Goodbye STI, Hello Renaultsport - Liquid Yellow R26 Megane

Goodbye STI, Hello Renaultsport - Liquid Yellow R26 Megane

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DanielSan

Original Poster:

18,745 posts

166 months

Tuesday 27th September 2016
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Well last weekend was a busy one. I spent all day Saturday getting my Impreza ready to be collected at 7:30am Sunday morning!


Sale done and dusted, I then left for Dartford with the girlfriend to go and view/buy my new car.

As you can see it's a Liquid Yellow R26 Megane. 66k miles, FSH, stacks of receipts and the bodywork and interior are absolutely mint condition.

First pic of the car next to the girlfriends DC5 before we headed for home.




It's got a few subtle mods done to it already and to be honest bar possibly a remap there's nothing I feel the car needs.

Current mods are
Cooksport lowering springs
Short shifter
Silicone intake and boost hoses with uprated clamps
Pioneer double din head unit
R26.R clutch and single mass flywheel
Centre box removed from exhaust
Airbox mod with uprated panel filter.

Considering I've bought this as something cheaper to run than the Impreza while I'm in money saving mode I'm really starting to love this car already. It feels more than quick enough even with 100bhp less than the Scoob, actually feels a bit more fun to drive when it gets twisty and handles unbelievably well. Easily as good as if not even better than my old DC5.

And a couple of pics as soon as it arrived home. Will get more posted at the weekend.





plenty

4,655 posts

185 months

Tuesday 27th September 2016
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You have good taste in cars, sir.

aspirated

2,539 posts

145 months

Tuesday 27th September 2016
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my gf is perfect but if she drove a dc5 she'd be a bit more perfect-er laugh

thatguy11

640 posts

122 months

Tuesday 27th September 2016
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Great choice, I've always fancied one of these. Liquid yellow has to be right up there as one of the greatest ever factory colours, it's just fantastic!

mazdajason

1,113 posts

171 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
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Sad to see your Scooby go, I sent my mate the link in the hope he would buy it but you've found another willing buyer. Got a unique set of wheels planned for the R26?

Yazza54

18,464 posts

180 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
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aspirated said:
my gf is perfect but if she drove a dc5 she'd be a bit more perfect-er laugh
yes

DanielSan

Original Poster:

18,745 posts

166 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
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plenty said:
You have good taste in cars, sir.
Why thank you good sir, always nice when someone agrees for a change hehe

Mind you, that Porsche in your profile is on my want list of cars.


mazdajason said:
Sad to see your Scooby go, I sent my mate the link in the hope he would buy it but you've found another willing buyer. Got a unique set of wheels planned for the R26?
I'll miss it but at least I can say I've done it now. Thas the one car I've gone pretty big on when it comes to mods etc.

I'm aiming to keep this one pretty much as it is, it's a fairly sensible daily/fun car so no big plans other than enjoy it and maybe a remap in the future. Exterior will be staying as is on this one sadly, I pretty much like them as they are.
Though if a set of Speedline Turini'scame up at the right price I may be tempted....

MrBarry123

6,025 posts

120 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
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This yellow is probably my favourite car colour ever, fantastic.

adamwri

1,094 posts

165 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
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Looking at these two myself (R26 and STI) so would be interested in a decent comparison between the two. I think it's looking likely that the STI pips it - as you can they say it's one that you've done.

Leins

9,412 posts

147 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
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Very nice OP, congrats. Something about these RS Meganes that just looks spot on!

DanielSan

Original Poster:

18,745 posts

166 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
quotequote all
adamwri said:
Looking at these two myself (R26 and STI) so would be interested in a decent comparison between the two. I think it's looking likely that the STI pips it - as you can they say it's one that you've done.
Standard vs standard there doesn't feel like a huge amount in them to be honest. The Impreza goes about things in a very old skool manner, to have fun in it you've really got to take it by the scruff of the neck and push it hard... Which soon gets you into licence losing territory. Add power to that and that only increases obviously.

I'm impressed with the Megane massively though so far, it's handling feels sharper, turn in is definitely sharper of the 2 cars. Even with standard power it's not lacking in grunt even coming from the Subaru if I'm honest, it uses what it's got very very well. Don't get me wrong come rain/bad weather then it's a complete one horse race but in the dry it'd be very close until you got a decent straight bit in front of you.

The Megane so far feels like it takes the best bits of my DC5, handling, response, steering feel also, grin factor at relatively normal speeds and adds in the extra grunt similar to my old VXR and the Vauxhall's day to day comfort and cruisabity on long trips with some added Subaru style yobbery in the way it stands out, looks pretty aggressive and it's controls all fall easily to hand.


For a car I just fancied as a cheaper to run replacement (maybe :hehe) I'm genuinely impressed.

adamwri

1,094 posts

165 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
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Interesting stuff. I think I'll have to scratch the Impreza itch and was actually eyeing yours up. A bit early to buy for me, unfortunately.

Looking forward to following any progress though, it looks like a fantastic car and is in a great colour!

DanielSan

Original Poster:

18,745 posts

166 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
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It's definitely an itch worth scratching. For the noise and stupid grip levels alone it's worth it.

Knowing what I know now I'd have searched out a wide track version for the extra cash I spent and had the DCCD diff. They can be a tad understeery as standard so having the option to send some power to the rear would've been a good thing to have.

Lavo84

63 posts

99 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
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Fantastic cars these, I had one the first 225's and my mate bought a R26 exactly like yours and the difference was incredible! They really got everything just spot on with these I think. Also liquid yellow as everybody agrees is the best colour!!!

plenty

4,655 posts

185 months

Wednesday 28th September 2016
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To be pedantic, DCCD doesn't "send power to the rear". It allows you to vary the torque split from 50:50 (fully locked) to either 45:55 (bug DCCD), 35:65 (blob DCCD) or 41:59 (hawk DCCD). The reason why the DCCD cars are less understeery out of the box is not because of their locking capability, but because their default torque splits when fully open are more rear-biased than the non-DCCD cars.

Whatever your variant, however, understeer can quite easily be tuned out of any Impreza with geometry, ride height and roll bars.

DanielSan

Original Poster:

18,745 posts

166 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
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So it sends more drive/torque/power to the rear wheels in relation to the front then... At least 65 was a higher percentage than 35 last time I checked anyway.

plenty

4,655 posts

185 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
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Only when open. So the rear bias is nothing to do with the ability to lock the diff, only the fact that Subaru chose DCCD cars to have a rear bias when open as opposed to the 50:50 bias on non-DCCD cars.

rb5er

11,657 posts

171 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
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Quite a nice downgrade but I heard they can be a bit problematic. Will it really be cheaper to run?

DanielSan

Original Poster:

18,745 posts

166 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
I haven't said anything about the different being open/locked. Simple that I'd buy a DCCD car next because of the option to have more rear bias.


Anyway that's my old car, there's already a thread on that one.
First small upgrade has been ordered tonight, some Pioneer TS-Q 131C door speakers. The standard items are utterly appalling and these are Renault specific so a nice easy straight swap, in theory anyway. I think I might look at having an underseat active sub in the car again to add some bass. Had one in the Impreza but just couldn't be bothered to take it out.





DanielSan

Original Poster:

18,745 posts

166 months

Thursday 29th September 2016
quotequote all
rb5er said:
Quite a nice downgrade but I heard they can be a bit problematic. Will it really be cheaper to run?
Some bits can be expensive to do but so far this week it's averaged 27-28mpg with some hard drving and long routes home from work. The Impreza was at very best doing low 20'a on a sreadyish drive to work. My route is all b roads and hills so nothing will be amazing but 25-30 miles a day it makes the difference.

Plus I'm not going to modify this car in anything like the way the Subaru was, so using mostly man maths it's a cheap to run daily hehe