French cars!

[2o6]

I want to drive a Xantia Activa, very badly. My username is inspired of a French cars.



Safe to say, France makes my favorite automobiles, even if I can only admire them from afar.



This vid of a Xantia Activa gets me every time



http://youtu.be/09-C33SrJi8

What do you think about french cars?

[MexicoCityM3]

My dad was a Renault fan back in the 80's. We had several: R8, R10, and a couple of very nice R18s. They had a reputation as the most comfortable cars you could get, and the 18 certainly was. Part of my first driving lessons were on one of those 18s. Really elegant cars.

My grandpa on my mother's side drove around in a tiny R5. I traveled with him as a boy in that car to Acapulco a few times. Great memories. Granddad was a bigshot lawyer but drove around in his little R5. It was very funny in a weird way.

[MexicoCityM3]

Also, more recently, my dad had a Clio RS for a couple of years. Fantastic little car, the way that 4 pot engine sounded at high revs was amazing.

[TurboDan]

Jealous of your car selection south of the border!!

[Laconian]

Most French cars, mehhhhh -- I'll take a Honda instead. There are a few shining stars that I really love, though.

The new Renault 1.6 diesel is a super awesome engine. Good power, lots of torque, great economy, and it revs to like 6k. Where's the downside?

[mzziaz]

I've got three cars. All are French  

[Onslaught]

I don't care about them one way or the other. They make nothing I give a poo about.

[Raza]

I actually really like a lot of French cars.  And I have nothing against the French.  But then again, I've never driven a French car or really had any contact with French people, so that might change.

[280Z Turbo]

Old Citroens are pretty cool. The Renault Clio V6 is pretty cool too.

[sportyaccordy]

I think I can count the French cars I like on 2 hands. 2CV, SM, MK1 Clio, MKII Clio RS, Clio V6, 205 GTi, 405 Mi-16, 504. They had a hell of a wave when they started but then people became more concerned with image than innovation and they couldn't transition.

[MrH]

For the most part, I haven't driven a French car that's really blown me away (probably driven about 5 in total). All pretty mediocre offerings, but ultimately not bad cars. I will say, they make some really quirky, interesting stuff, especially with interiors. For that reason, I'm glad they exist but I don't think I'd ever get one and do the really kiss them here in the states.

[cawimmer430]

I like a lot of older French cars. A lot of beautiful and quirky designs which appeals to an artist and individualist like me.

My favorite classic French cars are:

Citroen

Traction Avant
DS
2CV
Dyane
Mehari
M35
GS
Ami
SM
CX
XM


Peugeot
402 Eclipse
404
405
505
504 Coupe and Sedan
604
205 GTI 1.6/1.9


Renault
R4
5
16
21
A110
Floride/Caravelle


Talbot/Matra/Simca

Simca 1100

and of course the Matra Rancho, which is so cool! 






The current cars are very well-made and have made tremendous strides in many areas but I'm only feeling most of the newer Citroens compared to the newer Peugeots and Renaults.

[Laconian]

I don't like the banana-hammock bulgey nose of Peugeots.

[MexicoCityM3]

Jealous of your car selection south of the border!!

We have a few brands that you don't get, but also miss a few that you do get in the US. These are not available here:

- Lexus
- Scion
- Fisker, Telsa, etc.

Also, of the brands we get (especially American) we don't get some models or get less leeway in choosing options and such. For example, all these are not available:

- BRZ/FR-S (at least not yet)
- GTR
- Mustang Boss
- For example, Grand Cherokee with V& & 4x4. If we want 4x4 it's only on the top of the line V8.

Many more examples like that. But we get several cool european brands and models that you don't. And lots of third-world oriented crap as well.

[Laconian]

How about les voitures sans permis?







They sound like weed whackers and look like they are straight outta 2o6's fantasies.

[Soup DeVille]

I had an 84 Renault Fuego turbo for about three months (it was my deceased uncle's car;given to me by my grandfather, and the car later became an object of contention in his estate, so I gave it back).

Really, in comparison of the other vehicles I drove around that time period I have very fond memories of it.

[MexicoCityM3]

I had an 84 Renault Fuego turbo for about three months (it was my deceased uncle's car;given to me by my grandfather, and the car later became an object of contention in his estate, so I gave it back).

Really, in comparison of the other vehicles I drove around that time period I have very fond memories of it.

I dreamt of that car when I was a kid!

[Soup DeVille]

I dreamt of that car when I was a kid!

I was happy to have it too. (Being that my other option at the time was an '84 Olds Cutlass Ciera with a piece of cardboard where the sunroof used to be).

[mzziaz]

Fuego!

There was a cheap good one on eBay, recently. Non turbo though, iirc.

[cawimmer430]

CaMIRO, editor of Automobear.com had a Renault Fuego in the US. He has not posted here in ages...

[Raza]

CaMIRO, editor of Automobear.com had a Renault Fuego in the US. He has not posted here in ages...

Miro actually has (or had) an 18i, which is related to the Fuego, according to Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_18

[cawimmer430]

Miro actually has (or had) an 18i, which is related to the Fuego, according to Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_18

He told me he had a Fuego.

[Soup DeVille]

CaMIRO, editor of Automobear.com had a Renault Fuego in the US. He has not posted here in ages...

Thank god.

[Laconian]

Thank god.

I miss learning about the Perception Gap!

[Soup DeVille]

I miss learning about the Perception Gap!

I miss being talked down to about anything and everything.

Him and Les/Vipersrule.

[Raza]

I do miss Miro.  The guy is a wealth of knowledge. 

Soup, it's not like we don't have plenty of people here who talk down to people all the time. 

[SVT666]

...like Raza

[Soup DeVille]

I do miss Miro.  The guy is a wealth of knowledge. 

Soup, it's not like we don't have plenty of people here who talk down to people all the time. 

he did know quite a lot, but I couldn't stand him. You, i can.

[Soup DeVille]

...like Raza

I can relate to raza. I can even relate to Cougs sometimes.

[mzziaz]

Heh, I found Miro's arrogance amusing - and his love for crazy crap heaps, like Zastavas and old Peugeots.