Tuesday 7th January 2014

The car that killed the rally rep: PH Blog

We mourn our Imprezas and Evos but here's the reason we don't need them any more

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Filthy out there, eh? Not really the weather to be enjoying the roads, or fast cars thereon. But following a new year planning meeting with that man Harris I faced a choice. A literal 50/50. Turn right and sit in a ball of spray on the M4, catching up on phone calls at a cruise controlled trundle. Or turn left, into the rain, puddles and rolling west Berks countryside with only a vague notion of the route home.

Foul conditions, car in its element

Speaking of berks 'vague' it would remain, because whichever one it was who specced the Megane 265 Cup I was in had opted for the Renaultsport Monitor, an either/or choice over nav before the upgraded 2.0 version from the Clio 200 filters through.

Honestly, what kind of idiot would prioritise a pixellated boost gauge and G-meter over nav?

Oh, it was me. Yes, this was my emotional reunion with HY62 KEK, the PH Fleet long-termer I carefully, lovingly specced up ... and then never got to drive (other than a few fleeting laps of Blyton) following my medical licence suspension. Joking apart given my only previous was vicarious 'enjoyment' from the passenger seat it was actually quite an emotional experience, much, as it turned out, like the process for pairing my phone with it.

But where was I? Oh yes, pondering whether to sit on the M4 or venture into the unknown, personified in this instance by the roads south of Didcot. It was stinking. Deep pools of standing water. Rain lashing down. A permanent fug of damp mist lingering over the fields. Not weather for exploring previously untrodden B-roads.

Some idiot didn't spec nav - back to the old school

Obviously I went left.

Now, I'd seen how potent the Megane was in these kind of conditions up in Yorkshire with my brother at the wheel almost a year ago to the day. And I now appreciate a) why he felt emboldened to drive that hard and b) why he was grinning so much. The way this car takes apart a back road is simply astonishing. If you're looking for a reason for the death of the Japanese rally rep on British roads this is it. A few years back I'd have said my old classic Impreza was in its element in these conditions. But, honestly, four-wheel drive or not it wouldn't see which way the Renault went.

Why's it so good? In a word, confidence. The way the diff tears into the tarmac is just astonishing. Yes, the wheel wriggles and writhes a bit but the tyres just chew at the road like they're on sticky dry tarmac, not inches deep in standing water. Getting so hard on the power so early seems counter intuitive but passive dampers and a mechanical limited-slip diff mean the Megane is proactive rather than reactive, with none of the gizmo lag you get with the e-diffs or multi-mode adaptive dampers seen on fancier rivals.

Welcome home KEK - good to have you back

Likewise basics like control balance. Everything is just so. You flick the lock on and off and catch it at precisely the point you wanted. No second guessing. Pedals are perfectly weighted and positioned, throttle response unusually sharp for a turbo engine and blips instantly intuitive and rewarded with the occasional pop and bang. The shift is light and positive, the damping beautifully matched to the spring rates and - get this French car bashers - even after 13,000-odd press miles KEK is squeak and rattle free and everything works. And I was definitely right about the 18s on the Cup chassis. Perfect.

Bittersweet though. Because I know I've only got a week with it, not the six months I was looking forward to when I specced it. Still, mustn't grumble. It's great to be reunited. It'd probably be a more realistic dream than that GT3 when they de-fleet it too...

Dan

 

 

 

[Adam205]

That looks remarkably like the A338 between Great Shefford and Wantage, a brilliant piece of road. I was lucky to have it as part of my commute for a year.

[don logan]

Funny you should say that because when I bought my R26.R I started to wonder whether I actually needed my EVO 6 RS2, and it was actually the R26.R that made me spend a small fortune on new suspension, AP brakes, a re-bush and a 450bhp conversion on the 6, I didn't really want to sell it after 10yrs but the Renault was making it feel a bit normal!

[Switch]

I had a cracking time in it to a few Sunday Services.

Mid corner (or always) grip is amazing.

ETA: I found the way you can feel the way the diff is constantly searching for grip through the steering wheel is a delight.
Though if you go through a pothole and lose grip on one wheel while making progress the car can try and change direction a bit, but because of the feel you get through the wheel when it grabs hold of the road on the other side of the pothole like it's (or your) life depended on it you can feel it happening and correct the little attempt it's just been making to put you in the hedge and carry on happy as larry.

I'd have one.

[Dan Trent]

Adam205 said:

That looks remarkably like the A338 between Great Shefford and Wantage, a brilliant piece of road. I was lucky to have it as part of my commute for a year.

Good spot! Lucky man too; was a pot luck choice but one I'm glad I made. I imagine with familiarity it'd be even more fun - I was having to feel my way somewhat.

Dan

[Adam205]

Dan Trent said:

Good spot! Lucky man too; was a pot luck choice but one I'm glad I made. I imagine with familiarity it'd be even more fun - I was having to feel my way somewhat.

Dan

Next time you're over this way try this one: http://goo.gl/maps/nRD12

I'm not sure of the condition of the Welford road at the moment but it used to be good fun back when I commuted to and from Newbury in my AX GT. The A338 and B4494 are staple PH roads though.

And call in for a coffee

[Dave Hedgehog]

rally cars where over long before this came out

many owners where older with more disposable income and had moved into M and RS cars, some had moved into better finished VAG products that didn't make you look like you where having a mid life crisis like the R32 and S3, plus there was a raft of cars that where much closer generally in performance to them

i sold my scooby STI UK PPP because they had come down to a price point where the barry's/chavs where starting to drive them and they where getting a bad rep with the police

[Zircon]

Adam205 said:

Next time you're over this way try this one: http://goo.gl/maps/nRD12

I'm not sure of the condition of the Welford road at the moment but it used to be good fun back when I commuted to and from Newbury in my AX GT. The A338 and B4494 are staple PH roads though.

And call in for a coffee

Yes the Newbury - Wantage road is amazing. When I lived over in Thatcham I used to drive the route in the summer all the time in my MR2 Turbo.

I now live near Lambourn and there are some cracking roads around there too.

[framerateuk]

Every time I drive the Megane fast I'm astonished by the grip if offers. The way you can keep the power on in the corners is just unbelievable. It keeps turning in long after you brain has told you that it shouldn't be able to.

Still waiting to get mine back after being crashed into in November

[mrmr96]

Fuel prices and emissions regs killed rally reps, not a French hatchback.

[Fidgits]

Adam205 said:

Dan Trent said:

Good spot! Lucky man too; was a pot luck choice but one I'm glad I made. I imagine with familiarity it'd be even more fun - I was having to feel my way somewhat.

Dan

Next time you're over this way try this one: http://goo.gl/maps/nRD12

I'm not sure of the condition of the Welford road at the moment but it used to be good fun back when I commuted to and from Newbury in my AX GT. The A338 and B4494 are staple PH roads though.

And call in for a coffee

yes, i was going to say the B4494 would've been preferable.

Strangely i have a photo of the M3 on that very same layby!

[HorneyMX5]

Adam205 said:

Dan Trent said:

Good spot! Lucky man too; was a pot luck choice but one I'm glad I made. I imagine with familiarity it'd be even more fun - I was having to feel my way somewhat.

Dan

Next time you're over this way try this one: http://goo.gl/maps/nRD12

I'm not sure of the condition of the Welford road at the moment but it used to be good fun back when I commuted to and from Newbury in my AX GT. The A338 and B4494 are staple PH roads though.

And call in for a coffee

agreed. I live in Basingstoke and work in Newbury and there's some great roads for a good run out around here.

THis route: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Unknown+road&... would make an incredible closed rally section.

[roystinho]

You a Yorkshire lad Dan? Some great roads to enjoy up 'ere.

Not driven the latest 265, but have driven a 250 cup and found it exactly the same (probably because they are about exactly the same). My only gripe was it was so capable I found I was doing some silly speeds in order to enjoy it. At the time I bought a Clio 200 instead. Fantastic car though. And after being on a few RS trackdays they are unbelievably quick.

[grenpayne]

Zircon said:

Adam205 said:

Next time you're over this way try this one: http://goo.gl/maps/nRD12

I'm not sure of the condition of the Welford road at the moment but it used to be good fun back when I commuted to and from Newbury in my AX GT. The A338 and B4494 are staple PH roads though.

And call in for a coffee

Yes the Newbury - Wantage road is amazing. When I lived over in Thatcham I used to drive the route in the summer all the time in my MR2 Turbo.

I now live near Lambourn and there are some cracking roads around there too.

Abso-fecking-lutely amazing roads rounds West Berks and stringing together the B4000, A338 and B4494 is one of the joys of early Sunday morning runs out in my Caterham.

[Madkat]

Sounds like a fantastic car underneath but shame it looks like a big red marshmallow. I dont care how comptent it is the scruffy edges of a classic impreza and or the looks of the sti/type r/22b etc and evo 6's of old is far far more interesting and appealing on aesthetics alone. Hence why many say the turning of the century was the peak for cars. (Whether or not thats actually true). Still its good to know that renaultsport still make highly competent cars and the technology does seem to be making things faster which is the aim. Even if it gets beyond a point where its starts being wasted.

[matt1269]

Same colour combination as my clio 200. Very nice looking car.

[Chris Eyre]

The demise of Imprezas and Evos is due to the WRC regulations no longer requiring 2,500 homologation cars.

On the decline since 1997.

[leedsutd1]

why don't you buy a tom-tom ,they are only about £100, ?

[C.A.R.]

Madkat said:

Sounds like a fantastic car underneath but shame it looks like a big red marshmallow. I dont care how comptent it is the scruffy edges of a classic impreza and or the looks of the sti/type r/22b etc and evo 6's of old is far far more interesting and appealing on aesthetics alone. Hence why many say the turning of the century was the peak for cars. (Whether or not thats actually true). Still its good to know that renaultsport still make highly competent cars and the technology does seem to be making things faster which is the aim. Even if it gets beyond a point where its starts being wasted.

This, I agree with.

Modern cars are fantastic performance-wise, but cloaked in a giant, bloated, jelly-mould body. It's all to do with pedestrian bounce-back-ability etc but I'd rather pop-up lights and sharp edges and just try to avoid hitting pedestrians....

[Nors]

Dave Hedgehog said:

rally cars where over long before this came out

Agreed!

Who can actually remember the last Rally Rep? And, when it was? Off the cuff, I can't (Toyota GT4 perhaps? Escort Cossie?)

Notwithstanding the demise of Group B and no need to homologate, I also remember asking on here some time ago why the likes of Citroen for example, never produced a road going rally rep of some sort to cash in/capitalise on years of success. Kind of defeats the expense of going rallying by not creating road going halo versions of a model? Perhaps why the interest has gone out of Rallying?

[Vladimir]

mrmr96 said:

Fuel prices and emissions regs killed rally reps, not a French hatchback.

This.

Fun as they were, sub 20 mpg and almost monthly servicing just isn't practical for most. A shame as the Fq360 (Evo 9) I tested was an astonishingly capable car.