UK to France

As always the Clio completed an unforgettable cross-channel dash to attend Youngtimers Days 2025 at the legendary Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry on Saturday 26th April last year. This spontaneous trip marked my first immersive experience into the heart of the native French car scene, packed with iconic retro metal and a brilliant surprise cinematic connection, making some amazing friends from different countries. It was a weekend of memories for sure!

The Midnight Run to Normandy

The journey began with the familiar exhaust note of the 172 firing up in Southampton. Taking my preferred route down to the coast, I cruised into the Newhaven port and caught the midnight ferry across to Dieppe. After docking on French soil, I pushed through the night toward Rouen. To ensure the car stayed protected, I checked into my usual overnight hotel, it was cheap but the check in times are automated and utilizing its secure car park to get a few hours of well-earned sleep.

Ditching the Tolls through French Villages

Waking up early in Rouen, I set my sights south toward the Île-de-France region. True to our touring style, I actively steered clear of the boring, expensive toll routes.Instead, the Clio 172 nipped through winding regional roads and a succession of small French villages. The car's nimble chassis and naturally aspirated 2.0-litre engine felt perfectly at home carving through the rural architecture and undulating secondary roads.

Entering the Historic Autodrome

Arriving at the Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry, the entry sequence instantly set the mood. Drivers must navigate a low, concrete tunnel that dives directly underneath the towering, steep concrete banking of the historic racing circuit. Emerging into the central paddock area felt like stepping back in time.The Youngtimers Days paddock was a massive celebration of 1970s, 80s, and 90s motoring icons. It was wild seeing familiar French performance platforms in such high density, though adjusting to the fact that they were all left-hand drive took a moment!.

The Main Event: Luc Besson's TAXI Tribute

The absolute highlight of the show was a meeting I had planned long before crossing the channel. I knew a specific group of enthusiasts would be there, and they did not disappoint, rolling out an immaculate line of modified Peugeot 406s—completely built as exact replicas from Luc Besson's legendary TAXI film franchise.Seeing the iconic white movie cars lined up together was incredible. We spent hours talking shop with the welcoming owners, befriending a Hungarian chap named Mark, alongside a fantastic group of passionate French enthusiasts who shared our deep love for golden-era French performance cars.

Riding the Historic Banking

The experience went far beyond just admiring the cars on display. I actually got to jump into the passenger seat of Jojo’s replica TAXI for a live track session.Blasting around the Montlhéry circuit inside Jojo's movie-spec Peugeot 406, feeling the car compress as it climbed onto the legendary, steep concrete banking, was absolutely surreal. Watching the track tilt from the passenger side of that famous white cockpit was a proper bucket-list moment that made the entire cross-channel road trip worthwhile.

The Mad Dash to the Dock

As the afternoon faded, we reluctantly packed up the Clio and pointed the nose back north toward Normandy. The return leg turned into a race against the clock.We arrived at the Dieppe port with mere moments to spare, just managing to squeeze the Clio 172 onto the very last ferry of the night. Tucked tightly into the back of the ship's car deck, we could finally relax as the vessel crossed the channel, eventually docking in Newhaven before a peaceful early morning cruise back to Southampton.