| Tell you what, being young was | | | | being a seven year old and long for |
| brilliant. Yes, I know I'm only 24 now, | | | | something socially acceptable to feel |
| but I'm talking about when I was six or | | | | like this all the time. Seventeen years |
| seven and could play with my toy cars, | | | | later and it appears the local Renault |
| build vehicles that defied the laws of | | | | dealer is on hand to make this story |
| physics out of Lego and race my dad on | | | | come full circle. |
| Scalextric. Sitting in the cinema | | | | Due to the success of Renault in Formula |
| recently I watched Speed Racer (I | | | | One in recent years and that their |
| believe I make up exactly 100% of the | | | | production cars are selling like hot |
| world's population that has viewed said | | | | cakes thanks to creative styling, |
| film) and I really rather enjoyed it. | | | | competitive pricing and good reliability |
| Set in the future, the crux of the film | | | | some bright spark in marketing thought |
| revolved around a lad handily called | | | | up a way of combining the lovable Clio |
| Speed Racer who raced around a full size | | | | with Fernando Alonso and co as they tear |
| Scalextric track in a futuristic car. | | | | up the track around the globe. Welcome |
| Many gravity defining minutes later, | | | | to the RenaultSport Clio 197 F1 R27 - |
| with bright neon lights whizzing past my | | | | catchily named it's not. Aimed squarely |
| eyes I was hooked - the drive home never | | | | at men wanting to regress to childhood |
| seemed so slow and boring. | | | | and competing against the likes of the |
| This got me thinking, is it socially | | | | Honda Civic Type R, Mini Cooper S and |
| acceptable for a 24 year-old man to push | | | | Golf GTi, the hot Clio has a lot to |
| toy cars around the floor? Or how about | | | | contend with to be successful. |
| digging out some Lego again? After much | | | | I like to remain impartial when |
| deliberation I decided against this as I | | | | reviewing a car, but put simply the R27 |
| hope to hold on to my latest girlfriend | | | | looks so jaw-droppingly awesome that |
| and crying to her over swallowing a Lego | | | | even if the rest of the car was rubbish |
| brick isn't attractive. Finally then I | | | | it wouldn't matter. Finished in the |
| opened the dust covered box to my | | | | brightest yellow, fitted with a |
| Scalextric and I'm not ashamed to say I | | | | wide-arch body kit, more air vents than |
| spent all weekend assembling, tweaking | | | | a skyscraper, Recaro racing seats, |
| and then racing around and around until | | | | unique graphite alloy wheels and the |
| my trigger finger went numb. The | | | | most gorgeous F1 inspired rear diffuser, |
| collection of cars I'd amassed surprised | | | | the R27 instantly sent me back to 1991. |
| me too, I have everything from NASCAR, | | | | The fun however doesn't stop on the |
| Formula One, super cars, British Touring | | | | outside as the R27 sits on Renault's |
| Cars and Le Mans racers. Despite this | | | | latest racing chassis which is 27 |
| clearly showing I was spoilt rotten when | | | | percent stiffer at the front and 30 |
| I was a lad, it also drove home the | | | | percent at the back than previous sport |
| point that the only car I can remember | | | | versions and makes the car feel like |
| was not the shiny Ferrari or limited to | | | | it's on rails, turning every road into a |
| 100 edition of the Jordan Formula One | | | | giant Scalextric track. |
| car, but the 1991 Renault powered | | | | The driving experience gets better when |
| Benetton Formula One car with the front | | | | you consider why it's got 197 in its |
| wing missing due to a high speed | | | | name - that'll be the amount of horses |
| collision with my dad. | | | | crammed under the bonnet. A six speed |
| I think it's the circumstances | | | | gearbox helps get the power to the road |
| surrounding me acquiring the car that | | | | as quickly as possible although you'll |
| made it my favourite. Having been | | | | want to drive as slowly as you can, not |
| dragged from car dealership to car | | | | only to show off your racing decals but |
| dealership with my parents I finally | | | | to conserve petrol as it's probably |
| found a nice seat to be bored on at a | | | | rocketed another ten pence a litre as I |
| Renault dealer. In front of me stood a | | | | write this. |
| glass cabinet towering upwards and | | | | Only 500 will be made available in the |
| halfway up I could see this brilliant | | | | UK through your Renault dealer, with |
| toy. The Renault dealer knew the score | | | | equally limited availability worldwide |
| and struck up a deal that involved me | | | | meaning a £1,500 ($3,000) topping |
| getting the car and my dad parting with | | | | up of the price. Put simply this car |
| lots of pictures of the Queen for a | | | | made me feel seven again and that - to |
| turbo-charged Renault 25. Even now when | | | | quote a well known television commercial |
| I think of that story I regress back to | | | | - is priceless. |