EVO mail

[Tommo]

Letter in there this month from a guy called Mike Hughes who owns 2 valvers, anyone off here??

[Martin]

Thats swervin mervin on here.

[Swervin_Mervin]

:D

It's too right as well. The gheyers should stop moaning and start stirring the 'box more. I did want to pass comment on the fact the guy that wrote the previous letter reckoned his mates in Golfs and 205s left him for dead. Clearly he couldn't drive at all

Straight line racer I reckon.

[Zollo]

I was tempted to write a reply to that letter. Basically...

It's not necessarily fun using the low-end torque of a Williams to pull you out of a corner, but it is useful to have the option. And, of course, there's always the option of utilising the extra top-end power of the Williams to have even more fun. Best of both worlds!

[Swervin_Mervin]

Yeah I know that. But you drive to a car's characteristics don't you? They don't piss and moan about the Teg's lack of low down pull.

[Zollo]

That's true. I do actually agree that it's an unfair compaint to have about the 197. It doesn't need more low-down torque, it just needs more power everywhere.

[Dan_mk1]

I read that guys letter too and thought straight away he cant drive, lol. When I had my 16v I never had a problem disposing of 205 1.9's and 16v Golf gti's! They are very mileage sensitive tho, maybe he had a 'tight' one?!

[Tommo]

Ahh sorry swervin, didn't realise it was you!

I don't think people (ie EVO) necessarily have a problem with the low down torque with the 197, more (as zollo said) the lack of power everywhere. Lets face it the new Clio is big and heavy and 197 bhp is not adequate to compete with todays hot hatches. Infact some owners claim that the 197 is well down on this bhp figure.

As for the williams vs valver torque thing......I remember last year I had a decat fitted to my williams which seemed to kill low down torque, although top end power improved it frustrated the hell out of me, especially coming out of bends and having to rev the crap out of the engine to get decent performance. Much prefer it with bags of low down torque....well it suits my style of driving anyway...

[VIPERONE]

true tommo, thats why ihave left my cat fitted....no backfire or flames though

[Swervin_Mervin]

Ahh sorry swervin, didn't realise it was you!

I don't think people (ie EVO) necessarily have a problem with the low down torque with the 197, more (as zollo said) the lack of power everywhere. Lets face it the new Clio is big and heavy and 197 bhp is not adequate to compete with todays hot hatches. Infact some owners claim that the 197 is well down on this bhp figure.

As for the williams vs valver torque thing......I remember last year I had a decat fitted to my williams which seemed to kill low down torque, although top end power improved it frustrated the hell out of me, especially coming out of bends and having to rev the crap out of the engine to get decent performance. Much prefer it with bags of low down torque....well it suits my style of driving anyway...

True. But the way they write it sounds like it's more the torque they're missing. Look at it's torque figures and it's well down on it's rivals. It still has decent power (assuming it's making what it should) compared to its rivals and still has good 0-60 times.

As for valver/willy low down torque thang, it's purely a preference in my view on driving style. Remember though that the willy ultimately has more power and that's the key thing more than anything. Better comparison is the valver vs xsara vts as the power to weight ratio is virtually identical.

I wouldn't say the Xsara would be any quicker at all for all it's extra low down torque (ignoring the issues that arise from rtying to corner in a bigger car). It simply allows you to be a bit lazier if you can't be bothered having to stir the cogs as much as the valver.

Again, that's purely down to driving preference. I like that I have no choice but to use the gears more as it means that in order to make quick progress I have to be thinking about absolutely everything. My point to evo was that for a magazine that's all about "The Thrill Of Driving" this should be a good thing.