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what's up CL folks (or as the french say, ¡Hola!), last week i was fortunate enough to be part of a family vacation to france, and as an american it was interesting to see the different types of vehicles used by the europeans
with the narrow roads and expensive fuel it's quickly apparent that the small hatchback is supreme:
renault clio
peugeot 308
citroen C1
those are the main ones you'll see, but also very tiny ones like this citroen ami EV quadricycle
even got to see a citroen DS! considered by many to have the best ride quality ever with it's special hydropneumatic suspension
it was also very common to have a mercedes E220d as a taxi
was kinda neat seeing "my car" but a model of it i've never seen before E270 CDI
the toyota CH-R, bimmer X1, mercedes A and B class, citroen 2CV, VW golf, and dacia sandero were also among the more common sightings
paris traffic and road manners are also just crazy even from a new yorker's perspective... it's a mad frenzy of cars, bikes, e-scooters, motorcycles, and buses all seemingly doing their own thing... yet it seems to work as long as you're assertive and act quickly without hesitation
the highlight of the trip for me though was when i went a little off-piste and spent a few hours at Le Mans! took the train from paris (only $38 for a 2.5 hour train ride, come on USA!) and rented a car at Le Mans... i asked for something small, french, and in manual, and to my complete satisfaction got this renault clio!
this car is great! 1.3 turbo I4 with 140hp, doesn't sound like much but considering the car only weighs about 2300 lbs and full boost is at 2000 rpm it really gets going very nicely, and then once air resistance takes effect the lack of power becomes more apparent lol... getting to shift gears myself for a change was also a nice reward
getting to actually drive on roads i've gone through literally hundreds of times in Gran Turismo was completely surreal! the history of this place is just next level
many of the serious corners are barricaded off and traffic is directed to the adjacent roundabout, but you're able to spend a lot of time on the roads where the actual racing takes place
and of course, no trip to france is complete without a pic of the eiffel tower and one at night
awesome trip with lots of delicious wine, pate, and tartare, but being back in the states again with our wide roads and orderly grids feels nice
Stroock639 - congrats on your trip! Paris is my favorite city (of all the ones i've visited). so many different areas, things to do, and heavenly food. and easy to get around.
felt your excitement about driving the Le Mans roads... good for you!
Stroock639 - congrats on your trip! Paris is my favorite city (of all the ones i've visited). so many different areas, things to do, and heavenly food. and easy to get around.
felt your excitement about driving the Le Mans roads... good for you!
Paris is a cool place! like much of europe it's a mix of the very latest trends and thousand year old historical objects within a few feetmeters metres of one another... i could feel myself becoming snootier with each glass of rosé haha
much more cigarette smoking than the average american would be used to, but with all the wine being consumed throughout the day it makes sense... i'm sure it also helps them stay thin
I absolutely love France, and even have a bit of a thing for the Clio! Thanks for the pictures and for taking me back!
i really enjoyed the clio! it's a shame we don't get cars like that over here i constantly found myself leaving way more room than necessary between the car and the right curb, it's noticeably more narrow than the cars i'm used to lmao
I was in the UK recently (RHD) and tried to get a Clio, which they did have, but they gave me an MG HS instead, which was still quite good. Mostly I just enjoyed driving a manual, even if it was with my left hand. I loved seeing all of the small hatchbacks there. They are fantastic. A coworker had a Peugeot 308 that was quite fun.
quite smashing that is! yea the small light hatchback in manual is like a perfect combo, i totally understand why gordon murray goes to such lengths to ensure there's absolutely no excess weight in his cars
the 308 was also something i'd see available for rental, but tbh i was much more hoping for the clio since i was already familiar with it from top gear
Nice photos, I still remember the small vehicles reigning there last time I was in France in 1989 (went to Paris and Normandy). I remember the French cars, namely Peugeot and Renault had some amazing looking vehicles when I was in Mexico, no Citroen or Dacia, but they stood out on the road. Some day would like to go back.
06-01-23, 12:32 PM
Car highlights from recent trip to France
i constantly found myself leaving way more room than necessary between the car and the right curb, it's noticeably more narrow than the cars i'm used to lmao
