Renaultsport Megane Cup S 275
Discussion
KPB1973 said:
Picked up my new (to me) 275 Cup S on Friday. It's flame red, Recaros, Akra, Ohlins and Rs Monitor. I've had two RS Meganes before, but the spec on this one is just about perfect.
I bought it 'unseen' bar a couple of photos and a grainy video. Thankfully there weren't too many nasty surprises bar being a little shabby inside, low front pads and some terrible Arrowspeeds on the front.
It need a couple of bits sorting under warranty - an intermittent issue with the driver's side door not unlocking, and a strange on/off vibration when there's a bit of right-hand steering angle applied. It's almost like driving over a rumble strip. Ideas welcomed...?
First impressions - well, obviously it needed new tyres to get the best from it. I had some Michelin PS4S' fitted on Saturday.
I think the power to chassis is just about perfect. I'll probably not bother getting it mapped. Handling is superb - but it is a car you have to take control of. I've recently come out of a 4drive Cupra and they are absolutely chalk and cheese.
I was really, really interested to see what difference the Ohlins made, but initially it felt pretty much the same as a standard Cup. After a bit of a tinker yesterday, I realised they were in factory settings - so i've dialed them down the 10 (front) and 20 (rear), which is a bit firmer than their 'bumpy road' setting and the car is utterly transformed. They are absolutely mega - it now just glides over the worst roads without any apparent compromise to the handling.
From inside, the Akrapovic is much quieter than expected - or hard to hear over the road noise - and seems to need a lot of heat to really get going with the pops and bangs. I'm glad I didn't pay extra for it.
I was sorry to see my E92 M3 go in px, but perhaps more because of the disappointment I felt over the whole ownership experience. I'll miss having the big V8 and the performance it gave, but the Megane seems to fit both myself and the local back roads a lot better.
Sorry - no pics. Camera phone issues conspired against me.
Your car is exactly the same spec as mine and echo your thoughts. I couldnt get on with the m3 at normal road speeds and only really came alive at 60mph+ so the petrol costs werent justified for little reward. Pretty sure my ohlins are on the softest settings which feels fine but might stiffen it a bit. Can you adjust it easily with the wheels on. When you say you get a vibration through the steering I get this at parking speeds when cold and have read this is normal something to do with either the diff or angle of tyres when some steering lock is applied.I bought it 'unseen' bar a couple of photos and a grainy video. Thankfully there weren't too many nasty surprises bar being a little shabby inside, low front pads and some terrible Arrowspeeds on the front.
It need a couple of bits sorting under warranty - an intermittent issue with the driver's side door not unlocking, and a strange on/off vibration when there's a bit of right-hand steering angle applied. It's almost like driving over a rumble strip. Ideas welcomed...?
First impressions - well, obviously it needed new tyres to get the best from it. I had some Michelin PS4S' fitted on Saturday.
I think the power to chassis is just about perfect. I'll probably not bother getting it mapped. Handling is superb - but it is a car you have to take control of. I've recently come out of a 4drive Cupra and they are absolutely chalk and cheese.
I was really, really interested to see what difference the Ohlins made, but initially it felt pretty much the same as a standard Cup. After a bit of a tinker yesterday, I realised they were in factory settings - so i've dialed them down the 10 (front) and 20 (rear), which is a bit firmer than their 'bumpy road' setting and the car is utterly transformed. They are absolutely mega - it now just glides over the worst roads without any apparent compromise to the handling.
From inside, the Akrapovic is much quieter than expected - or hard to hear over the road noise - and seems to need a lot of heat to really get going with the pops and bangs. I'm glad I didn't pay extra for it.
I was sorry to see my E92 M3 go in px, but perhaps more because of the disappointment I felt over the whole ownership experience. I'll miss having the big V8 and the performance it gave, but the Megane seems to fit both myself and the local back roads a lot better.
Sorry - no pics. Camera phone issues conspired against me.
On another note how does it compare to your boxster s 3.4 & S2000 as I may consider one of these in the summer
The front wheels sliding across the road surface on full lock at low speed is standard. Something to do with the steering geometry I think. My 182 Cup did it. Think it's a Renault Sport trait.
My 172 Cup didn't do it actually.
Think the other poster is talking about something else though.
My 172 Cup didn't do it actually.
Think the other poster is talking about something else though.
mc50 said:
Your car is exactly the same spec as mine and echo your thoughts. I couldnt get on with the m3 at normal road speeds and only really came alive at 60mph+ so the petrol costs werent justified for little reward. Pretty sure my ohlins are on the softest settings which feels fine but might stiffen it a bit. Can you adjust it easily with the wheels on. When you say you get a vibration through the steering I get this at parking speeds when cold and have read this is normal something to do with either the diff or angle of tyres when some steering lock is applied.
On another note how does it compare to your boxster s 3.4 & S2000 as I may consider one of these in the summer
Good points on the M3. I did enjoy driving it - I thought there was a certain brutish mystique to it but there were a few really obvious flaws. For a start, my 640d GC's seats go about 6in lower - your daily barge shouldn't have a more sporting cockpit than your weekend fun car!On another note how does it compare to your boxster s 3.4 & S2000 as I may consider one of these in the summer
I know what you mean about vibration due to the diff skipping before the oil has circulated, but my issue is at road speeds unfortunately. Still, I have 2 x warranties on it (the remainder of the Renault one and the 6 months from the Audi dealer I bought it from) so a fix shouldn't be costly.
Adjusting the Ohlins is dead easy. I'd suggest looking through the rear alloys to visually locate the adjuster, and then lie behind the car and reach up to do it. Turn them fully clockwise to set them to zero, and then add clicks (anticlockwise) to your preferred setting.
The fronts are trickier as I couldn't see the adjuster - which is also much smaller. But if you put the wheel on full outside lock, then lie in front of the car, you can see the shock coming down with the Ohlins label on it, and then use your hand to reach to the bottom and adjust using the same principle as above. I had to do it blind but it was simple enough.
My S2000 remains one of my favourite cars but it has been a long time since I've driven one, and I wonder if I have rose-tinted specs. Initially I struggled to bond with it as it felt slower than the 2.2 Prelude I had before, but once I got the hang of driving '2 gears up' I loved it. Top down at 9k rpm on an early summer morning was absolutely fantastic. But...they do bite if you take liberties.
The 3.4 Boxster S was a gen2 with the 310bhp engine. An absolutely fantastic piece of engineering, very quick, sounded mega - but its limits were so high that I never felt it broke a sweat with someone of my (lack of) talent behind the wheel. In hindsight it was by some distance the most resolved car i've owned, and I shouldn't have PXd it for my first E92 M3 Comp Pack. To cut a long story short i've owned 2 x M3s in 5 months and ended up having a nightmare with both. One for paint issues, the second mechanical.
If you're considering one of the latter, then acquant yourself with the borescoring issues of gen1 (pre-09) cars. Alternatively, I also owned a 3.2 986 'S' which was a far more organic drive than the 987, but a labour of love due to the number of small jobs it always needed. In effect, it was a very advanced car made out of pretty ordinary materials.
Hope this helps.
Thanks I will have a play with the settings. Coming from type r's and m cars this 275 has surprised me on how well it drives but the one thing I do miss is a n/a high revving engine. I did have an s2000 10 years ago and remember it fondly but could be compromised these days as a daily driver. Anyone know of any decent Renault specialists near Surrey not sure I have much faith in the local dealers.
mc50 said:
Thanks I will have a play with the settings. Coming from type r's and m cars this 275 has surprised me on how well it drives but the one thing I do miss is a n/a high revving engine. I did have an s2000 10 years ago and remember it fondly but could be compromised these days as a daily driver. Anyone know of any decent Renault specialists near Surrey not sure I have much faith in the local dealers.
some of the main dealers aren't too bad, tbh. But there's Two Techs in Kent, There's another in Portsmouth (can't remember name) and Ktec Racing isn't mega miles away. mc50 said:
Thanks I will have a play with the settings. Coming from type r's and m cars this 275 has surprised me on how well it drives but the one thing I do miss is a n/a high revving engine. I did have an s2000 10 years ago and remember it fondly but could be compromised these days as a daily driver. Anyone know of any decent Renault specialists near Surrey not sure I have much faith in the local dealers.
Stock the Megane can feel a bit strangled up top, while it doesn't make it the rev monster an s2000 is a remap helps it catapult the needle up to the limiter and feel a bit more free breathing.Phooey said:
Anyone know of a late 275 Cup with 18 inch wheels, buckets and Ohlins for sale that still has some manufacturer warranty etc? I'm asking for a friend... not had a proper look in the classifieds... thought I'd ask here first!
Dare i say, the Ohlins are a gimmick? No, that's probably much too harsh. But if your mate is really that bothered about it handling as good as it possibly can, you can get a non-ohlins car, buy a quality set of coilovers and get it properly set-up for the same sort of money and it will handle better than an Ohlins car.I really would not get hung up over the rare Ohlins and Akrapovic options. Both demand a ridiculous premium.
CraigV6 said:
Ohlins worth the premium, Akrapovic not.
This x 100 (from a 3-time RS owner).I have a suspicion that the 275s with Ohlins all came with 19" wheels?
If your mate is worried about ride quality, then he shouldn't be. 19s with Ohlins in a bumpy road setting is much, much more compliant than one running 18s without Ohlins.
And for what it's worth I thought the ohlins were stunning. Not up there with the very best coilovers but the ride on the B roads I tend to frequent was nothing short of stunning. I've got an m3 on mid range coilovers, and had a 997 on sport suspension and currently own a Cayman GTS. All would have ohlins as the first mod.
And for what it's worth I thought the ohlins were stunning. Not up there with the very best coilovers but the ride on the B roads I tend to frequent was nothing short of stunning. I've got an m3 on mid range coilovers, and had a 997 on sport suspension and currently own a Cayman GTS. All would have ohlins as the first mod.
mc50 said:
KPB1973 said:
Picked up my new (to me) 275 Cup S on Friday. It's flame red, Recaros, Akra, Ohlins and Rs Monitor. I've had two RS Meganes before, but the spec on this one is just about perfect.
I bought it 'unseen' bar a couple of photos and a grainy video. Thankfully there weren't too many nasty surprises bar being a little shabby inside, low front pads and some terrible Arrowspeeds on the front.
It need a couple of bits sorting under warranty - an intermittent issue with the driver's side door not unlocking, and a strange on/off vibration when there's a bit of right-hand steering angle applied. It's almost like driving over a rumble strip. Ideas welcomed...?
First impressions - well, obviously it needed new tyres to get the best from it. I had some Michelin PS4S' fitted on Saturday.
I think the power to chassis is just about perfect. I'll probably not bother getting it mapped. Handling is superb - but it is a car you have to take control of. I've recently come out of a 4drive Cupra and they are absolutely chalk and cheese.
I was really, really interested to see what difference the Ohlins made, but initially it felt pretty much the same as a standard Cup. After a bit of a tinker yesterday, I realised they were in factory settings - so i've dialed them down the 10 (front) and 20 (rear), which is a bit firmer than their 'bumpy road' setting and the car is utterly transformed. They are absolutely mega - it now just glides over the worst roads without any apparent compromise to the handling.
From inside, the Akrapovic is much quieter than expected - or hard to hear over the road noise - and seems to need a lot of heat to really get going with the pops and bangs. I'm glad I didn't pay extra for it.
I was sorry to see my E92 M3 go in px, but perhaps more because of the disappointment I felt over the whole ownership experience. I'll miss having the big V8 and the performance it gave, but the Megane seems to fit both myself and the local back roads a lot better.
Sorry - no pics. Camera phone issues conspired against me.
Your car is exactly the same spec as mine and echo your thoughts. I couldnt get on with the m3 at normal road speeds and only really came alive at 60mph+ so the petrol costs werent justified for little reward. Pretty sure my ohlins are on the softest settings which feels fine but might stiffen it a bit. Can you adjust it easily with the wheels on. When you say you get a vibration through the steering I get this at parking speeds when cold and have read this is normal something to do with either the diff or angle of tyres when some steering lock is applied.I bought it 'unseen' bar a couple of photos and a grainy video. Thankfully there weren't too many nasty surprises bar being a little shabby inside, low front pads and some terrible Arrowspeeds on the front.
It need a couple of bits sorting under warranty - an intermittent issue with the driver's side door not unlocking, and a strange on/off vibration when there's a bit of right-hand steering angle applied. It's almost like driving over a rumble strip. Ideas welcomed...?
First impressions - well, obviously it needed new tyres to get the best from it. I had some Michelin PS4S' fitted on Saturday.
I think the power to chassis is just about perfect. I'll probably not bother getting it mapped. Handling is superb - but it is a car you have to take control of. I've recently come out of a 4drive Cupra and they are absolutely chalk and cheese.
I was really, really interested to see what difference the Ohlins made, but initially it felt pretty much the same as a standard Cup. After a bit of a tinker yesterday, I realised they were in factory settings - so i've dialed them down the 10 (front) and 20 (rear), which is a bit firmer than their 'bumpy road' setting and the car is utterly transformed. They are absolutely mega - it now just glides over the worst roads without any apparent compromise to the handling.
From inside, the Akrapovic is much quieter than expected - or hard to hear over the road noise - and seems to need a lot of heat to really get going with the pops and bangs. I'm glad I didn't pay extra for it.
I was sorry to see my E92 M3 go in px, but perhaps more because of the disappointment I felt over the whole ownership experience. I'll miss having the big V8 and the performance it gave, but the Megane seems to fit both myself and the local back roads a lot better.
Sorry - no pics. Camera phone issues conspired against me.
On another note how does it compare to your boxster s 3.4 & S2000 as I may consider one of these in the summer
Interesting to get up to date with this thread. My 275 Cup S is no more as of this week (I hope) - I've enjoyed the 45,000 miles and 27 months that we've spent together, but it's been a problematic ride at times. Various electrical issues at the start - one was so bad I had to abandon the car as the R-Link made a "brrrrr" noise at absolute full volume. Since then the brakes seized just before a trip to Nice, the gearbox has failed (mainshaft bearings) and now the ECU has seemingly gone west.
I expect some will say "that's RenaultSport, just get it fixed", but it's a PITA when it's your business car and time in the garage = time not doing what I should be doing.
I always found it nice to drive but it lacks the immediate fun factor of my wife's Fiesta ST MK7 (with Mountune kit), although it's evident when pushed hard that the Meg has greater depth of capability.
Shame I can't keep it in the garage for high days and holidays, but my cars have to work for their living and this one wasn't really up to what was quite an easy life of motorway commuting. The bloody thing even got serviced every 10,000 miles as I thought the factory intervals were too long!
I expect some will say "that's RenaultSport, just get it fixed", but it's a PITA when it's your business car and time in the garage = time not doing what I should be doing.
I always found it nice to drive but it lacks the immediate fun factor of my wife's Fiesta ST MK7 (with Mountune kit), although it's evident when pushed hard that the Meg has greater depth of capability.
Shame I can't keep it in the garage for high days and holidays, but my cars have to work for their living and this one wasn't really up to what was quite an easy life of motorway commuting. The bloody thing even got serviced every 10,000 miles as I thought the factory intervals were too long!
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