First. Car. LIVE! #12: [Citroen Saxo VTS] Rate it in the comments below.

24 Jul 2019

Intro: Well, the first one was all kinds of stuff, but not good. Although fun to make. Anyway, this one is a request. So i guess it should be better.

Specs

Keeping the trend with the 1.6L engines, this one has 120HP and 140NM of torque from factory, while being naturally aspirated. It was also the only Saxo having 16 valves, marked by the 16V decal.

Description

Released in 1996 and facelifted in 2000, it was quickly introduced into some controversy, having some of the worst NCAP scores from that year. Despite the lack of safety, it quickly became a fan favourite because of the absolute domination of JWRC. It’s very light, under 1000kg in fact, 935kg to be exact. That, combined with the FWD and stripped interior, made it extremelly controllable in corners.

Mods

Since this is not a rally car, but a very unsafe teen-oriented car, we should start with some safety mods.
No matter where you live, or what your laws say about roll cages, you should integrate one stealthly into the frame.
Custom roof liner and all, as hidden as possible.
Next on the list would be 4 point seatbelts. The harness bar should be done as safe as possible for the passengers as possible to avoid suspicion. So the bar should be made only around the seat and covered in the same material as the seat.
Next up on the list would be reinforcing the stock chassis, especially in the front with some tubes welded stealthly as usual. Since we already spent a lot and we are on a tight budget, i will go back to the Aisin AMR500 supercharger i talked about in an older episode, coupled with a Magnaflow catalyzer, a K&N filter and a chiptune, would result in more power than you’ll ever need in such a tiny car. Running at 5psi, it would boost it up to 180HP.
When talking about visual stuff, a simple rear lip would be enough. Imo, the rear is kinda empty.

Budget

I’ve calculated the price and i got a 2300€ total, after selling some old parts. There is no money left for suspension and tyre upgrades, but those can be done later down the line.

Conclusion

It’s a well known crash test disaster, but with some work can be turned into a little legal rally car you can carry around in your pocket.
It has the looks, it’s easy to work on, but on top of that it would be a fun project to make it safer.
I think it would be a great car, especially for somebody who’s learning how stuff works.

Scores
Last Score:
5.80 Fiat Albea Dynamic
Best Score:
5.80 Fiat Albea Dynamic

Comments

And this is the lip i was talking about.
It looks almost stock. It’s very subtle, but fills up that emptiness. And it goes well with the front black plastic lip too.

And i forgot to crop the other side too. Well, here it is. Lol.

RotaryFanboii🇭🇷 Here it is. Saxo VTS.

“It’s a well known crash test disaster”

Back in the days, most these little hatchbacks were like coffin on wheels…

Yeah, ik. I just wanted to have something new to talk about in these posts, mix stuff up a little.
What would you rate it tho?

If you want to improve safety then just install a five-point harness. This will make the driving bit so annoying that you stop using it. If you then decide to buy something else you got around the safety problem.

If you are safe in a VW Beetle or an old Mini then the Saxo is probably not too bad either.

(And I just started three sentences with “if you”…Great.)

Also one of the cars that had a bad safety rating in the 90s was the BMW e36. And that was not a vehicle made out of cardboard and plastic.

Np lol. This was just made for fun, like what you can do on a tight budget. More because you can, not really because you should.
Neither the Dacia Logan or other common cars have stellar crash test results, but people still drive them.

Anyway, what would you rate it?

I love the Saxo. Definetely some MAX Power Magazine vibes. These look awesome when properly modified 👌

Kinda like this. It looks dope.
And you score for this one?

10/10, I love the VTS

Cool. Thanks. :)

8/10

Nice. :)

10/10 but keep it NA, there are itbs for this engine and it sounds amazing with them, I know youre on a tight budget but itbs are the way to go, otherwise great choice!

Thanks. I know about the ITBs on this, but that kit costs literally 1000€ alone.
Maybe just buy 3 more identical TBs as the original one and DIY something.
A simple tiny supercharger would keep the NA power curve and make more power for half the price.

Could you bear insurance cost in mind? It’s all well and good modding cars but if the insurance (which is already ruinous) increases lots then it doesn’t make as much choice as a first car