#178 from Slovenia

[johnny_k_386]

Mk3 RS was relly a great hothatch, maybe even the best supermini hot hatch ever made. But it is a bit too dated for me, and there are no low milleage examples for sale here in Sloveina, although the community is quite large.
I also checked the fiesta ST and the corsa OPC (VXR in the UK). Corsa was too small and doesn't have an auto box, so that was a no go. But the prices for corsas here in Slovenia are really low. I could get a decently specced corsa for about the same price i paid for clio. Fiesta also didn't do it for me, for the same reasons. And as a daily driver goes, clio is better than both of them. Regarding the looks, for me, fiesta is more of a boy racer than the clio. I had them parked together and clio looks a bit better, more grown up. I drove the previous fiesta ST (pictured above) and it is really a go-kart.

Did a thorough clean of the inside yesterday, also did the seats. Leather looks so fresh and crisp today, just like new. I'm having it washed later today. The paint looks really great when the car is washed. Can't wait for tomorrow, me and my buddies are going for a bit of a cruise to this great twisty road - https://www.google.si/maps/@45.5493...00&yaw=64.336761&pitch=0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en
The best part is that there's almost no traffic

 

[Jimmy]

That looks like a great stretch of tarmac :w00t: enjoy the drive out!

 

[johnny_k_386]

The trip was great. The road was so spectacular, i have no words. Tight and twisty road was perfect for clio. No big difference to the megane rs, maybe faster than remapped last gen focus st. The hillclimb was quite long, at the end the boost was not 100% anymore, because intake air got so hot, also the gearbox and the engine itself.

Will post some pictures later.

Just a preview:

 

[johnny_k_386]

Also, did 190 kilometres with 35 litres of fuel.

 

[johnny_k_386]

 

[johnny_k_386]

 

[Jimmy]

Nice photos, glad to hear you had such a good time

 

[johnny_k_386]

This car is such a great experience. Such a nice daily driver but capable of so much more. I went up Jezersko pass yesterday. I had it all to myself. Road is great, especially on Austrian side. Mostly 2nd and 3rd gear, 4th on longer straights.

I'd like to mention the breaks. They're great. No fade at all.

It's going for a first service next week.

The pass:
https://www.google.si/maps/dir/46.4....4169997,14.5339303,3352m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en

 

[johnny_k_386]

I did a regular maintenance service yesterday at my local renault specialist. Oil was changed and they did a regular checkup. Everything is fine. Even though it's not scheduled it had the engine air filter changed and also the cabin air filter, because the car was in a show room for quite a few months before i bought it. Engine air filter was in a pretty bad shape, so instead of just cleaning it with compressed air i had them change it for a new one. The car has done 32.000 kilometres, that's 20.000 miles. This was it's second scheduled maintenance.

Next saturday it's back to the garage, because front windshield washer is not workig. I will also have to change front disk pads in next 10.000 kilometres.

 

[Pav]

glad you had a great time and you are enjoying the 200t..lovely roads there..

 

[LOCKE]

Great car and pics. The only thing I don't like about the new Clios is the large diamond on the grill.

 

[johnny_k_386]

I'm thinking about getting the diamond up front and at the back and some other details wapped in gloss black, the same as the roof. But i'm not really fond of exterrior mods on cars, so i might just ditch this idea.

I have also been on vacations recently. Did 600+ miles in 5 days, all across Slovenia and Italy with 4 alpine passes on the way (passo pordoi, passo tre croce, passo carezza and a few others). This car is a blast on that kind of roads. On the way back from Cortina d'ampezzo i took the road across passo tre croce and all the way to slovenia was done on alpine roads with almost no traffic. Loved every meter i did that day.

 

[johnny_k_386]

This is above Cortina d'Ampezzo. On the east end of The Great Dolomite Road (http://thegreatdolomiteroad.co.uk/).

 

[johnny_k_386]

Another angle

 

[johnny_k_386]

Passo Pordoi

 

[johnny_k_386]

Tucked away for a night in a hotel in Malcesine at Lake Garda. Villages and towns there are unbeliveable, a must see.

 

[johnny_k_386]

I fisted an impreza at a zoo close to Verona.

 

[Johnny 99]

Some nice photos. Great roads, amazing scenery & just the car to enjoy them in.

 

[Jimmy]

It looks like you had a great time, the roads look a lot of fun and the scenery is stunning! Lol at the fisting - I honestly thought it was a typo until I saw the photos

 

[johnny_k_386]

Fisting the exhaust is not my idea. It's carthrottle's official fist test that i was imitating.

Scenery and roads are amazing. If anyone has a chance to visit Slovenia (my country, hell yeah) and northern italy, it's worth for roads alone. So are Switzerland and Austria. If we had a few more days, we'd go up to Stelvio pass and into Switzerland and back to Italy. Well not going there is an excuse to make another roadtrip in the future.

Shmee 150 was in Slovenia on his Fuel Faction Ena tour in september. He was quite pleased.