Mainly because most were crashed. But if you can find one, buy it. Not that the face-lift is Quasimodo or anything. Both represent astounding value. In terms of what to look for when buying, the obvious one is abuse. So check the front tyres for excessive wear. Make sure the gear-change is still crisp and direct and also make sure the steering feels tight.
Have a look at the power steering pump, as it was prone to springing leaks. The rear beam can rust catastrophically, so get underneath it. This especially includes the stereo. It might sound daft, but so many were bodged. Make sure the wiring is safe. After that, just enjoy it. You could do all this, car included, with a VTR and still have money to spare. Facebook Comments.
Related Articles. Project Improvvisatore navigates a crossroads. Newsletter Sign up and let us tempt you with a world of cheap, but still great cars mere mortals can afford! Buy Our Merch! Sponsored Ads. Despite the small capacities of the basic models between 1l and 1. Very basic 1l engined cars tipped the scales at just over kg, for reference a modern city-hatch will easily add kg to this.
This lightweight structure though, did not fare well when it came to crash tests. Lack of crash structure and minimal safety features meant that the car received just two stars from the NCAP crash test authorities. The engines were also based on primitive, early fuel-injected, SOHC technology.
This meant that despite the light weight, the cars did not prove especially economical when compared to other small hatchbacks of the era and were not as pleasant or as easy to drive as the newer DOHC engines found in rivals.
The interiors were basic too, few amenities were offered and right-hand drive models were never offered with air conditioning thanks to packaging issues. Power steering was also not standard on lower spec models, something that was becoming common-place, even in city cars, by the mid 90's. These downfalls led to the car becoming outdated, even a facelift in did little to help the cars appeal, with the model being dropped in and replaced by the Citroen C1 a year later.
That said, the cars generally sold well thanks to low purchase prices and low-cost servicing, as such there are still a fair few knocking around even two decades later. The VTS though, was no standard Saxo. Citroen actually felt the need for two performance models in its city-car line-up. The VTR received a 1.
The VTR produced between 89bhp and 97bhp depending on year , while the VTS produced nearly bhp from its more advanced engine. This doesn't sound like much in modern times but was easily enough to provide entertainment in a car weighing just kg.
Performance for the VTS was therefore brisk, if not fast, with a mph time of 7. Enough to excite young drivers on twisty British B-roads. The bigger engines were paired with revised styling, slightly sportier interiors and a revised chassis.
The result of these changes was a humble French hatch transformed into a B-road barnstormer. The valve engine loved to chase the redline and the car would pivot through the tightest of bends, with enough give in the suspension to take the bumps while keeping body roll in check and not giving in early to understeer.
On top of all the extra performance, the VTR and VTS models are much more handsome than their lowly siblings and arguably the styling still holds up quite well, even two decades on that's as long as a previous owner hasn't slapped huge fibreglass bumpers or a MaxPower spoiler on the back. Underneath that handsome exterior was a simple car, easy to work on, very reliable in standard guise and service parts were essentially free.
Speaking of free, Citroen decided to do something akin to utter madness. This was a huge statement in the UK, where car insurance for year olds is about as expensive as a house deposit. So, the fact that they could get the year for free on a performance hatchback was too much for any teenager who could afford the Saxo which wasn't all that difficult thanks to their low-price tag. Only God knows how Citroen wasn't bankrupted by insurance claims for teenagers who'd finished their drive in the neighbour's coy pond.
This though, was possibly the one thing that caused the downfall of the Saxo VTR and VTS models more than anything, young teenage males. High on testosterone but low on driving skill and common sense. This means that any Saxo's that were modified beyond recognition were often found stuffed into the local McDonalds roundabout.
As you would expect, this soon resulted in numbers dwindling, particularly as the cars began to depreciate and more members of the teenage community could get their sweaty hands on a fast Saxo.
Due to their initial large sales numbers, cars were often scrapped when age-related repair bills started to arrive, with replacement cars being so cheap. Nowadays though they have become a rare sight as more and more have vanished from the roads. Thankfully modern-day owners are more careful with their cars, thanks to increased pricing and the difficulty in finding a clean, unmodified example.
For reference there are Lamborghini Aventadors currently on the road in the UK, making them less rare than the cheap little French hatchback. Unknown to most is that the little Saxo was also a low-key rally hero, for a short-run.
The difference between the VTR's is very very very minimal. Performance is almost identical. This lack of performance is mainly due to the horrifically long gearbox fitted to all VTR models, coupled to an engine that runs out of puff around the rpm mark makes the car a little uninspiring to drive. The VTS even in standard form is not a bad hot hatch, with a rev-happy engine and a close ratio gearbox. The VTS is 2 seconds quicker to 60, around 10 seconds quicker to and due to gearbox, revs, power is a lot more satisfying to hammer round the lanes.
With a larger budget bilstein shocks, stiffer springs, 4 pot brakes and 2. B'stard Child 23, posts months. Lefty Two Drams 15, posts months. It doesn't accelerate like my bike does but it still feels quick when i drive it and my bike hits mph 2 seconds before my vtr hits 60mph , so please bhp cars don't impress me i got A on my licence no car will catch me on my rocket.
0コメント