009 model year cars
- Nominate one car of French origin (NO! Bugatti does not count!)
- Feel free to banter a bit on the choices... We've got 3/4 days to play!

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For the 2008 Best French Car title, YSSMAN nominates:

Renaultsport Clio 197

There aren't many cars that I've fallen for so easily without ever seeing, and for that matter, without likely ever seeing in my life. The Renaultsport Clio 197 seems to have it all... A extremely well-tuned chassis, an engine that's happy to stay on boil all afternoon, and the ability to hide as an everyday car anytime else. I love the look, I love the performance, and I'll be damned if it isn't one of the best French cars ever.

 

[homeforsummer]

I nominate...

Renaultsport Clio 197

...this one too. It was either this or the Megane R26, but the Clio is closer to my personal preference of being light and revvy. I've always been a fan of Renaults, liked all of their hot hatches and most of their passenger cars. Can't vote for a Peugeot because their whole current range is awful, and can't vote for a Citroen because I have no real affinity with the marque even though they have some great cars.

Actually, I lie. Can I scratch my Clio nomination seeing as it's already down on the table, and nominate this?

Citroen C6

A beautiful, elegant, comfortable, innovative, luxurious car with a great range of engines and no pretence.

 

[JCE]

Peugeot 308 RC- Z:

Sexy.

 

[McLaren]

Peugeot 308 RC- Z:

Sexy.

That's not a production car, is it?

 

[JCE]

Ah damn it...not yet. "Date of release Late 2009"

Give me a minute to come up with a secondary incase that doesn't count...

 

[Joey D]

Tree'd

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I will nominate this, the Peugeot 207 RC, as far as I can tell it's just the French version of the MINI Cooper S.

 

[JCE]

Ok, if the RC-Z doesn't count I vote for this:

C4 Picasso:

 

[Philly]

I've got to nominate this:

It's definitely one of the only French cars I would really wish to see on our shores.

 

[TheCracker]

Megane R26

Renault's best hot hatch at the moment.

 

[nd 4 holden spd]

Megane R26

Renault's best hot hatch at the moment.

I can't think of many current French cars I like, but out of all the current ones I probably like this one the most, so I second that.

 

[slidesquad#1]

Why the no Bugatti rule? What would that fall under? It's a French marque, and the Veyron (which I'm quite keen to nominate) is hand-built in France. What other criteria is there that needs to be met? Not sure I understand the reasoning here.

 

[TheCracker]

Why the no Bugatti rule? What would that fall under? It's a French marque, and the Veyron (which I'm quite keen to nominate) is hand-built in France. What other criteria is there that needs to be met? Not sure I understand the reasoning here.

Save your nomination for the Best German round.

 

[Bones Brigade]

second the clio

 

[slidesquad#1]

Save your nomination for the Best German round.

Except, according to Wikipedia

The car reached full production in September 2005, and is handcrafted in a factory Volkswagen built near the former Bugatti headquarters in Château St Jean in Molsheim (Alsace, France).

I had no reason to doubt this. Where is the Veyron built anyways?

And

Potential buyers based in and around the London area can expect VIP treatment. One buyer (Farboud family scion Arash Farboud) wrote in a column for Lusso Magazine: "Dominic Lancaster, the head of Jack Barclay Bugatti in London, arranged for a private jet to take my wife and I over to the factory at Molsheim, in the top right hand corner of France."

 

[TheCracker]

Nobody doubts that they are actually made in France, they make Civics in the UK but you wouldn't nominate a Civic in the Best British car round would you?

 

[homeforsummer]

Peugeot 207 RC, as far as I can tell it's just the French version of the MINI Cooper S.

Save for the fact it's rubbish, ugly and not a patch on the 205, 106 and 306 GTis from the past two decades. This makes it one of the most disappointing French cars ever in my opinion. The Clio 197 is better in virtually every way. As is the MINI itself.

 

[slidesquad#1]

Nobody doubts that they are actually made in France, they make Civics in the UK but you wouldn't nominate a Civic in the Best British car round would you?

Bugatti's haven't been built in France for 50 years

I guess I'm just not following. I realise Bugatti are owned by a German company, but they are still a French company, are they not?
The Civic is still a Honda, regardless of where it was made. If it was a VW Veyron, but built in France, it would still be German to me.

And, thinking about it, what makes it Germanic? The only car made under VW ownership is the Veyron, in France. The EB110 was built under the ownership of Romano Artioli, who was Italian.

Seriously, how are modern Bugatti's as German as Lederhosen? I don't see it. Unless the EB 110 was built in Germany? Which it might well be, I couldn't find anything about that.

 

[Joey D]

Once again this is why we need a stricter set of rules in picking a vehicle.

 

[homeforsummer]

What we need is an impartial overlord to draw up a big list with eligible vehicles by country, that nobody can argue with, and if they do argue, nobody will listen...

 

[slidesquad#1]

Haha seriously, how did this work so well in previous years?

 

[Jay]

Haha seriously, how did this work so well in previous years?

I don't remember it working all that well before either, IIRC we had the same type of debates about eligibility.

What we need is an impartial overlord to draw up a big list with eligible vehicles by country, that nobody can argue with, and if they do argue,...........*zip*...

Someone with a really heavy Baanhammer maybe

 

[TheCracker]

I guess I'm just not following. I realise Bugatti are owned by a German company, but they are still a French company, are they not?
The Civic is still a Honda, regardless of where it was made. If it was a VW Veyron, but built in France, it would still be German to me.

And, thinking about it, what makes it Germanic? The only car made under VW ownership is the Veyron, in France. The EB110 was built under the ownership of Romano Artioli, who was Italian.

Seriously, how are modern Bugatti's as German as Lederhosen? I don't see it. Unless the EB 110 was built in Germany? Which it might well be, I couldn't find anything about that.

Bugatti, as in the original Bugatti, hasn't operated as a car manufacturer for 50 years. The Bugatti who made the EB110 and the Bugatti who make the Veyron are completely different companies related only by the fact that they own the rights to use the name Bugatti on a car.

Had Bugatti continued as a car company up until the time where VAG bought the rights to it and taken on Bugatti's assets, including the factory in Molsheim (like they did with Lamborghini) they could be called a French outfit. But this isn't the case, Bugatti as a company was long dead by then.

 

[slidesquad#1]

Bugatti, as in the original Bugatti, hasn't operated as a car manufacturer for 50 years. The Bugatti who made the EB110 and the Bugatti who make the Veyron are completely different companies related only by the fact that they own the rights to use the name Bugatti on a car.

Had Bugatti continued as a car company up until the time where VAG bought the rights to it and taken on Bugatti's assets, including the factory in Molsheim (like they did with Lamborghini) they could be called a French outfit. But this isn't the case, Bugatti as a company was long dead by then.

That's actually well put, but seeing how VAG chose to build the car in France, wouldn't that make Bugatti VAG's French subsidiary? And still French?

I see your point, but think it would be more valid if the Bugatti's were actually made in Germany. Doesn't matter. My head hurts from thinking. I'm going to bed.

 

[Tornado]

German pieces, German funding, German development; I'd say.

 

[forza2.0]

The only good french cars are from renault and both of them have already been nominated.

Megane sport or clio sport....who shall I vote for?

 

[YSSMAN]

Why the no Bugatti rule? What would that fall under? It's a French marque, and the Veyron (which I'm quite keen to nominate) is hand-built in France. What other criteria is there that needs to be met? Not sure I understand the reasoning here.

After the ruckus that was put up two years ago, I was under the impression that the majority of us came to the conclusion that it would be a bit more proper to make Bugatti a German brand now as opposed to long ago, when it was French. If I'm to understand the entire history of the marque, however, it has always bounced back and forth between the two countries of origin, and even at one point, you could certainly make the arguement that Bugatti was Italian.

We'll keep it German. Don't worry, I'm sure it'll make it to the big show anyway.

 

[Tornado]

It is mainly just YSSMANs subversive plot to make the Bugatti steal votes from the 911 so the Corvette wins the big pot at the end.

@ Brad: I'm on to you man.

 

[YSSMAN]

Damn! Caught me!

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I don't want to make bets early on for who would take Germany, but I think you picked the top-two right there. Problem is, they have to face off with cars from other countries first.

 

[Jondot]

All of my nominations have been nominated - Clio, Megane, C6 and C5. I could suggest the C4, but in the light of the C6 and C5 being nominated it won't get very far. Nonetheless, it's worth a try I suppose.

Why? Go on then, which is prettier?

or

HMMmmm...


I was going to suggest the Citroen C1/Pug 107 for it's clever budget..ness, but it's also a Toyota so I guess that makes it exempt.

 

[homeforsummer]

The only good french cars are from renault and both of them have already been nominated.

Megane sport or clio sport....who shall I vote for?

That's being a little harsh on French cars, there are plenty of good'uns, but true enough Renault make the only good French hot hatches at the moment. As for which one you'd like to vote for, it doesn't really matter because it's only nominations at the mo. You could pick the Citroen Berlingo just to make up the numbers if you wanted

All of my nominations have been nominated - Clio, Megane, C6 and C5. I could suggest the C4, but in the light of the C6 and C5 being nominated it won't get very far. Nonetheless, it's worth a try I suppose.

Why? Go on then, which is prettier?

The C4, by a long way, whether 3 door or 5 door.

I was going to suggest the Citroen C1/Pug 107 for it's clever budget..ness, but it's also a Toyota so I guess that makes it exempt.

I was tempted to pick the C1/107 because I do really like them, but realistically they wouldn't stand a chance against the Renault hot hatches in the final running.

I'm impressed though, it seems we have very similar taste in cars (Clio, Megane, C6, C1). You seemed to like the Mazda 2 in the Japanese thread too.