M Coupe Clownshoe, V8 M3 and 944 fun
Discussion
MrTouring said:
Koolkat969 said:
This thread has got me looking at the Trophys and I've just seen this one for sale on fb.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/MeganeSportOC/perm...
I think they offer great value for what they are. Yours looks stunning!
Edited to add the screenshot as I think you'll have to be a member on the fb group to open the link.
That’s Performance Only from Manc where I got mine from. I liked that one as well but my wife made me promise 4 seats!!!!https://www.facebook.com/groups/MeganeSportOC/perm...
I think they offer great value for what they are. Yours looks stunning!
Edited to add the screenshot as I think you'll have to be a member on the fb group to open the link.
Edited by Koolkat969 on Tuesday 14th September 10:14
Alex there knows his stuff though!
Do some come without the rear seats from factory then?
I'll be keeping an eye on their stock incase i decide to go down the same route, I'll know where to go. Cheers
Edited by Koolkat969 on Wednesday 15th September 15:10
Koolkat969 said:
That's interesting you got yours from the same place. Really like that one, love the interior set-up but not practical for me either.
Do some come without the rear seats from factory then?
I'll be keeping an eye on their stock incase i decide to go down the same route, I'll know where to go. Cheers
All Trophy’s had rear seats from factory as far as I know - think it was the ultra rare Trophy-R that dodntDo some come without the rear seats from factory then?
I'll be keeping an eye on their stock incase i decide to go down the same route, I'll know where to go. Cheers
Edited by Koolkat969 on Wednesday 15th September 15:10
So interesting update: van driver pulled me over because in his words “I think all your wheels are about to fall off!”
I’d felt nothing different, although perhaps the ride was a little harsher? But he was right- all four wheels were wobbling like billio (no idea how you spell billy-o?) but were on firmly! Jacked the car up and they spun nicely, but looked like they were wobbling off - very strange
Dropped at garage tonight and I’m guessing it’s the spigots cos the chances of 4 buckled brand new wheels having driven around 20 miles on them seems a bit unlikely
So let’s see what tomorrow brings
I’d felt nothing different, although perhaps the ride was a little harsher? But he was right- all four wheels were wobbling like billio (no idea how you spell billy-o?) but were on firmly! Jacked the car up and they spun nicely, but looked like they were wobbling off - very strange
Dropped at garage tonight and I’m guessing it’s the spigots cos the chances of 4 buckled brand new wheels having driven around 20 miles on them seems a bit unlikely
So let’s see what tomorrow brings
|https://thumbsnap.com/jnKZdAiA[/url
So……. quite a week for me and the Meg. I’ll be honest and say that I hadn’t gelled with the Meg yet - I still very much missed the fun little Clio and was wondering if I had made an expensive mistake with the change. I even considered seeing if I could have a go in a more standard version to see if the Gripper LSD and CAE shifter were just too extreme for everyday use. I’d been on the web doing man maths to get me into an M2, looked through e46 M3s and even mentally sold everything for a CSL……..
It wasn’t looking good - can only describe it in terms of relationship: everything about the Trophy was fantastic but we had no spark. No emotional connection. I still think the noise plays it’s part in that for me which doesn’t bode well in an electrified world!
Monday saw it pressed into family service as the big Beemer was out of action. It carried out this function flawlessly, transporting a family of four to London for the day in comfort and returning 38mpg overall to boot! It also made me realise I hadn’t really given the Meg a shot yet: it had endured poor weather, a fuel crisis and me being too busy to go for early morning drives. I figured Castle Combe on the Friday would be a chance to connect with it more.
Friday: Castle Combe.
So in a dry week it was a bad start as torrential rain made it difficult even getting to the circuit! The wife always worries about me on track days and I always tell her it’s safer than the M4!
But having arrived safely I met up with my cousin who is the new custodian of the Clio (that way I can kinda think he’s just borrowing it) and the sun started to leak out
The Clio looked fantastic and if the Meg had been a woman it would definitely got the hump with how much attention and time I spent looking the Clio over again and checking cousin was looking after it properly!
Briefing and sighting laps done and the heavens opened again. I have never done a wet track day before and had no idea what to expect. The first few laps I was genuinely terrified as I tested the grip in corners whilst what I can only assume were suicidal mentalists hooned passed in their RWD beemers and sapphires! One young lad in a M140 was ridiculous and black flagged immediately. How he made it alive to the end of the day I’ll never know.
But any way back to the Meg: with brand new PS4s all round my confidence began to increase and after only a few laps I felt ready to stick it in race mode, turning traction control off and giving me the full 315bhp and 365lbs/ft. The Car and LSD found grip everywhere and I soon realised I could enter, go round and exit corners at ridiculous speed - the Meg remaining incredibly composed and assured throughout.
To put it simply the Megane monstered the conditions and the track. A good example of the step up from Clio to Meg is the way it handled the transition from Avon Rise into Quarry. Last time out in the Clio I never felt settled for Quarry as I struggled to brake across the camber change of the left turn and set myself ready to turn in right for Quarry. The Meg’s stability under braking was immense and the grip/turn allowed me to simply lift off at the top of Avon Rise, brake heavily in the turn setting my self for Quarry and then mash the pedal on entry knowing the LSD would simply haul me out the other side. Entry speed a full 20-25mph higher than in the Clio.
Up till 2pm then the weather stayed wet and I thoroughly enjoyed the extra challenge the conditions brought. The Meg felt completely alive and each lap I pushed it harder only to find more and more reserves of talent.
It was a totally new sensation to be one of the quickest at a track day. My experience so far had always been to hassle the faster stuff in the corners and then let stuff past on the straights - or (as my cousin found) be genuinely quicker than turbo’s fiestas and minis in the corners but not enough grunt to overtake in the straights.
This was very different and incredibly fun! Apart from some very serious looking V8 M3s and the odd track race car, I could enjoy winding cars in and passing them. Very fun. Best moment was a very lovely track prep’s M2 trying to keep ahead and then up once I’d passed him. This resulted in a first: someone actually coming to find me in the pits to ask what I’d done to the Meg!
With the weather drying out and a decent dry line appearing on track we both swapped from PS4s to dry tyres. Clio onto CUp2s and the Meg onto Pirelli Trofeo Rs.
I’ve talked about the Pirelli’s before but again they provide astonishing grip and bite. Again it was the stability and adjustability under hard braking that really impressed.
If I thought the Meg had been quick in the wet it was brutal in the dry! I even managed to max out the G-meter!
The rest of the afternoon was spent trying to get smoother and quicker. Again a massive difference between Clio and Meg was the amount of laps it could handle. The Clio would let you do 6-8 hard laps before brakes, tyres and mechanical sympathy would slow you down or bring you in. The Meg with its upgraded Intercooler, oil cooler and other bits just kept going: 10-15 hard laps would see me needing a break long before the car did!
Another difference is just how much more the Meg drinks - cousin behind is topping the Clio up after the morning session with maybe £20-25 - the Meg would need another whole tank for the afternoon. Again, this may also be because it could do so many more laps.
Anyway: this is a very long way to say to probably not many people reading that I took my Meg to where it lives/loves best and now I love it. Knowing what it can do helps forgive it when it’s grumbling its way around a car park!
A great first track day for my cousin as well : he caught the bug proper and it’s great to see the Clio being loved and used properly!
It wasn’t looking good - can only describe it in terms of relationship: everything about the Trophy was fantastic but we had no spark. No emotional connection. I still think the noise plays it’s part in that for me which doesn’t bode well in an electrified world!
Monday saw it pressed into family service as the big Beemer was out of action. It carried out this function flawlessly, transporting a family of four to London for the day in comfort and returning 38mpg overall to boot! It also made me realise I hadn’t really given the Meg a shot yet: it had endured poor weather, a fuel crisis and me being too busy to go for early morning drives. I figured Castle Combe on the Friday would be a chance to connect with it more.
Friday: Castle Combe.
So in a dry week it was a bad start as torrential rain made it difficult even getting to the circuit! The wife always worries about me on track days and I always tell her it’s safer than the M4!
But having arrived safely I met up with my cousin who is the new custodian of the Clio (that way I can kinda think he’s just borrowing it) and the sun started to leak out
The Clio looked fantastic and if the Meg had been a woman it would definitely got the hump with how much attention and time I spent looking the Clio over again and checking cousin was looking after it properly!
Briefing and sighting laps done and the heavens opened again. I have never done a wet track day before and had no idea what to expect. The first few laps I was genuinely terrified as I tested the grip in corners whilst what I can only assume were suicidal mentalists hooned passed in their RWD beemers and sapphires! One young lad in a M140 was ridiculous and black flagged immediately. How he made it alive to the end of the day I’ll never know.
But any way back to the Meg: with brand new PS4s all round my confidence began to increase and after only a few laps I felt ready to stick it in race mode, turning traction control off and giving me the full 315bhp and 365lbs/ft. The Car and LSD found grip everywhere and I soon realised I could enter, go round and exit corners at ridiculous speed - the Meg remaining incredibly composed and assured throughout.
To put it simply the Megane monstered the conditions and the track. A good example of the step up from Clio to Meg is the way it handled the transition from Avon Rise into Quarry. Last time out in the Clio I never felt settled for Quarry as I struggled to brake across the camber change of the left turn and set myself ready to turn in right for Quarry. The Meg’s stability under braking was immense and the grip/turn allowed me to simply lift off at the top of Avon Rise, brake heavily in the turn setting my self for Quarry and then mash the pedal on entry knowing the LSD would simply haul me out the other side. Entry speed a full 20-25mph higher than in the Clio.
Up till 2pm then the weather stayed wet and I thoroughly enjoyed the extra challenge the conditions brought. The Meg felt completely alive and each lap I pushed it harder only to find more and more reserves of talent.
It was a totally new sensation to be one of the quickest at a track day. My experience so far had always been to hassle the faster stuff in the corners and then let stuff past on the straights - or (as my cousin found) be genuinely quicker than turbo’s fiestas and minis in the corners but not enough grunt to overtake in the straights.
This was very different and incredibly fun! Apart from some very serious looking V8 M3s and the odd track race car, I could enjoy winding cars in and passing them. Very fun. Best moment was a very lovely track prep’s M2 trying to keep ahead and then up once I’d passed him. This resulted in a first: someone actually coming to find me in the pits to ask what I’d done to the Meg!
With the weather drying out and a decent dry line appearing on track we both swapped from PS4s to dry tyres. Clio onto CUp2s and the Meg onto Pirelli Trofeo Rs.
I’ve talked about the Pirelli’s before but again they provide astonishing grip and bite. Again it was the stability and adjustability under hard braking that really impressed.
If I thought the Meg had been quick in the wet it was brutal in the dry! I even managed to max out the G-meter!
The rest of the afternoon was spent trying to get smoother and quicker. Again a massive difference between Clio and Meg was the amount of laps it could handle. The Clio would let you do 6-8 hard laps before brakes, tyres and mechanical sympathy would slow you down or bring you in. The Meg with its upgraded Intercooler, oil cooler and other bits just kept going: 10-15 hard laps would see me needing a break long before the car did!
Another difference is just how much more the Meg drinks - cousin behind is topping the Clio up after the morning session with maybe £20-25 - the Meg would need another whole tank for the afternoon. Again, this may also be because it could do so many more laps.
Anyway: this is a very long way to say to probably not many people reading that I took my Meg to where it lives/loves best and now I love it. Knowing what it can do helps forgive it when it’s grumbling its way around a car park!
A great first track day for my cousin as well : he caught the bug proper and it’s great to see the Clio being loved and used properly!
5mileofdeath said:
Great write up and looks like you finally fell for the Meg 
Can’t wait to get some track days under my belt, although if it rains I’ll probably be like driving miss daisy as the roads are slippery enough!
Fair play to you for pushing on..
I thought I’d be the same but once you realise there is grip there - it’s just too tempting not to get a wriggle on! Can’t wait to get some track days under my belt, although if it rains I’ll probably be like driving miss daisy as the roads are slippery enough!
Fair play to you for pushing on..
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