A LIGHTWEIGHT CAR WITH GOOD BRAKES, A GOOD CHASSIS AND A SENSITIVE STEERING WHEEL - THAT IS WHAT THE R27 IS

One morning I woke up and thought that I would take a drive from my home in Como, Italy, to Selva di Val Gardena, along Lake Garda and then up to the top of the Dolomites. There are no other mountain roads I know that give you the same mix of pleasure as these do. Forests, rock towers, steep up and down hills and breathtaking views of the valleys and mountain passes. You can drive for a full day up there, get lost in a labyrinth of B roads and if you wish, move west toward the Central Alps or drive North toward Austria or Switzerland into some of the most marvelous stretches of nature and scenery.

I remember doing it in my Porsche 993 Turbo once during the winter which resulted in many of the passes being closed due to treacherous ice patches and heavy snowfall. If I could ever do a trip on the Italian side in my Clio R27 during Spring, or even better in September, surrounded by the Autumn colours, I bet I would enjoy it just as much.

I can see my small French machine turning into those steep hairpins, second gear, with a hint of oversteer under braking and coming out of those bends like nothing else. That awesome six-speed gearbox, with 2nd, 3rd and 4th gears so close to each other making it the ideal machine for continuous play and constant gearshifts, keeping the revs up to where the 2.0-litre engine delivers its best.

I can also imagine running fast downhill and feeling the Brembo brakes biting hard, then downshifting quickly, feeling like a rally driver in a proper “Prova Speciale”. On the Dolomites’ roads you can also find long stretches on which you can make use of fourth and fifth. You need a sharp steering to nail the apexes with precision and just feather the throttle to keep the speed consistent.  You don’t need 400bhp to have fun, especially in Europe where it rains quite a lot. I remember how much I loved driving in the wet, especially right after it stopped raining and the roads were still damp. You just need a lightweight car with good brakes, a good chassis and a sensitive steering wheel. That is what the R27 is.

It’s a simple driving machine, which costs a third of some sports cars and can run circles around many of them. The Clio focuses on driving before anything else, and is the perfect companion for serious driving on any type of road.

Unfortunately, the term with this jewel is now finished. I will miss Her, yes Her. The car is now for sale in the UAE. Who knows, perhaps someday I will move back to Italy and will end up buying the same car again. Until then, I’ll keep dreaming of those roads.