Post a pic of your real car

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sparxxx
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This clattery old brick still runs.

van.webp
 
The wagon's back in the garage, getting it ready for its first of many road trips around the US in a few weeks. I'm starting off taking a tour of North and South Dakotas, with a nice chunk of Nebraska in there, and a touch of Montana and Wyoming; these latter three states will have to be revisited more fully later. I'm super nervous because I built it all myself, but at the same time, this trip will cover somewhere around 2,500 miles in a week and a half, which is a distance I've already covered around town on the new engine and it still seems good.

Doing an oil change, of course. Going to get the tires balanced and get a full-size spare. Seeing if I can get the A/C working. There will be some dirt roads, so I took the front lip off the bumper (and mounted my front plate, which I don't use locally, to give police less reason to pull over my already loud car). Also stocking the car with some basic gear for car camping - I even made custom window privacy covers that I'm still giving some final trimming to. Plus other minor work...

55505770574_ea0de84688_c.jpg
 
PlageBLN
I'm into French hot hatches since forever. This is my current toy.

5TrOYly.jpg


It's a Clio RS (3rd Generation, Phase 2) from 2012. In the English speaking world it's also called a "Clio 200" because it has 200hp (on paper). Mine is a limited version called "Sport Auto Edition". 99 cars were made for a German car magazine called "Sport Auto". This edition only comes in matt grey and with basically all options. It also has the so called "Cup chassis" which has a slightly lower and stiffer suspension and a slightly quicker steering rack compared to the standard RS versions. For it's age it has a relatively low mileage and is in quite good condition.

It has some upgrades like:

  • KW V3 Clubsport coilovers
  • Akrapovic Evolution exhaust system
  • Wiechers strut brace (front)
  • Wiechers "Club Sport" rolebar (rear bench removed and re-registered as two seater)
  • Ferodo DS 1.11 pads (front)
  • Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 (not really happy with these)

It comes with proper Brembo 4-piston brake calipers in the front and has an actually functional diffusor that produces 40kg extra downforce at 160 km/h IIRC.

The wheels (rims) are Speedline Interlagos in 8x18" with 215/40 R18 tyres. They're actually OEM and were first introduced with the Megane R26.R but later also got used for a couple of Clio special editions. They're quite heavy and there are better alternatives but I keep them because I like the look.

It also has Recaro Sportster CS in a nice leather finish with RS imprinting. I also have Sparco "screw-in" 4-point harnesses for them.

I'm mostly using it for out of city tours and on our local track from time to time. I also visit Renault Sport & Alpine meetings and such with it. The car got signed with two autographs by Jean Ragnotti himself during an event in France a couple years ago.

Some data:

Engine: 4-cylinder 1998ccm F4R engine (naturally aspirated)
Power/Torque: 201hp / 215Nm (158.5 ft-lb)
RPM: 7500 rpm (with hard limiter and acoustic shifting indicator)
Gearbox: 6 gears
Topspeed: 225 km/h (140 mph)
0-100 km/h: 6,9 sec. (~0-60 mph)
Weight: ~1280kg (~2820 lbs)

Since it's naturally aspirated you have to keep it over 4.500 rpm to keep it moving. It's by far not the fastest in a straight line but the corner speeds you can achieve are impressive. It's home are twisty country or mountains roads and tracks with not too many topspeed parts.

These Clios are great out of the box already and have a quite good price-performance ratio. That's why you saw and still see them around the Ring for example. Some people with experience actually call it "the pocket GT3 RS".
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Bud, this looks like a fun car. You ever auto x it?
 
I tried out an AI image generator for the first time. Just a free one, and it cut me off after a single attempt at fine tuning the request before wanting me to pay up to keep going. But I'm already loving this look more than I thought I would. I've been thinking about giving my wagon the livery from the '87 Group A Mugen Motul Civic, and...

AI-1_Mugen-Motul-livery.webp
 
PlageBLN
I don't know what you mean with "auto x"? Autocross? If so, no. That car isn't ment to be driven on anything else than tarmac.
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I think you're confusing it for something else. Autocross is typically done in a big parking lot, through a course marked by cones.
 
I'm not aware that we've anything like that around. I know some people that do semi-professional slalom racing on actual racetracks and visited some of their more local events. It's tempting but there are a couple things that stopped me from considering this any further.

Like said I'm basically only using it for backroad tours or on our local track. The latter is a better cart track but it's open most of the time and I can do 15 minute stints for a couple Euros the whole day if I like.

IPQt5P9.jpg
 
Though the good ol' boy caught the beginning of the Knock, and I haven't mentally prepped myself for all that mess yet besides scoring pretty much entire set of internals for almost less than a "pro" paystation controller, so wins were already had in this temporary loss.

Stood-Sunset1.webp
Stude-B.webp
 
Skv012a
Though the good ol' boy caught the beginning of the Knock, and I haven't mentally prepped myself for all that mess yet besides scoring pretty much entire set of internals for almost less than a "pro" paystation controller, so wins were already had in this temporary loss.

View attachment 1564194View attachment 1564195
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Please tell me you live in that neighborhood. That is such a cool setting for that car. Love it!
 
CyborgGT
Please tell me you live in that neighborhood. That is such a cool setting for that car. Love it!
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I currently do, and it is ANYTHING but all things considered. This thing needs less hoa and less fluffed up property taxes!
 
Ugh. Karen and Uncle Sam. My two least favorite people, and they're immortal.
 
CyborgGT
Ugh. Karen and Uncle Sam. My two least favorite people, and they're immortal.
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If Karen is HoA and Sam exuberant prop taxes, then yes......and I hate both with a burning tire!
 
Keeping the Dark Horse theme going, here’s my 2025 Dark Horse, also in Blue Ember Metallic.

  • 6 Speed Manual Tremec Transmission
  • Handling Package
  • Running Michelin Pilot Sport 4S 30530R19’s in the front and 31530R19’s in the back.
  • Carbon Gurney on the wing.
  • Carbon Terminator Hood.
  • 500 hp Stock.
Short wishlist of upgrades include:
  • Steeda Stop the Hop kit.
  • X-Pipe resonator delete
  • Ceramic Window Tint
  • Oil Catch Can
  • Various carbon parts
  • Ford Performance Whipple 500 HP -> 810 HP
  • High flow Cats
  • Carbon Cold Air Intake and Steeda Filters.
  • May or may not Install a a 4-point Front G-Trac brace since the strut brace will have to be removed to make room for the whipple.
IMG_8819.webpIMG_9578.webpIMG_8822.webp
 
Last edited:
Pako
Keeping the Dark Horse theme going, here’s my 2025 Dark Horse, also in Blue Ember Metallic.

  • 6 Speed Manual Tremec Transmission
  • Handling Package
  • Running Michelin Pilot Sport 4S 30530R19’s in the front and 31530R19’s in the back.
  • Carbon Gurney on the wing.
  • Carbon Terminator Hood.
  • 500 hp Stock.
Short list of upgrades include:
  • Steeda Stop the Hop kit.
  • X-Pipe resonator delete
  • Ceramic Window Tint
  • Oil Catch Can
  • Various carbon parts
  • Ford Performance Whipple 500 HP -> 810 HP
  • High flow Cats
  • Carbon Cold Air Intake and Steeda Filters.
  • May or may not Install a a 4-point Front G-Trac brace since the strut brace will have to be removed to make room for the whipple.
View attachment 1565701View attachment 1565702View attachment 1565703
Click to expand...
That list makes mine seem kinda tame. One day maybe :)
 
Pako
Keeping the Dark Horse theme going, here’s my 2025 Dark Horse, also in Blue Ember Metallic.

  • 6 Speed Manual Tremec Transmission
  • Handling Package
  • Running Michelin Pilot Sport 4S 30530R19’s in the front and 31530R19’s in the back.
  • Carbon Gurney on the wing.
  • Carbon Terminator Hood.
  • 500 hp Stock.
Short list of upgrades include:
  • Steeda Stop the Hop kit.
  • X-Pipe resonator delete
  • Ceramic Window Tint
  • Oil Catch Can
  • Various carbon parts
  • Ford Performance Whipple 500 HP -> 810 HP
  • High flow Cats
  • Carbon Cold Air Intake and Steeda Filters.
  • May or may not Install a a 4-point Front G-Trac brace since the strut brace will have to be removed to make room for the whipple.
Click to expand...
Independence Day Usa GIF
 
PlageBLN
I don't know what you mean with "auto x"? Autocross? If so, no. That car isn't ment to be driven on anything else than tarmac.
Click to expand...
Yes, I meant Autocross. We sometimes abbreviate the name in the US.

Commonly in the US near where I live, auto cross events are held on paved courses such as tarmac, asphalt, and concrete, with cones setup in various configurations.
 
4 years ago @homeforsummer and I took our track-inappropriate cars to the Nurburgring. Neither of us own those anymore, but when hfs proposed going again with our current daily drivers I didn't need persuading. homeforsummer has already detailed his experience; this is how the less sensible track car fared.

The plan was to head out on the Monday, drive the Nordschleife on Tuesday and for me to come home Wednesday whilst hfs stayed on the continent for a few more days. Unfortunately neither of us thought to check what time the track was open; unlike in 2022 when we had all day, this time it was just an evening session. On the plus side, the GP circuit was open too.

With only a few hours to play with, the Nordschleife was really busy. We both got a lap in fairly early, which proved to be the only one we had time for.

racetracker_53518594_759524.webp


racetracker_53523639_759525.webp


racetracker_53528187_759526.webp


Yes, the right door mirror cover has been smashed off by a Volvo driver in queuing traffic near home.
No they did not stop.
Yes it does bother me that I've not been able to find a replacement.​

The Jazz held up... surprisingly well, actually, considering it's on all season tyres, and definitely better (and a little quicker) than the Suzuki did. Obviously it was still relatively slow for the circumstances though so checking mirrors every few corners and getting out of the way took precedent over racing lines and laptimes, but based on the dash clock it still did bridge to gantry in around 11 minutes.

After a pause to cool down we headed to the GP circuit. hfs left his car and bravely - some might say foolishly - jumped in to co-drive.

The Grand Prix circuit was as big a draw for me as the Nordschleife because I'd never driven it before, it being closed on previous visits. €35 for 15 minutes on an FIA Grade 1 circuit seems a bargain to me. After a long wait we got in the last session of the day.

IMG_20260922_190409.webp

I fully expected it to be like the Nordschleife i.e. without a moment's peace, but within a lap and a half everyone who was going to come past had done so, which gave us just over 2 uninterrupted laps before all the quick stuff caught us up again. Fun was had. At the end of our first lap I may or may not have accidentally nearly entered the pit lane until hfs pointed it out and I avoided a Kimi Raikkonen impression.

racetracker_53527707_759527.webp


racetracker_53521791_759529.webp


racetracker_53520962_759528.webp


Going by the clock on the start line gantry, our 2-up fastest lap was 3 minutes 9 seconds.​

Going home the following day, the Jazz sat at 75-80mph all through Germany, across Belgium and into France, doing 290 miles including a fuel stop in 4hrs50mins - enough to get an earlier train home... and apply a subtle sticker.

IMG_20261003_194915.webp
 
Last edited:
Roo
4 years ago @homeforsummer and I took our track-inappropriate cars to the Nurburgring. Neither of us own those anymore, but when hfs proposed going again with our current daily drivers I didn't need persuading. homeforsummer has already detailed his experience; this is how the less sensible track car fared.

The plan was to head out on the Monday, drive the Nordschleife on Tuesday and for me to come home Wednesday whilst hfs stayed on the continent for a few more days. Unfortunately neither of us thought to check what time the track was open; unlike in 2022 when we had all day, this time it was just an evening session. On the plus side, the GP circuit was open too.

With only a few hours to play with, the Nordschleife was really busy. We both got a lap in fairly early, which proved to be the only one we had time for.

View attachment 1569008

View attachment 1569009

View attachment 1569010

Yes, the right door mirror cover has been smashed off by a Volvo driver in queuing traffic near home.
No they did not stop.
Yes it does bother me that I've not been able to find a replacement.​

The Jazz held up... surprisingly well, actually, considering it's on all season tyres, and definitely better (and a little quicker) than the Suzuki did. Obviously it was still relatively slow for the circumstances though so checking mirrors every few corners and getting out of the way took precedent over racing lines and laptimes, but based on the dash clock it still did bridge to gantry in around 11 minutes.

After a pause to cool down we headed to the GP circuit. hfs left his car and bravely - some might say foolishly - jumped in to co-drive.

The Grand Prix circuit was as big a draw for me as the Nordschleife because I'd never driven it before, it being closed on previous visits. €35 for 15 minutes on an FIA Grade 1 circuit seems a bargain to me. After a long wait we got in the last session of the day.


I fully expected it to be like the Nordschleife i.e. without a moment's peace, but within a lap and a half everyone who was going to come past had done so, which gave us just over 2 uninterrupted laps before all the quick stuff caught us up again. Fun was had. At the end of our first lap I may or may not have accidentally nearly entered the pit lane until hfs pointed it out and I avoided a Kimi Raikkonen impression.

View attachment 1569018

View attachment 1569019

View attachment 1569020

Going by the clock on the start line gantry, our 2-up fastest lap was 3 minutes 9 seconds.​

Going home the following day, the Jazz sat at 75-80mph all through Germany, across Belgium and into France, doing 290 miles including a fuel stop in 4hrs50mins - enough to get an earlier train home... and apply a subtle sticker.

Click to expand...
I owned a first generation Fit (the Jazz in other markets) and my first choice of color was like yours, but since the first batch was sold out and the waiting list extended for weeks, I had to settle for a silver one, and I'm not sorry I did. I remember how stiff the chassis was, so I'm not surprised you tackled the Nordschleife/GP layouts so well.

On a side note, the Fit's structure was so sturdy that it saved the life of a dear friend who was in a terrible crash and rollover aboard hers.
 
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