RE: Spotted: Renaultsport Megane R26.R
Discussion
I doubt a single doubter here has actually driven one. They are outstanding cars, to be mentioned in the same context as GT3 Porsches. I have had both and the little Megane was never outclassed by the other cars i've owned/own. To compare it to an M3 is silly, totally opposing ends of the performance car spectrum. Put it this way a bunch of pals went to Spa together in cars various, but including GT2 RS, GT3 RS 3.8, Audi R8, Exige S, Megane R26r, E90 M3 and ZM coupe. The M3 cooked it's brakes within 2 laps and destroyed it's tyres with 5. The Megane lapped all day and didn't miss a beat whilst proving much more entertaining than the M3,which frankly felt completely at sea on the track. Do not underestimate the R26r.
seawise said:
I doubt a single doubter here has actually driven one. They are outstanding cars, to be mentioned in the same context as GT3 Porsches. I have had both and the little Megane was never outclassed by the other cars i've owned/own. To compare it to an M3 is silly, totally opposing ends of the performance car spectrum. Put it this way a bunch of pals went to Spa together in cars various, but including GT2 RS, GT3 RS 3.8, Audi R8, Exige S, Megane R26r, E90 M3 and ZM coupe. The M3 cooked it's brakes within 2 laps and destroyed it's tyres with 5. The Megane lapped all day and didn't miss a beat whilst proving much more entertaining than the M3,which frankly felt completely at sea on the track. Do not underestimate the R26r.
Says it all, just too hard for some people to accept!I decided to spend the money I had set aside as a deposit on a 550 on an R26.R instead and don't regret it AT ALL!
(Even though a 550 is now £10k more than it was at the time and no you can't compare them)
Interestingly I was at JZ Machtech a couple of years ago looking at a 996 GT3 with my brother inlaw, once the guys who work there saw my R all they could do was wang on about what an amazing time they had in one at Spa while it was too wet to run GT3s!
RE practicality, this September I did my usual run through the Alps with 2 90ltr bags onboard and drove back on the motorway in one hit (850 miles)without it being a nightmare!
LaurasOtherHalf said:
Just as a word of practicality, my best road trip in the r26.r involved 3 days at the ring, followed by the drive to northern Italy for 4 days skiing, followed by a blast through the mont blanc tunnel & back into France for a couple of track days at Le mans.
Then back to Carlisle, two lads & all the associated track day stuff like tools & helmets plus our skiing tackle. Over 3k miles iirc?
Doubt it would have been as easy in an Elise or a 7?
We did resort to plugging one of those little speakers into an iPhone & hanging it off the rear view mirror for done tunes though.
That was my last eurohoon in the car, the new owners picked it up the following week. What a machine.....
Well if I was to sell mine Craig that is the sort of home I'd like it to go to!Then back to Carlisle, two lads & all the associated track day stuff like tools & helmets plus our skiing tackle. Over 3k miles iirc?
Doubt it would have been as easy in an Elise or a 7?
We did resort to plugging one of those little speakers into an iPhone & hanging it off the rear view mirror for done tunes though.
That was my last eurohoon in the car, the new owners picked it up the following week. What a machine.....
Good luck in your search!
the_stoat said:
Porkie said:
LOVE EM! apart from the rubbish and weird sounding titanium exhaust.
I have the titanium on my R26 and also do not like the sound, it is like a large hairdryer. Oddly all my friends like the sound. I'd NEVER mention it to someone who has one but now that it's been said, I agree! (neither standard nor Ti sound good but I don't want a louder exhaust either, just a "better" sound, unlikely from a modern 4 pot turbo though)
While on the subject of noise...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MimwetzER7c
A bit of a long video, but does the 250 not sound nicer? (at least from the inside of the car)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MimwetzER7c
A bit of a long video, but does the 250 not sound nicer? (at least from the inside of the car)
MarkRSi said:
While on the subject of noise...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MimwetzER7c
A bit of a long video, but does the 250 not sound nicer? (at least from the inside of the car)
I got "involved" with a 250 last time I was in France and it sounded a lot better than my R!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MimwetzER7c
A bit of a long video, but does the 250 not sound nicer? (at least from the inside of the car)
kambites said:
Given how good the R26.R is based on a hatchback, it would be fascinating to see what manufacturers could do if they started with a clean sheet of paper and tried to design the best FWD drivers' car possible. I suppose Lotus were the last people to do anything even remotely like that, but differential technology has moved on a long way since then, if nothing else.
I guess the sales figures of the R26.R show why that's never going to happen, though.
That's the thing:I guess the sales figures of the R26.R show why that's never going to happen, though.
Renaultsport wanted to do a whole new car, with the R bits on it. (2 seater Coupe kinda thing).
However Renault said "No, you have the Megane to play with. Fin"
Friggerpants said:
kambites said:
Given how good the R26.R is based on a hatchback, it would be fascinating to see what manufacturers could do if they started with a clean sheet of paper and tried to design the best FWD drivers' car possible. I suppose Lotus were the last people to do anything even remotely like that, but differential technology has moved on a long way since then, if nothing else.
I guess the sales figures of the R26.R show why that's never going to happen, though.
That's the thing:I guess the sales figures of the R26.R show why that's never going to happen, though.
Renaultsport wanted to do a whole new car, with the R bits on it. (2 seater Coupe kinda thing).
However Renault said "No, you have the Megane to play with. Fin"
Terminator X said:
dapearson said:
How much!!!?!? £15k for a 2nd hand FWD Renault?
I'd rather buy a Clio Cup for £3k, or spend £15k on an Elise/Caterham!
I'd rather buy a Clio Cup for £3k, or spend £15k on an Elise/Caterham!
Hand in your ph membership on the way out ...
TX.
I can see the appeal I really can, but... at the end of the day, as fast and capable as it is, it is nothing more than a stripped out version of what was already available. It costs twice as much than the model its based on, which is probably at least 90% as capable anyway, but will make a far better daily driver.
£15K gets you into much more focused machines if thats what you want. Many of which will also sound better, as reportedly the Meganes sound s
t - although thats true of most blown 4 bangers.It seems neither here nor there, but then it is rare, and I suppose that's what keeps the value up. Can't see the appeal personally.
R1_NUR said:
LaurasOtherHalf said:
Just as a word of practicality, my best road trip in the r26.r involved 3 days at the ring, followed by the drive to northern Italy for 4 days skiing, followed by a blast through the mont blanc tunnel & back into France for a couple of track days at Le mans.
Then back to Carlisle, two lads & all the associated track day stuff like tools & helmets plus our skiing tackle. Over 3k miles iirc?
Doubt it would have been as easy in an Elise or a 7?
We did resort to plugging one of those little speakers into an iPhone & hanging it off the rear view mirror for done tunes though.
That was my last eurohoon in the car, the new owners picked it up the following week. What a machine.....
Well if I was to sell mine Craig that is the sort of home I'd like it to go to!Then back to Carlisle, two lads & all the associated track day stuff like tools & helmets plus our skiing tackle. Over 3k miles iirc?
Doubt it would have been as easy in an Elise or a 7?
We did resort to plugging one of those little speakers into an iPhone & hanging it off the rear view mirror for done tunes though.
That was my last eurohoon in the car, the new owners picked it up the following week. What a machine.....
Good luck in your search!
it's what drivings all aboutTried to find some photos but I'm just on the iPad tonight, here's a few of that particular trip:
Our three cars on the first weekend at the ring, must have been 09? Michaelas still working at the Blau Ecke then anyway
Being done by the rozzers on our way up to the st leonardo pass I think to Italy, we did the ring to cervinia in one hit trying to keep to "exciting" roads, but we hadn't made it out of Germany before we got pulled in. Apparently one of the group passed an off duty police chief undertaking on the hard shoulder! They put out a rolling roadblock & dressed us down in front of a large bus full of school children, wouldn't believe we were going skiing until we showed them the equipment, they slapped our wrist & sent us on our way-the Swiss (& later that trip the French) weren't so kind.
The cars at the foot of the Matterhorn, an epic journey, all done over Easter. It was really late that year I remember but the skiing (I'd never done it before & had had my knee operation only a few weeks before) was fantastic & the wether was perfect. Still my only skiing trip but definitely not my last. After that like I said we headed to le mans & one driver got banned for speeding, he shall remain nameless.
This was our last proper no limits eurohoon, you just can't do the speeds anymore. Not big or clever but so much fun. Getting married this year & for the honeymoon we'll be taking whatever r26.r I get down through France, into monaco & on to Italy, can't wait! Definitely not quite as reckless with the driving as back then though.
Here's a video of it on the ring
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_N116VnQA0&fea...
LaurasOtherHalf said:
craig here, bought no154 off you, racing blue with red wheelsLaurasOtherHalf said:
Cheers it's what drivings all about
Tried to find some photos but I'm just on the iPad tonight, here's a few of that particular trip:
Our three cars on the first weekend at the ring, must have been 09? Michaelas still working at the Blau Ecke then anyway
Being done by the rozzers on our way up to the st leonardo pass I think to Italy, we did the ring to cervinia in one hit trying to keep to "exciting" roads, but we hadn't made it out of Germany before we got pulled in. Apparently one of the group passed an off duty police chief undertaking on the hard shoulder! They put out a rolling roadblock & dressed us down in front of a large bus full of school children, wouldn't believe we were going skiing until we showed them the equipment, they slapped our wrist & sent us on our way-the Swiss (& later that trip the French) weren't so kind.
The cars at the foot of the Matterhorn, an epic journey, all done over Easter. It was really late that year I remember but the skiing (I'd never done it before & had had my knee operation only a few weeks before) was fantastic & the wether was perfect. Still my only skiing trip but definitely not my last. After that like I said we headed to le mans & one driver got banned for speeding, he shall remain nameless.
This was our last proper no limits eurohoon, you just can't do the speeds anymore. Not big or clever but so much fun. Getting married this year & for the honeymoon we'll be taking whatever r26.r I get down through France, into monaco & on to Italy, can't wait! Definitely not quite as reckless with the driving as back then though.
Here's a video of it on the ring
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_N116VnQA0&fea...
Those pics and that story have given me the horn! it's what drivings all aboutTried to find some photos but I'm just on the iPad tonight, here's a few of that particular trip:
Our three cars on the first weekend at the ring, must have been 09? Michaelas still working at the Blau Ecke then anyway
Being done by the rozzers on our way up to the st leonardo pass I think to Italy, we did the ring to cervinia in one hit trying to keep to "exciting" roads, but we hadn't made it out of Germany before we got pulled in. Apparently one of the group passed an off duty police chief undertaking on the hard shoulder! They put out a rolling roadblock & dressed us down in front of a large bus full of school children, wouldn't believe we were going skiing until we showed them the equipment, they slapped our wrist & sent us on our way-the Swiss (& later that trip the French) weren't so kind.
The cars at the foot of the Matterhorn, an epic journey, all done over Easter. It was really late that year I remember but the skiing (I'd never done it before & had had my knee operation only a few weeks before) was fantastic & the wether was perfect. Still my only skiing trip but definitely not my last. After that like I said we headed to le mans & one driver got banned for speeding, he shall remain nameless.
This was our last proper no limits eurohoon, you just can't do the speeds anymore. Not big or clever but so much fun. Getting married this year & for the honeymoon we'll be taking whatever r26.r I get down through France, into monaco & on to Italy, can't wait! Definitely not quite as reckless with the driving as back then though.
Here's a video of it on the ring
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_N116VnQA0&fea...
I've done 14k miles in mine and at least 10k of those have been in France and Italy, I kind of wish I'd bought an LHD R, particularly if you look at the prices of them in France!
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