*RS Trophy R* Mk4 (one of 32) - Track Toy
Discussion
I've ran many of a Readers Car on here, to varying degrees of success. I am awful keeping up with the GT4 build but it became a good one, and where I will start this story.
I attended a private track day at Anglesey in the GT4.
There was a nice array of machinery from various hot hatches, track prepared BMWs, 2 seater sports cars and even a Ferrari 812 and McLaren 750s.
There was a chap there driving a lovely example of a Megane RS Trophy R. I was super impressed at how quick it was on track, it was always keeping up with much more powerful machinery and seemed to be taking it all in its stride.
It was the first one I had seen in the flesh (ever), which is not surprising as only 32 made it to the UK, one of which was the Nurb spec'd press car. It looks super special; really wide, with flared arches, purposeful stance, ducts and vents, and an interior not dissimilar to a touring car.
I took an interest in these as soon as I watched the Nurburgring lap time that was a record holder for a period of time for FWD. They look so raw and purpose built for track driving. A lot of reviews refer to them as the GT3 RS of the hatch world.
Anyway, long story short, I was chatting to the owner throughout the day and suggested that if he ever wanted to let her go, I would be the proud new dad. That call soon came and within days I collected her.
My plans for the TR is to enjoy as many track days as I can muster with it.
Specification
-MY20 (They all were)
-11k miles (quite low for the ones I've seen on the market)
-Carbon bonnet
-Akrapovic carbon splitter
-Akrapovic titanium exhaust
-Öhlins adjustable dual valve damping and springs
-Öhlins Optional lowering pack (-16mm)
-Fuji ultra lightweight wheels (did not want the carbon wheels as they would have either been sold or stored away)
-Brembo steel brake package
-Sabelt fixed bucket seats with side mounts
-Sabelt 3" harnesses
-Alcantara steering wheel (a bit fat for my liking)
-Custom 'flocked' spare wheel bench for track wheels and tyres
-Eibach spacers
-Forge intake system
-300bhp / 295 lb/ft
-You get the point - its a track weapon!
I collected it on a very rainy welsh weekend morning and decided to take it easy until I got her home. I could immediately tell this was special, the turn in caught me off guard as it moved so quickly! Not unlike my GT4.... I can tell this wants to be challenged.
I have an awful lot planned (and have started on some bits already!), so I will keep this little blog updated if of interest.
Thanks for reading, CT.
Pic of it on the track day where I laid eyes on it (expensive track day!)

My GT4

On my way home from collecting her (Horseshoe Pass)

I attended a private track day at Anglesey in the GT4.
There was a nice array of machinery from various hot hatches, track prepared BMWs, 2 seater sports cars and even a Ferrari 812 and McLaren 750s.
There was a chap there driving a lovely example of a Megane RS Trophy R. I was super impressed at how quick it was on track, it was always keeping up with much more powerful machinery and seemed to be taking it all in its stride.
It was the first one I had seen in the flesh (ever), which is not surprising as only 32 made it to the UK, one of which was the Nurb spec'd press car. It looks super special; really wide, with flared arches, purposeful stance, ducts and vents, and an interior not dissimilar to a touring car.
I took an interest in these as soon as I watched the Nurburgring lap time that was a record holder for a period of time for FWD. They look so raw and purpose built for track driving. A lot of reviews refer to them as the GT3 RS of the hatch world.
Anyway, long story short, I was chatting to the owner throughout the day and suggested that if he ever wanted to let her go, I would be the proud new dad. That call soon came and within days I collected her.
My plans for the TR is to enjoy as many track days as I can muster with it.
Specification
-MY20 (They all were)
-11k miles (quite low for the ones I've seen on the market)
-Carbon bonnet
-Akrapovic carbon splitter
-Akrapovic titanium exhaust
-Öhlins adjustable dual valve damping and springs
-Öhlins Optional lowering pack (-16mm)
-Fuji ultra lightweight wheels (did not want the carbon wheels as they would have either been sold or stored away)
-Brembo steel brake package
-Sabelt fixed bucket seats with side mounts
-Sabelt 3" harnesses
-Alcantara steering wheel (a bit fat for my liking)
-Custom 'flocked' spare wheel bench for track wheels and tyres
-Eibach spacers
-Forge intake system
-300bhp / 295 lb/ft
-You get the point - its a track weapon!
I collected it on a very rainy welsh weekend morning and decided to take it easy until I got her home. I could immediately tell this was special, the turn in caught me off guard as it moved so quickly! Not unlike my GT4.... I can tell this wants to be challenged.
I have an awful lot planned (and have started on some bits already!), so I will keep this little blog updated if of interest.
Thanks for reading, CT.
Pic of it on the track day where I laid eyes on it (expensive track day!)
My GT4
On my way home from collecting her (Horseshoe Pass)
Brake pads
First job was sorting the brake pads. The discs were fine however pads were in need of a change.
Through a bit of research I opted for the Winmax W5 pads for front and W3 for rear, as this gives a nice balance of performance and endurance. A great starting point to benchmark.
I think they came in at a total of £400 which was very refreshing considering a set of manthey pads for PCCB is c. £3k a set!
The install was super quick (compared to me doing the GT4) as the fronts were 2 pins and no bolts to undo, track day dream maintenance!
They look a bit bling, but after completing the bedding in procedure (basically varying speeds down to 20 mph), they are as sharp as what I'd expect from a track car, very impressed.
I am still yet to do a fluid flush, but I will at some point before a track day and opt for Endless RF650 fluid, I am impressed with it on the GT4. Funnily enough its just had a service from Renault over the last couple of hundred miles so has had new fluid, but will not be up to spec!

First job was sorting the brake pads. The discs were fine however pads were in need of a change.
Through a bit of research I opted for the Winmax W5 pads for front and W3 for rear, as this gives a nice balance of performance and endurance. A great starting point to benchmark.
I think they came in at a total of £400 which was very refreshing considering a set of manthey pads for PCCB is c. £3k a set!
The install was super quick (compared to me doing the GT4) as the fronts were 2 pins and no bolts to undo, track day dream maintenance!
They look a bit bling, but after completing the bedding in procedure (basically varying speeds down to 20 mph), they are as sharp as what I'd expect from a track car, very impressed.
I am still yet to do a fluid flush, but I will at some point before a track day and opt for Endless RF650 fluid, I am impressed with it on the GT4. Funnily enough its just had a service from Renault over the last couple of hundred miles so has had new fluid, but will not be up to spec!
PRO5T said:
"you sold your car for that?!"
Be prepared, I had a lot of the same comments when I traded my M3csl for a brand new Megane R26.R back in 2009 but it was truly worth doing!
Ha - This was an addition, this actually replaced the GP3. However, what I will say this feels as good as metal much, much more exotic! What a thing.Be prepared, I had a lot of the same comments when I traded my M3csl for a brand new Megane R26.R back in 2009 but it was truly worth doing!
Its a 'if you know, you know' kind of car.
Thanks for the comments - more posts to come as I have done a few things.
PRO5T said:
Ah have you ended up keeping the GT4 after all? I m currently sat on a train to London on my way to pick up something that isn t a purple GT4!
No the GT4 went a few days ago, I stripped £33k of modifications off it which was not fun and sold most of them. I am looking for its replacement, but it will be something much more rawer and focused on track.Prey do tell??? exciting times, nothing like NCD!
Congrats, the days of Megane Trophy Rs, Civic Limited Edition and the Clusport S are sadly looooong gone (unless VW does the right thing and bows the golf out like it should!) so its great to see you owning and using it like its meant to. I went for the er.. other 'GT3 hot hatch' the press describe in the FL5 type R and has a similar ethos albeit a btit less extreme..! Enjoy
What have I planned?
To be honest the TR is great out of the box. It can drive to track, lap all day and then drive home. However I have built a 'To Do' list that I am planning on completing soon enough.
Here is the list and the reasons for each addition/change.
Brakes
No requirement to do much here after the Winmax pads and stainless steel braided HELL hoses. I was going to buy the Reyland 2 piece discs but I have since discovered some TR owners having warping issues. Something the standard 2 piece (into one) discs do not suffer with. I will be flushing with Endless RF650 fluid.
Gear shift
This is one of the TRs failings. It's a manual - yay!, but not a great one. The shift is a little numb and vague. So an effective (but expensive) solution is to install a CAE short shifter and a gearbox side linkage kit.
Cooling
The Nurburgring record winning spec version had built in air intake in replacement of the fog lights to reduce intake temps. Renaultsport have a shop online that sells all of these parts. It comes as a kit of fog light delete mouldings, electrical resistor to stop any dash errors and the air feed.
Steering wheel
Coming straight out of the GT4 and using its super thin wheel that provides loads of feedback, the TRs wheel feels a bit fat. Not as fat as a BMW but fat nonetheless. I want to find a thinner version trimmed in exactly the same way as OEM, watch this space!
Harnesses
The Sabelt 3" harness is beautiful and has excellent craftsmanship, just like Porsche you can only spec one. So another is required if you take passengers out.
Front Suspension Bushings
There was an advisory on one of the front bushes from Renault on last MOT. A specialist saw it and said it was marginal. I also couldnt recreate any play on my lift. As it is my track day car I want things as tight as it can be within reason, so a full front end refresh is in order (basically 3 x ball/swivle joint replacement). Quite a big job....
Seating Postion
The seating position is pretty superb for a hatch, however if I was being really picky - heel and toe is made difficult because I cannot extend the seat further enough to get comfortable as it needs to be close in to reach the wheel.
Solution? Steering wheel ext boss and electrical ext cables to maintain OEM functions.
Also, I discovered a company that do ultra low mounts for the Sabelt seats, so I will be investigating them too!
Clutch Cooling
There have been instances with the clutch can overheat on these cars on hot/intense track sessions. Renault have a tech programme that solved this within warranty. Problem is that they were pretty clueless with actually doing it and it took forever for them to do it. Which meant not a lot of people had it done. My car is one of them.
Luckily I have obtained the official guide and also the official tool to do this, I'm technically proficient so I will be completing this as a priority.
Underbody protection
I love a shiny undercarriage, so I want to give it a really deep clean and then seal it to prevent any corrosion on the non aluminium bits.
Track wheels and Tyres
The beauty of the TR is that you can take a full set of track wheels in a dedicated wheel storage tray in the rear!
I have a new set of lovely smaller track wheels (18") and some proper track rubber on its way to me.
I also have the official wheel secure net that was issued with the Nurburgring record version that is on its way too!
Engine Torque Mount
To tighten things up, complimentary to the shifter....
And other than some minor things I think that is a healthy list to get started and tick off!
Thanks for the comments, I think a hot hatch always gets us petrol heads interested no matter what you have driven or drive!
Until next update.
CT
To be honest the TR is great out of the box. It can drive to track, lap all day and then drive home. However I have built a 'To Do' list that I am planning on completing soon enough.
Here is the list and the reasons for each addition/change.
Brakes
No requirement to do much here after the Winmax pads and stainless steel braided HELL hoses. I was going to buy the Reyland 2 piece discs but I have since discovered some TR owners having warping issues. Something the standard 2 piece (into one) discs do not suffer with. I will be flushing with Endless RF650 fluid.
Gear shift
This is one of the TRs failings. It's a manual - yay!, but not a great one. The shift is a little numb and vague. So an effective (but expensive) solution is to install a CAE short shifter and a gearbox side linkage kit.
Cooling
The Nurburgring record winning spec version had built in air intake in replacement of the fog lights to reduce intake temps. Renaultsport have a shop online that sells all of these parts. It comes as a kit of fog light delete mouldings, electrical resistor to stop any dash errors and the air feed.
Steering wheel
Coming straight out of the GT4 and using its super thin wheel that provides loads of feedback, the TRs wheel feels a bit fat. Not as fat as a BMW but fat nonetheless. I want to find a thinner version trimmed in exactly the same way as OEM, watch this space!
Harnesses
The Sabelt 3" harness is beautiful and has excellent craftsmanship, just like Porsche you can only spec one. So another is required if you take passengers out.
Front Suspension Bushings
There was an advisory on one of the front bushes from Renault on last MOT. A specialist saw it and said it was marginal. I also couldnt recreate any play on my lift. As it is my track day car I want things as tight as it can be within reason, so a full front end refresh is in order (basically 3 x ball/swivle joint replacement). Quite a big job....
Seating Postion
The seating position is pretty superb for a hatch, however if I was being really picky - heel and toe is made difficult because I cannot extend the seat further enough to get comfortable as it needs to be close in to reach the wheel.
Solution? Steering wheel ext boss and electrical ext cables to maintain OEM functions.
Also, I discovered a company that do ultra low mounts for the Sabelt seats, so I will be investigating them too!
Clutch Cooling
There have been instances with the clutch can overheat on these cars on hot/intense track sessions. Renault have a tech programme that solved this within warranty. Problem is that they were pretty clueless with actually doing it and it took forever for them to do it. Which meant not a lot of people had it done. My car is one of them.
Luckily I have obtained the official guide and also the official tool to do this, I'm technically proficient so I will be completing this as a priority.
Underbody protection
I love a shiny undercarriage, so I want to give it a really deep clean and then seal it to prevent any corrosion on the non aluminium bits.
Track wheels and Tyres
The beauty of the TR is that you can take a full set of track wheels in a dedicated wheel storage tray in the rear!
I have a new set of lovely smaller track wheels (18") and some proper track rubber on its way to me.
I also have the official wheel secure net that was issued with the Nurburgring record version that is on its way too!
Engine Torque Mount
To tighten things up, complimentary to the shifter....
And other than some minor things I think that is a healthy list to get started and tick off!
Thanks for the comments, I think a hot hatch always gets us petrol heads interested no matter what you have driven or drive!
Until next update.
CT
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