RE: Renault Megane 265 Cup: PH Fleet

[nickfrog]

Strange about the heater. I would check that the thermostat is doing its job and doesn't think the engine is hotter than it is.

[Baryonyx]

Scrof said:

Thanks! Crystal Planet - my first, I have to admit, but I've got Super Colossal on order. Any other recommendations?

With Satch, Flying in a blue dream is his best, closely followed by The Extremist. Is there love in space? is also bloody cracking. So good, Coldplay stole the melody from one of the songs and incidentally used it to make their only good song.

I can still remember ripping down an empty rural dual carriageway in my MR2 Turbo one night with The Mystical Potato Head Groove Thing on. Ah, what a car, what a drive and what a song.

[Ali_T]

Scrof said:

Thanks! Crystal Planet - my first, I have to admit, but I've got Super Colossal on order. Any other recommendations?

Thread derailment:

Surfing With The Alien and Flying In A Blue Dream are very 80s in sound but still must haves. The Extremist is still my favourite of all his albums as it has the sublime "Rubina's Blue Sky Happiness" on it. I also, unlike most Satch fans, really love the whole techno meets rock vibe of Engines Of Creation. Everything from Strange Beautiful Music on is pretty much similar in tone. He stopped being more experimental and just made Satch albums. Ones to leave for later Not Of This Earth (I only listen to it because I can play Headless Horseman), Time (it has good songs but a lot of very early stuff that's very roughly produced, including his first EP) and his self titled 1995 album where it all went a bit mellow and meandering.

Don't forget the two Chickenfoot albums either. If you haven't heard of them, it's his daytime rock band with Chad Smith of Red Hot Chillies, and Michael Anthony and Sammy Hagar, ex of Van Halen.

Edited by Ali_T on Tuesday 12th March 13:19

[McSpud]

"..driving position, which feels nigh-on impossible to get right.."

Blimey, you PHers must be a funny shaped lot. I also have Recaros, I'm 6ft 1ns tall, and the seating position is absolutely spot on.

[LuS1fer]

Makes the last model look good though...

[Hoygo]

Best car on the PH fleet,nice to see it's driven like it should.

[Regiment]

McSpud said:

"..driving position, which feels nigh-on impossible to get right.."

Blimey, you PHers must be a funny shaped lot. I also have Recaros, I'm 6ft 1ns tall, and the seating position is absolutely spot on.

I've tried both the 250Cup with and without the Recaros seats. Without the Recaros, i was very comfortable and the driving position was fantastic. With the Recaros, I felt squashed and uncomfortable. I am 6'5 though so a bit more man sized than the average person.

As a daily commuter car, my 250 was the best I'd ever driven, fine for big weekly shops, fine for going to and from work, fine for driving about cities, country lanes, etc.

[macky17]

Ironic it should be the engine which starts to win you over when, relatively, that's weakest part of the car. Try the engine in a 135i or a mk2 Focus RS if you want torque/performance and (in the latter case) character. When Renault fit a decent power plant to one of these, I'll buy one.

[Mouse1903]

I'm still set on a Red 265 Cup as my next car, though I would settle for grey :-)

[tomoleeds]

£28k for a megane !!

[Andurron]

astra la vista said:

crikey. that's ridiculous. not even a space saver for free?

as you can probably tell i only buy 2nd hand cars and use company cars.

Most 'standard' cars come with an inflator kit to keep weight down and help them sail under EU regulations if the T-spare is just an 'optional extra'.

[Scrof]

Ali_T said:

Surfing With The Alien and Flying In A Blue Dream are very 80s in sound but still must haves.

You say that like it's a bad thing?!

Baryonyx said:

With Satch, Flying in a blue dream is his best

Thanks chaps. Flying In A Blue Dream now on order too!

macky17 said:

Ironic it should be the engine which starts to win you over when, relatively, that's weakest part of the car. Try the engine in a 135i or a mk2 Focus RS if you want torque/performance and (in the latter case) character. When Renault fit a decent power plant to one of these, I'll buy one.

Well, in my 'previous life' I was lucky enough to drive a variety of Mk2 RSs in various different states of tune, and while I agree that the Duratec-RS is more characterful, I don't think the F4Rt is a dullard by comparison. It doesn't sound as good, accepted, but it still has its own charms, and while off-boost it isn't quite as torquey as the Focus, once the turbo comes in I feel it provides a similar sort of sledgehammer wallop. So I stand by my assertion!

[Gorbyrev]

Scrof said:

Gorbyrev said:

Couldn't agree more. Great write up. Which Satch album out of interest?

Thanks! Crystal Planet - my first, I have to admit, but I've got Super Colossal on order. Any other recommendations?

Re. Old Megane vs new - I feel that the new one is a car which disguises its bulk well in pictures. It's only when you're with one in the flesh that you realise it's a pretty vast thing! Huge blind spots, too, which make surprisingly tricky to reverse park - the rear end always seems to be further back than you think.

Is rock guitar instrumental music the best accompaniment to a blat? Crystal Planet is probably the seminal moment but going backwards is a good start. Surfing With the Alien is the best place to start, then Flying in a Blue Dream, then the Extremist. Follow them in date order and it helps to understand the later material. Underrated but superb is the double album Time Machine (great driving album) that has a studio album on disc 1 and a live album on disc 2 (that covers those earlier albums neatly too). Of to see him in concert later this year. Here endeth the digression!

[Ali_T]

Gorbyrev said:

Here endeth the digression!

Not until I post this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnDHlZihn7E

1:38 still makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck, even after 21 years (has it been that long?!!!)

[Dr Z]

Ali_T said:

Gorbyrev said:

Here endeth the digression!

Not until I post this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnDHlZihn7E

1:38 still makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck, even after 21 years (has it been that long?!!!)

Fail.

[HighwayStar]

Ali_T said:

Gorbyrev said:

Here endeth the digression!

Not until I post this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnDHlZihn7E

1:38 still makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck, even after 21 years (has it been that long?!!!)

Satch is a master... Seen him a few times, taught Steve Vai and Kirk Hammet. Not my fav but one hell of a guitarist.

Back in character now

[Msportman]

Give me a MK7 Golf GTI anytime.....does what it says on the tin....great all round package that oozes quality and is very capable.
Add a rempa and it will be well on it's way to 250+bhp with a new diff.

Renaults for me mean electrical gremelins, reliabity and very average interiors.

Never see many of the Megane's on the road....wonder why??

[Gorbyrev]

HighwayStar said:

Ali_T said:

Gorbyrev said:

Here endeth the digression!

Not until I post this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnDHlZihn7E

1:38 still makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck, even after 21 years (has it been that long?!!!)

Satch is a master... Seen him a few times, taught Steve Vai and Kirk Hammet. Not my fav but one hell of a guitarist.

Back in character now

Was that the right link. 1:38 never came up. Nice Alfa exhaust note though. As for hairs going up on the back of the neck, the opening feedback of Flying in a Blue Dream does it for me every time. What a player. And those tapping arpeggios in the Mystical Potato Groove Blues Thing are still beyond me at full speed after years of trying.

[Exar Kun]

The Megane RS is going gangbusters in Australia. We've almost forgotten about the Clio but more RS Meganes are sold in Australia than any country in the world bar France. Of course, there's a $20,000 difference in price between an RS265 and an M135i. And the RS Clio is only $4000 cheaper than an RS Megane so the Meg is pretty much in the sweet spot price wise.

[Ali_T]

Gorbyrev said:

Was that the right link. 1:38 never came up. Nice Alfa exhaust note though. As for hairs going up on the back of the neck, the opening feedback of Flying in a Blue Dream does it for me every time. What a player. And those tapping arpeggios in the Mystical Potato Groove Blues Thing are still beyond me at full speed after years of trying.

LOl, no. The joys of having two threads open! Here you go, my fave Satch song of all time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jdz4MTAo7j0

I gave up trying to tap like him. It's easier to do Vai because he uses more wah and that covers a few sins nicely. My proudest achievement is being able to play Headless Horseman...and it's not really that hard, Mystical's parts are actually entirely left hand legato with the right hand muffling at the nt, which is even harder than tapping! One note per string at that speed. Insane.

Edited by Ali_T on Tuesday 12th March 23:25

Edited by Ali_T on Tuesday 12th March 23:34