Renault Megane R26R
Discussion
PaulJC84 said:
I think the numbers seem to keep dropping as they are regularly exported to HK.
Congrats on the purchase. Whats the spec?
Ok cool ...why HK ? Congrats on the purchase. Whats the spec?
White , 32k miles Titanium Exhaust..air con , cage all up to date maintenance wise not smashed. Has been remapped by Ktec . looking forward to picking it up now
Hol said:
R26R was a rare beast when new. I have only personally known one person, who owned one.
Because they hold their value very well, they often get overlooked as track toys in favour of a stripped out standard R26 and lots of additional aftermarket parts.
If you take a look online there are now only 70 cars left in the UK Because they hold their value very well, they often get overlooked as track toys in favour of a stripped out standard R26 and lots of additional aftermarket parts.
GT3Manthey said:
Ok cool ...why HK ?
White , 32k miles Titanium Exhaust..air con , cage all up to date maintenance wise not smashed. Has been remapped by Ktec . looking forward to picking it up now
I guess cheap pound, wealthy place and they didnt get them there initially.White , 32k miles Titanium Exhaust..air con , cage all up to date maintenance wise not smashed. Has been remapped by Ktec . looking forward to picking it up now
Sounds a nice spec!!
There was one on collecting cars a week or so ago,cannot remember what it went for,19k I think,boost had been wound up for trackdays,if it was mine would defo return it to standard.Not sure there worth the premium in terms of fun factor over something like a Clio Trophy.Defo a special standout car though in the Renault hot hatch family tree.
evojam said:
There was one on collecting cars a week or so ago,cannot remember what it went for,19k I think,boost had been wound up for trackdays,if it was mine would defo return it to standard.Not sure there worth the premium in terms of fun factor over something like a Clio Trophy.Defo a special standout car though in the Renault hot hatch family tree.
I bought one last Thursday for 19250 so I’m assuming it’s mine . Have already traced previous owners as it’s a clean car , collection is this weekend can’t wait ! Do agree the trophy is a great buy too but I wanted the stripped out R26R.
GT3Manthey said:
I bought one last Thursday for 19250 so I’m assuming it’s mine . Have already traced previous owners as it’s a clean car , collection is this weekend can’t wait !
Do agree the trophy is a great buy too but I wanted the stripped out R26R.
Excellent,nice buy that! please post up your impressions after the first driveDo agree the trophy is a great buy too but I wanted the stripped out R26R.
Had one back when they came out. Kept it for 5 years and loved every minute.
Back then it could run with much more expensive stuff. An easy car to push to the limit.
Ticked many bucket list items in that car.
Ditched the 888s for Direza 03Gs. The Dunlops more or less removed understeer, improved grip and lasted longer. The car responded really well to the change. Even improved the ride IMO.
Uprated the intercooler, they do suffer from heat soak on warmer days.
Went Performance friction 2 piece discs, braded hoses and Castrol CRF fluid. This with the tyres meant stopping was just incredible.
The bonnets did discolor above the turbo, excessive heat. The wheels stone chip badly. The buckles for the harnesses can scratch the centre console quite badly. Plus window regulators fail and injectors can fail - standard megane issues.
But sit in it, go for a drive, it's mega. Feels such a special car. I always loved looking in the rear view mirror and seeing a...Roll Cage!!
Great memories. Plus sold it for exactly what I bought it for.
Enjoy.
Back then it could run with much more expensive stuff. An easy car to push to the limit.
Ticked many bucket list items in that car.
Ditched the 888s for Direza 03Gs. The Dunlops more or less removed understeer, improved grip and lasted longer. The car responded really well to the change. Even improved the ride IMO.
Uprated the intercooler, they do suffer from heat soak on warmer days.
Went Performance friction 2 piece discs, braded hoses and Castrol CRF fluid. This with the tyres meant stopping was just incredible.
The bonnets did discolor above the turbo, excessive heat. The wheels stone chip badly. The buckles for the harnesses can scratch the centre console quite badly. Plus window regulators fail and injectors can fail - standard megane issues.
But sit in it, go for a drive, it's mega. Feels such a special car. I always loved looking in the rear view mirror and seeing a...Roll Cage!!
Great memories. Plus sold it for exactly what I bought it for.
Enjoy.
GT3Manthey said:
evojam said:
There was one on collecting cars a week or so ago,cannot remember what it went for,19k I think,boost had been wound up for trackdays,if it was mine would defo return it to standard.Not sure there worth the premium in terms of fun factor over something like a Clio Trophy.Defo a special standout car though in the Renault hot hatch family tree.
I bought one last Thursday for 19250 so I’m assuming it’s mine . Have already traced previous owners as it’s a clean car , collection is this weekend can’t wait ! Do agree the trophy is a great buy too but I wanted the stripped out R26R.
I already have a more powerful track car, but I have used the megane once at Brands when the other car was having work done, and it was very good for a FWD.
Edited by Hol on Wednesday 21st October 16:39
evojam said:
Not sure there worth the premium in terms of fun factor over something like a Clio Trophy.
I suppose I can add an opinion on that one being the current owner of both an .R and a 182. My 182 has been heavily fettled including suspension, buckets and cage so it is more focused than a standard car. It is an enjoyable drive indeed but really misses an LSD. Despite not being terribly powerful it will light up the front wheels out of corners with ease, particularly at this time of year.
Despite being the same block the F4RT in the R26 with Ti exhaust is much smoother and more pleasant to rev whereas the F4R on the 182 is fairly gruff and not that enjoyable to rev above 6k which you have to do to get it moving, whereas you ride the turbo torque on the R26 to make good progress. As would expect the R26 has a significantly greater performance and handling envelope compared with the Clio.
The steering on the R26 is very good for an EPAS system and is very quick. The turn-in is one of the car’s best features. The Clio feels much lazier on turn-in despite my car being fitted with solid top mounts, 2 degrees camber and max caster. On OEM top mounts and struts I did not enjoy the Clio’s turn-in at all.
The Megane is more tail-happy than the Clio despite my Clio benefitting from a rear anti-roll bar on max stiffness. It’s next to impossible to unstick the rear of the Clio whereas the Megane can catch you out if you lift off abruptly. Of course once you become accustomed to this you can use it to your advantage on corner entry.
The one downside of the Megane is that the OEM suspension is a little too stiff and the damping not good enough for poorly-surfaced B-roads. It’s probably not a coincidence that all of the aftermarket spring options for the R26 are of a softer rate than OEM. I have a set of BC coilovers waiting to be fitted to mine, which should hopefully give me some more compliance and also will allow me to preserve my .R suspension in storage to return back to standard when it comes time to sell (springs are NLA).
In summary the R26 is a step up over a Clio 182 in every way and is its equal in terms of pure fun. If you consider that non .R cars, which are 95% the same as the .R, can be bought for less than most Clio Trophys they represent the biggest performance bargain on the market IMO.
plenty said:
I suppose I can add an opinion on that one being the current owner of both an .R and a 182.
My 182 has been heavily fettled including suspension, buckets and cage so it is more focused than a standard car. It is an enjoyable drive indeed but really misses an LSD. Despite not being terribly powerful it will light up the front wheels out of corners with ease, particularly at this time of year.
Despite being the same block the F4RT in the R26 with Ti exhaust is much smoother and more pleasant to rev whereas the F4R on the 182 is fairly gruff and not that enjoyable to rev above 6k which you have to do to get it moving, whereas you ride the turbo torque on the R26 to make good progress. As would expect the R26 has a significantly greater performance and handling envelope compared with the Clio.
The steering on the R26 is very good for an EPAS system and is very quick. The turn-in is one of the car’s best features. The Clio feels much lazier on turn-in despite my car being fitted with solid top mounts, 2 degrees camber and max caster. On OEM top mounts and struts I did not enjoy the Clio’s turn-in at all.
The Megane is more tail-happy than the Clio despite my Clio benefitting from a rear anti-roll bar on max stiffness. It’s next to impossible to unstick the rear of the Clio whereas the Megane can catch you out if you lift off abruptly. Of course once you become accustomed to this you can use it to your advantage on corner entry.
The one downside of the Megane is that the OEM suspension is a little too stiff and the damping not good enough for poorly-surfaced B-roads. It’s probably not a coincidence that all of the aftermarket spring options for the R26 are of a softer rate than OEM. I have a set of BC coilovers waiting to be fitted to mine, which should hopefully give me some more compliance and also will allow me to preserve my .R suspension in storage to return back to standard when it comes time to sell (springs are NLA).
In summary the R26 is a step up over a Clio 182 in every way and is its equal in terms of pure fun. If you consider that non .R cars, which are 95% the same as the .R, can be bought for less than most Clio Trophys they represent the biggest performance bargain on the market IMO.
HiMy 182 has been heavily fettled including suspension, buckets and cage so it is more focused than a standard car. It is an enjoyable drive indeed but really misses an LSD. Despite not being terribly powerful it will light up the front wheels out of corners with ease, particularly at this time of year.
Despite being the same block the F4RT in the R26 with Ti exhaust is much smoother and more pleasant to rev whereas the F4R on the 182 is fairly gruff and not that enjoyable to rev above 6k which you have to do to get it moving, whereas you ride the turbo torque on the R26 to make good progress. As would expect the R26 has a significantly greater performance and handling envelope compared with the Clio.
The steering on the R26 is very good for an EPAS system and is very quick. The turn-in is one of the car’s best features. The Clio feels much lazier on turn-in despite my car being fitted with solid top mounts, 2 degrees camber and max caster. On OEM top mounts and struts I did not enjoy the Clio’s turn-in at all.
The Megane is more tail-happy than the Clio despite my Clio benefitting from a rear anti-roll bar on max stiffness. It’s next to impossible to unstick the rear of the Clio whereas the Megane can catch you out if you lift off abruptly. Of course once you become accustomed to this you can use it to your advantage on corner entry.
The one downside of the Megane is that the OEM suspension is a little too stiff and the damping not good enough for poorly-surfaced B-roads. It’s probably not a coincidence that all of the aftermarket spring options for the R26 are of a softer rate than OEM. I have a set of BC coilovers waiting to be fitted to mine, which should hopefully give me some more compliance and also will allow me to preserve my .R suspension in storage to return back to standard when it comes time to sell (springs are NLA).
In summary the R26 is a step up over a Clio 182 in every way and is its equal in terms of pure fun. If you consider that non .R cars, which are 95% the same as the .R, can be bought for less than most Clio Trophys they represent the biggest performance bargain on the market IMO.
I have both too, I’ve had my R for 10 years, it’s had a mild map and bigger 2 piece discs and better pads and hoses all round
I’ve had the182 Cup for 12 years, it only has Eibach springs and better discs and hoses and carbon lorraine 5 pads
There have been a LOT of times over the years when I’ve thought the Clio is more fun, I love the size and the need to / reward to drive it harder to cover ground
I agree on the surprisingly lazy steering on the Clio
I’ve often thought about selling the R and buying a really nice Trophy
don logan said:
I’ve often thought about selling the R and buying a really nice Trophy
No, no, no, no.I had a Trophy, no idea what all the fuss is about. A few journalists jumped on the band wagon and all of a sudden it was the best thing since sliced bread. TBH I fell for the hype (+ I thought it looked good). But in reality it was slow, crap driving position, poor brakes, terrible ride (like truly awful), drank fuel and wasn't particularly cheap to run.
Was in for it's 1st service and they gave me an R26 as a courtesy car for the day. Trophy traded, R26 driven home. A much better car in every way. Very, very underrated the R26.
You must have had a lemon. A standard 182 (let alone Trophy) rides better than an R26 and is more fuel-efficient. You can see 25 mpg if hooning, but generally 30+ mpg is the order of the day.
As for brakes, with decent fluid and pads you will have no problems on road or track. If anything (like the R26 and indeed all Renault brakes) the 182 system is over-servo’ed...I can lock my wheels in the dry with the minimum of pedal effort.
OEM driving position is indeed poor but easily sorted with lowered seat mounts.
As for brakes, with decent fluid and pads you will have no problems on road or track. If anything (like the R26 and indeed all Renault brakes) the 182 system is over-servo’ed...I can lock my wheels in the dry with the minimum of pedal effort.
OEM driving position is indeed poor but easily sorted with lowered seat mounts.
clarki said:
don logan said:
I’ve often thought about selling the R and buying a really nice Trophy
No, no, no, no.I had a Trophy, no idea what all the fuss is about. A few journalists jumped on the band wagon and all of a sudden it was the best thing since sliced bread. TBH I fell for the hype (+ I thought it looked good). But in reality it was slow, crap driving position, poor brakes, terrible ride (like truly awful), drank fuel and wasn't particularly cheap to run.
Was in for it's 1st service and they gave me an R26 as a courtesy car for the day. Trophy traded, R26 driven home. A much better car in every way. Very, very underrated the R26.
It’s been plenty fast for what it is, I’ve never wished it had more power EVER
Driving position IS AWFUL but have never had the sear lowered
My brakes are really really good, both my Renaults have slightly modified brakes, the Clio’s are GREAT.
Ride, not great with standard dampers and Eibach springs but the Trophy Sachs dampers must be LOADS better
And yes, mine drinks fuel too
The R is unflappable but the Clio feels SOOO satisfying when you drive it hard
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