Nope; still I've failed to persuade even a remotely serious problem from this 11-year old Renault. Not even a handful of track days and some spirited road driving has had a detrimental effect on the Clio's well-being. I'm beginning to wonder if I haven't come across a freak Renault-Lexus development mule!

Of course, as it's mainly only used for the occasional fair-weather blast, on a weekend morning or weekday evening, it's hardly being subjected to the most arduous of lives. But it's not always had it this easy; indeed, the previous owner did 30k motorway commuting miles in the three years he owned it, and I used it every day for the first four months we were together, racking up some 6k miles in that short period. And it was recently brought back into service as a daily-driver a month or so ago, when I lost my trusty diesel steed for a couple of months.

And it was fine. Ok, so compared to a modern exec it's got all the refinement of a council-estate-dwelling single mum of ten, and it's not the most economically-inclined car, but it's perfectly bearable over a medium-long distance drive and will happily do over 30mpg; you could probably eek out 350 miles before needing to stop for a refill. The seats are mighty comfy too, even though they provide excellent support at track days.

So it's fine at being a daily commuter car. Apart from the exhaust, that is, being obscenely and quite embarrassingly loud. In fact, there we go - a problem to talk about! It's actually a fault with an aftermarket part of the car; the baffles have been completely blown out of the back box, so it will be following in the direction of the Magnex centre section (into the bin) soon enough, as that was replaced at the beginning of the year when it corroded and was letting the exhaust gases out a little bit too early on in their travels. This comes after the removal of two Magnex exhausts from one of my previous cars, both due to failure. Magnex exhausts are certainly not going to receive a (much sought after, obviously) Zollo product endorsement.

Anyway, the Willy is back to its usual duties now. That means the occasional track day and sitting pretty under a fleece-lined cover in the garage. Actually, that's another point worth mentioning: if you park your car in a particularly dusty garage, don't bother with one of those multi-purpose water-proof jobbies. The one I've bought (car.covers@ntlworld.com and ask for a Rezistanz indoor cover) fits perfectly and has a super-soft fleece lining which protects the paintwork nicely and means every time I take it out of the garage it's gleaming. Perfect for the lazy man.

As for the track days, my most recent outing was at Brands Hatch, with the RenaultSport guys. The RenaultSport days are always really well organised and very good value-for-money, with plenty of track time with well-behaved attendees for the princely sum of £130. It would be rude not to mention that the old Mk1 Clios (including my Williams) were more than a match for all but the fastest of modified Mk2 172 Cups and Trophies.

I even managed a tussle with Renaultsport's latest effort, the Mk3 Clio 197. It was quite evenly-matched, but I knew it was going to be, after having a quick session behind the wheel of the newer car earlier in the day. The best bit was undoubtedly the ultra-short-ratio 'box, which hardly seemed to let the engine speed drop at all between gear changes; a very satisfying experience. But it needed it really, because the engine seemed rather lacking compared to the grunty tractor unit in the Williams, which pounced out of corners where the 197 wheezed. Same goes with the chassis - the 197 was full of grip and very stable, but it needed it to compete with the Williams, which danced around on its tyres and positively buzzed with feedback and character in comparison.

It may not have helped that the traction/stability/fun control was left firmly in the on position (instructor sat next to me), so I perhaps couldn't enjoy the 197s adjustable chassis to the full, but for the moment, at least, in my book Old Skool most definitely still rules.