latza Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 hi. im looking to move up to a 350z from a clio 182 in the next few weeks. the 350z is obviously a better made / more refined / more powerfull car etc but i do a few trackdays in the clio and its a very capable car for what it is. when i do buy a 350 will i be disapointed with its performance? its obvious more powerfull but id imagine it will be alot heavier giving it a similar power to weight ratio to the clio. anybody moved from a hot hatch to a Z and what was your oppinions. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK350Z Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 A well driven 182 will show the Zed a clean pair of heels on a twisting track. The zed will pull a bit back on straights above 60mph. It's the weight you see! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neilp Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 A well driven 182 will show the Zed a clean pair of heels on a twisting track. The zed will pull a bit back on straights above 60mph. It's the weight you see! depends who's driving it to be honest. Theres a vid on youtube with me hassling one through the bends but coming out the corners he pulled away quicker and it took me a good few metres to get the zed moving again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrobinson2 Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Hi mate. Never had the experience of a 182, but had 3 mk1 Clio 16v's. There isn't a day goes by that I don't miss my Clio. I loved that car. But the zed does put a massive smile on my face. They do drive completely differently though, nimble quick Clio is way more chuckable but heavy powerful zed gives u more satisfaction when you get it right on good roads. See if u can get a decent test drive in one and take it on some decent roads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
latza Posted February 15, 2012 Author Share Posted February 15, 2012 so the zeds slower through the corners but will catch up on the streights. i dont mind about lap times just wouldnt want to lose out on the fun factor. obviously the Z has rwd which can be fun in its self to be honest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neilp Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 sorry, bare in mind that this is a 172 which is mapped and fully stripped, caged and track prepped. When i asked around they said it was 200hp it was running. My car was very very heavy at this point and running 305.5 (and my 3rd track day (amateur )) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dblock Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I drive a 350 and a 172 on a daily basis. The clio is more exciting sometimes as you can drive it more on the edge than you car or dare in the 350. But the 350 is more rewarding to drive its like a pat on the back when you get there. The zed does feel lardy compared to the clio but it does have the torque so unlike the clio you dont have to keep changing gears and revving it (sometimes good) you can stay in 3rd or 4th and just ride the torque wave. IF you are wanting something faster than your clio I wouldnt get the 350 as its not hugely faster in real world unless your an amazing driver but the seating postion is better, it sounds awesome and its pretty cool. The 1*2's are still IMO silly quick for a hatch with awesome handling so if you increased the power of the clio by 20-30bhp (not that easy on a F4R) you would have cars that are about as fast as each other. Dont want to put you off and Im not bad mouthing the 350 before anyone starts but giving an honest unbiased opinion. One thing is you dont have to replace the gearbox mounts every 2 seconds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dblock Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Neil I thought you are faster than 911s? That gt3 whupped you Just joking. Have you considered a 225 meg they are similar to the 350 in running costs or is it something about rwd or the 350 you like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
latza Posted February 16, 2012 Author Share Posted February 16, 2012 to get a clio to 200bhp take itb/s or very wild cams which is between £2-4K theres alot of claimed 200bhp clio's but very few proven ones so id take that with a pinch of salt unless it ha a lot of engine work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 the 182 will be cheaper to run as a track toy in regards to discs, tyres and pads etc. both fairly evenly matched going by senna's video above; have to take into account though that neils car is not stock and he's spent a lot of cash getting it to the standard it is currently at. i would reckon in stock v stock form the clio possibly has the edge. both great cars to drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dblock Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 the 182 will be cheaper to run as a track toy in regards to discs, tyres and pads etc. both fairly evenly matched going by senna's video above; have to take into account though that neils car is not stock and he's spent a lot of cash getting it to the standard it is currently at. i would reckon in stock v stock form the clio possibly has the edge. both great cars to drive. OP already owns a 182 so Im sure they know that much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 the 182 will be cheaper to run as a track toy in regards to discs, tyres and pads etc. both fairly evenly matched going by senna's video above; have to take into account though that neils car is not stock and he's spent a lot of cash getting it to the standard it is currently at. i would reckon in stock v stock form the clio possibly has the edge. both great cars to drive. OP already owns a 182 so Im sure they know that much I'm trying to post unbiased, basically the zed will be more expensive on parts especially if you do a lot of track work, and in stock form about the same performance although it drives very differently. but the zed is a car worth trying and owning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dblock Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 the 182 will be cheaper to run as a track toy in regards to discs, tyres and pads etc. both fairly evenly matched going by senna's video above; have to take into account though that neils car is not stock and he's spent a lot of cash getting it to the standard it is currently at. i would reckon in stock v stock form the clio possibly has the edge. both great cars to drive. OP already owns a 182 so Im sure they know that much I'm trying to post unbiased, basically the zed will be more expensive on parts especially if you do a lot of track work, and in stock form about the same performance although it drives very differently. but the zed is a car worth trying and owning. Yes very true, a big factor is that clio's are very well catered for. On CS there is alot of traders and experts. One guy has close to 50k posts really nice guy though. People are always breaking clios too which drives the cost of spares down to. Just in case anyone is thinking of a 1*2 in the future Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neilp Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Neil I thought you are faster than 911s? That gt3 whupped you Just joking. Have you considered a 225 meg they are similar to the 350 in running costs or is it something about rwd or the 350 you like? lol that gt3 was a monster and the driver was crazy. I'm much faster on track now lol. The old 996 isnt a patch on the new 997 model at all. It was my bro's 996 c4s (4wd and heavy) that I matched even with in a straight line, On corners the Porsche engineering will come into its own tbh. He's now got a new m5 now, dont fancy my chances even with 100 of bottle running You really feel the weight of the zed and i reckon in my cooper s jcw bbr I would spank my standard 350 round a track.. The clio is probably one of the best handling hot hatches around. Would love a 182 for a toy and have considered it many times (and i still am). Lose the weight out the zed and drop 10k into it and its a very capable car, in standard form its not so much fun to be honest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bakes100 Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 The 205 Gti out front is doing alright ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trackpig Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Research the nurburgring lap times for both the clio and the Z. That should give an idea how how quick both cars are over a mix of corners/ straights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyser Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 If I get anywhere near the "real world" I may be able to comment knowledgably on this thread - until then all I can say is I have great fun on track in my 350 (but it does have a few mods) The hot hatches are quick but I still enjoy throwing the Zed around Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 A 182 will be quicker on track and on the roads. A 350Z will be more satisfying to learn to drive quickly, and is a far more refined drive. Depends on what you want really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveparkin Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Hello mate, I came from a 182 FF to the Zed, and much as I love the Zed and find it very rewarding, there are still times I pine after the 182 again. The Clio has really exceptional handling for a relatively inexpensive hatch, and the engine is great if you keep it on the boil. The Zed is definitely quicker in a straight line, and in-gear acceleration is much stronger due to the greater torque, but on a wet twisty track, I'd choose the Clio for point-to-point progress. Having said all of that, if you take care to learn the Zed's rear drive characteristics, its a very rewarding experience, and is quite forgiving and adjustable without being silly. The Zed is much more of a GT than an out-and-out sports car in my opinion, but is still great fun. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Good point about the 182 engine, it's still the best engine I've ever had the privilege of ragging to the redline. It's a right little screamer over 5K RPM, love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vern Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Sorry guys but I think some of you are wrong.......... I had a Clio 182 (with cup suspension) for three years and also a 350z (313bhp version) and although the Clio was great fun and felt really quick, it wasn't as quick as the Zed. Ignoring the 'on a wet track' comments, which effectively would level the playing field for numerous cars in comparision to the Zed, to properly assess the performance, pick a small/medium size track like the Bedford Autodrome (1.8 miles) (EVO figures) 370: 1:28.7 350: 1:30.0 182: 1:34.0 The Clio 182 timed above is actually the Trophy version with the trick suspension/shock absorbers and there is still a bit of daylight between that and the 350z! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Different drivers, different days, 370Z figure is on a completely different track layout too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmarky Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Have not read all the posts but i had a MK2 172 before my 350 and i will say the 2 cars are completely different. It depends on your driving style which you would truely prefer. For day to day driving i really prefer the zed, the sound and feel of the bigger car makes it seem as you are going faster than you really are. There is never a need to rev the bollocks of it to get the fun out of it. On the twisties tho you cant beat the clio, they handle like go karts and are very responsive, the 350 is no sloutch tho you just cant chuck it into a corner like the clio and expect it to come out the other side. I have never regretted the switch, imo the 350z is a much superior car and im sure you wont be dissapointed, just go easy if its your first rear wheel car until you are more comfortable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 182 makes 50mph feel like 100mph. Zed makes 100mph feel like 50mph. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmarky Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 182 makes 50mph feel like 100mph. Zed makes 100mph feel like 50mph. As always your observation is spot on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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