Tell me about (or talk me out of...) a Megane R26 F1Team
Discussion
For a while I've had my eye on the ridiculously named but otherwise brilliant Renault Megane 2.0 T Renaultsport F1Team R26.
During a bit of classifieds browsing I discovered I could chop in my MK5 Golf GTI and buy an R26 F1 for near enough the same money, which got me seriously interested. Might still be hard to justify to the OH as we're currently trying to save for a house deposit...not sure buying a new car would go down all too well even if it's worth the same as my current car.
Any known issues with these? I've heard of them chewing through tyres pretty quickly, brembo discs and pads being pricey and the cambelt replacement being a mega-expensive job.
During a bit of classifieds browsing I discovered I could chop in my MK5 Golf GTI and buy an R26 F1 for near enough the same money, which got me seriously interested. Might still be hard to justify to the OH as we're currently trying to save for a house deposit...not sure buying a new car would go down all too well even if it's worth the same as my current car.
Any known issues with these? I've heard of them chewing through tyres pretty quickly, brembo discs and pads being pricey and the cambelt replacement being a mega-expensive job.
As good a car as the R26 is, they are known to be pretty flimsy. If i was to go for a Renaultsport Megane, which i probably will do at some point, i'd personally just save up a bit more and get 250. They do appear to be bomb-proof and a fantastic drive.
However, the price does reflect this. At the cheaper end of the scale, they are still around 8k but unlike the R26, they appear to be able to hold the miles well without falling apart. In your scenario, it's probably not good advice but that's my 2p.
However, the price does reflect this. At the cheaper end of the scale, they are still around 8k but unlike the R26, they appear to be able to hold the miles well without falling apart. In your scenario, it's probably not good advice but that's my 2p.
They are great cars but build quality is not fantastic. I had one from approx. 3 years old until 5 years old and it was generally pretty good.
However, the CV boots leaked and needed sorting (common fault apparently - see this link https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... and I had to have the cambelt changed at 5 years albeit it cost £550 if I remember correctly - so not too bad. That was at a Renault main dealer also.
My concern would be that most of the R26s are going to be 9-10 years old now and the wear on them is going to be that much greater. If you get a good one then I have no doubt it will be more fun that your Gti. However, if you get a lemon, you will probably rue the day you made the change.
As an aside, I found that the tyres lasted about 10-12k miles with a mixture or normal and spirited driving and I only had to replace the brake pads during my tenure which I don't recall being expensive. The brake discs may well be a different thing altogether though.
If you do go for one, my main tip is to drop the back seats and remove the parcel shelf (you might even want to do this on a test drive). The car sounds absolutely brilliant when you do this as it releases lots of turbo whistle on half throttle (something which Renault actually engineered into the exhaust system as far as I understand) and a real great induction type "whoosh" noise if you go full throttle. This completely changes the character of the car and I remember almost never putting the parcel shelf back in or the back seats back to their upright position.
Lastly, watch out for the liquid yellow paint (which I had). It's an amazing colour but everyone will hate you, even if you aren't driving quickly and it is practically impossible (and hugely expensive) to match up if you do scuff any of the paint work.
However, the CV boots leaked and needed sorting (common fault apparently - see this link https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&... and I had to have the cambelt changed at 5 years albeit it cost £550 if I remember correctly - so not too bad. That was at a Renault main dealer also.
My concern would be that most of the R26s are going to be 9-10 years old now and the wear on them is going to be that much greater. If you get a good one then I have no doubt it will be more fun that your Gti. However, if you get a lemon, you will probably rue the day you made the change.
As an aside, I found that the tyres lasted about 10-12k miles with a mixture or normal and spirited driving and I only had to replace the brake pads during my tenure which I don't recall being expensive. The brake discs may well be a different thing altogether though.
If you do go for one, my main tip is to drop the back seats and remove the parcel shelf (you might even want to do this on a test drive). The car sounds absolutely brilliant when you do this as it releases lots of turbo whistle on half throttle (something which Renault actually engineered into the exhaust system as far as I understand) and a real great induction type "whoosh" noise if you go full throttle. This completely changes the character of the car and I remember almost never putting the parcel shelf back in or the back seats back to their upright position.
Lastly, watch out for the liquid yellow paint (which I had). It's an amazing colour but everyone will hate you, even if you aren't driving quickly and it is practically impossible (and hugely expensive) to match up if you do scuff any of the paint work.
I had one for a year and loved it!
I sold it after spending loads on maintanence (Belts, tyres etc) purely because a cheap lease popped up for a fiesta ST and I banked the cash to put towards a property deposit. The grip and handling is out of this world for a FWD car. I never really hit many Broads in the car and didn't do any track days so it was wasted on me imo.
I sold it after spending loads on maintanence (Belts, tyres etc) purely because a cheap lease popped up for a fiesta ST and I banked the cash to put towards a property deposit. The grip and handling is out of this world for a FWD car. I never really hit many Broads in the car and didn't do any track days so it was wasted on me imo.
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