RE: Megane Trophy-R = £72k

[xjay1337]

Butter Face said:

Had a couple of interested parties already, one chap already has a couple of supercars, sees it as a good place to park some money and a cool car to look at also. Don’t think he’d do many miles in it, don’t think many people will.

Sure it will sell out straight away TBH.

Exactly what I said before.

The wrong type of person will buy it because of the stupid price tag.

Such a shame.

[mattbvw]

Only three UK journalists have driven the car to date. Including Matt Prior from Autocar and Stephen Dobie from TopGear. Antony Ingram from evo had an exclusive preview of the car at Renault Sport HQ. What they have to say - having driven it and/or spoken to the team behind it - makes for interesting reading...

‘The result is a car that, on a circuit, with height lowered and dampers set to medium-rare, feels every inch as good and connected as a Porsche 911 GT3 RS, just front drive and less accelerative. There’s equivalent feel, finesse, grip and loads of traction.’ Matt Prior, Autocar

Opinion piece on the pricing: https://www.autocar.co.uk/opinion/tester’s-n...

Review:
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/renault/megan...

Opinion piece on the pricing:
https://www.topgear.com/car-news/hot-hatch/heres-w...

Review:
https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/renault/18-300...

Detailed technical overview:
https://www.evo.co.uk/renault/megane/22487/renault...

[mattbvw]

2002 said:

Surely there aren't 32 people that actually want to spend this money on a hatchback.

Renault have stated that only 30 of the 500 units available globally will have the full Nürburgring Pack (wheels and brakes) on it. So, 6% of production.

The carbon wheels (which are made by the same Australian supplier Koenigsegg uses) can be made at a rate of two a day so these will also be limited, but more than 30 sets judging by what I’ve read.

So, on the basis of restricted supply, the number of £72k full option (carbon wheels and carbon brakes) cars available in the UK will be minuscule (6% of 32 units = 2 cars). Most will be the £51k version.

[cidered77]

Light and fast said:

So 2.48 at spa is 72k

This was at spa last week 2.50.1

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxJYkZFJxvRXOYy5M...

Caterham has two seats and is road reg and daylight mot. Its in 310r regs trim. Driver is amateur. Cars like this can be bought for c30 new or 18k in good secondhand condition.

Perhaps answer is buy normal rs megane and a caterham ?

meeh - the Holy Trinity around Silverstone National with a pro driver couldn't go better than low 58s. I've done a high 57 in a 25k car with 191bhp. Everyone should buy a racecar then...!

Within its genre - it's the fastest ever. There are always cheaper ways to go faster...

[cidered77]

mattbvw said:

Only three UK journalists have driven the car to date. Including Matt Prior from Autocar and Stephen Dobie from TopGear. Antony Ingram from evo had an exclusive preview of the car at Renault Sport HQ. What they have to say - having driven it and/or spoken to the team behind it - makes for interesting reading...

‘The result is a car that, on a circuit, with height lowered and dampers set to medium-rare, feels every inch as good and connected as a Porsche 911 GT3 RS, just front drive and less accelerative. There’s equivalent feel, finesse, grip and loads of traction.’ Matt Prior, Autocar

Opinion piece on the pricing: https://www.autocar.co.uk/opinion/tester’s-n...

Review:
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/renault/megan...

Opinion piece on the pricing:
https://www.topgear.com/car-news/hot-hatch/heres-w...

Review:
https://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/renault/18-300...

Detailed technical overview:
https://www.evo.co.uk/renault/megane/22487/renault...

... and the original R26.R not only still tops the best FWD of all time tests, it was the Evo car of the year *overall* when it came out. Find me a disappointed Renaultsport Megane owner (let alone an extreme Megane owner); whereas i know 3 Golf R owners who sold them complaining they were completely souless.

Maybe people-angry-at-the-price, there is something in this...

Honestly, Merc launch a 50k A series and get away with it and likely make massive margins; Renault launch a 50k fastest ever hot hatch,more than likely lose on every one they sell, and get all this st thrown at them. I just dont get it.

I get why people wouldnt ever consider buying it - i get why it's just not to everyone's tastes. i get why many people could not think twice about a hatchback for this money when there are conventional sports cars - but i don't get why it isn't at least admired. Let alone attract all this rage...

Edited by cidered77 on Thursday 1st August 22:13

[NoPDK]

I’ve ordered one today, base car no options pack. Deposit paid.
Anyone else ordered?

[anonymous-user]

FaNtheMaN26 said:

It was inevitable the 'type r was not a production car' would come up and yes, it had a floating roll cage which didnt add to rigidity (goes for tin hat), the a/c removed to offset the cage weight and stickier tyres on the ring granted...

Surely you don't believe what you are writing? Ridiculous.

Surely it seems odd to you that nobody else has got remotely close to that time in an actual production FK8?

[cidered77]

NoPDK said:

I’ve ordered one today, base car no options pack. Deposit paid.
Anyone else ordered?

Subcribed to the waiting list, and done some serious manmaths spreadsheetery, but - doesn't quite work, it would need to be a daily else would need to sell the other car (and family won't let me do that - old merc convertible they love); and you can't really daily drive with 6 point harnesses.

Then i spent 2 hours on working out whether I could fit inertia belts to an R26.R instead.

Then i specced up a 300 Trophy and started researching discounts.

And then I got myself a beer, decided to just keep enjoying the ridicously cheap M2 MK5 i currently run and love - and wait a year and see what happens...

Tough first day of holiday all in all

(incidently - my car TCO spreadsheet has this at price per mile as lower than £2,200's worth of MX5 over a year - imagine that!

[nightSpirit]

What the actual fk...the last Trophy R was an overpriced, underwhelming marketing stunt, thanks to all the tts that bought one (and then didn't drive them) for this lunacy.

[Ian974]

mattbvw said:

Renault have stated that only 30 of the 500 units available globally will have the full Nürburgring Pack (wheels and brakes) on it. So, 6% of production.

Folk are complaining about what car spec honda have used for their time, but bolting some carbon wheels and brakes onto thirty cars apparently makes it a production model?

There's probably been more carbon discs and pads put onto the individual record car than the rest of the worldwide production if that's the case.

If it's about having the record, why not build two cars with an 800bhp grenade spec engine, a 100 mile service interval, a second set of wheels with slicks in the back, full carbon bodywork, £500,000 price tag and claim it's a production car?

[GC8]

Talaus said:

How are those belts deemed safe? Certainly not within the ideal range of 20degs



There is a perfectly acceptable strut brace, why couldnt they use that?

Wow! I came here to comment to the effect that some know-it-all would complain about the seats and post a picture from a Scroth catalogue, and here you are.

[daniel1920]

I'm surprised they can get this performance using rear beam suspension.

If they went for a independent rear suspension, surely they could beat the record by even more? And probably add another 20k in the process

[CS Garth]

I recall around 2008 Renault couldn’t give R26Rs away. A dealer local to my then girlfriend in the north-west had one up at 16.5k new (significantly discounted) and it wouldn’t shift.

Regardless this looks like a great car, 50k great becomes subjective but Renault should be applauded for doing this (imagine if the headline had been “Renault never to do another Trophy R car.....”)

[mattbvw]

CS Garth said:

I recall around 2008 Renault couldn’t give R26Rs away.

I think there was three things at play here:

- 2008 banking crisis happened exactly at time of going on sale
- ‘R’ concept was new and not understood until enough people had driven it
- Renault over-committed to UK allocation numbers. Was 230/450 originally then reduced later to 159 iirc, of which not all made it to the UK. So it’s now a rare car. Lesson learnt and there were only 30 UK units of 2014 275 Trophy-R, which did sell.

[DoubleByte]

cidered77 said:

- but i don't get why it isn't at least admired. Let alone attract all this rage...

Because it's French.

[HTP99]

DoubleByte said:

cidered77 said:

- but i don't get why it isn't at least admired. Let alone attract all this rage...

Because it's French.

Yep, if it had a VW badge everyone would be spaffing over it.

[nickfrog]

2002 said:

Just a few things to note - thought it would be easier in one post - that come to mind when talking about a £72k Megane (that doesn't happen often, does it?).

1). With opening rear doors but no seats. Why would you have two, rather large, openings in the body shell that effects structural rigidity when they don't need to be there? I know it's based off the normal car, but at the price and what they're trying to achieve..you know..

2). Having £4500 wheels on a Megane is a bit like giving a 7 year old child a Rolex. It is either going to be damaged or stolen, or both. Stupid idea.

3). Surely there aren't 32 people that actually want to spend this money on a hatchback. I used to think £40k is too much for a hatch, but fk me £72k! I don't care how rich you are to afford it, you wouldn't buy it.

4). Imagine going into work
You - "Just picked up my new car"
Margaret from accounts - "oh, what is it?"
You - "Megane"
M from A - "oh, must cost you a bit" (Margaret doesn't know anything about cars)
You - "(clears threat) well, 72 grand"
M from A - " ................."

Change the name and the person for the above - you don't spend £72000 on a Renault Megane, unless it comes with a free Porsche 911.

1. Not sure the added torsionnaly rigidity of seam welding the rear door would warrant the extra cost of type approval etc...

2. The carbon wheels are an option which means you don't have to buy them and can stick to the £51k price minus discount.

3. It's actually £51k so probably in keeping with the previous R when £ and inflation adjusted.

4. Not convinced that you average buyer will need to speak about cars to Margaret from accounts, but each to their own.

[blearyeyedboy]

NoPDK said:

I’ve ordered one today, base car no options pack. Deposit paid.
Anyone else ordered?

Well done, chap!

[Gary29]

That 'ring lap though....I just sat and watched like

I'm a big RS fan, but if I had £72K burning a hole, it wouldn't be going to Dieppe.

[SydneySE]

British Beef said:

Agreed, I think I would take the Exige, Nomad or Corvette from that bunch for occasional road and track blasts!!

£70k is mixing with some really desirable stuff.

The daft bit is that I bet the Standard Trophy with a set of racing slicks (spare set of wheels for track use would cost £4k with slicks) would be hands down faster than this around any race track. Then at the end of the track day spend 10 minutes to change the wheels and drive home with stereo, air conditioning and the extra 2 seats :-)

I think you're missing the fact that just sticking slicks on a standard car will not improve the lap time, as the dampers, springs, ARB's etc aren't tuned to the characteristics of the slicks (eg car will roll more through corners as you try and carry more speed; may effect braking distance as the springs/dampers can't keep the tires from skipping etc).

This is why most "tuning" efforts result in worse handling car (not saying its impossible, just takes a lot of trial and error and experience to set up). WHen buying a factory car that comes with road legal slicks (like the pilots sport 4s or yoko A048s, Toyo RRRs etc) the suspension is tuned for the characteristics of the specified tires, and the car handles better (hence the lap time improvement).

While you couldnt build a car for the same price, you're still saving money on the R&D (considerable) that got the factory car set up as well. Its why GT3 porsches are also more than the sum of their parts.