| Archive for The Motor Forum talking cars since 2006 |
| "him" |
Renault Megane R26.R (Well sat in...)I had to pop into my local Renault stealer today as the rear window on the Scenic decided to wind itself down when I locked the car and has stayed there ever since...
Anyway while I was there I noticed they had a Megane R26.R outside so decided to take a look. I collared the salesman whom we bought the Scenic from and had a poke around. 
Check out the "solar protection vinyl" on the rear window of the Scenic... 
The wheels and tyres looked great too (even in that colour!) 
Brembo Brakes and Toyo R888 tyres looked great... 
First impressions were very good, it felt great sat behind the wheel, the seats were wide enough to accommodate my 183cm/100kg frame without any problems. (and also my 8 yr old daughter and 4 yr old son) 
No stereo, but would you put one in a car with polycarbonate windows? Strangely enough this car (number 039 of 230) was specced with Climate and electrically folding and operated mirrors... 
No engine cover to be found under the carbon bonnet... a few ounces saved there no doubt! 
Boot space was fine, if a little insecure due to the lack of parcel shelf and the polycarbonate windows in the quarter-lights and tailgate. 
The tailgate felt really light actually, so some weight has been saved due to the lack of the wash wipe and glass window. This car never had the titanium exhaust, and No I wasn't allowed to drive it...
A lot of money for a Megane mind, but it was certainly a nice car to poke around in, I can only imagine how good it would be to drive! |
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| Humphrey The Pug |
I haven't seen one close up and unlikely too as no one from our dealership has taken an order on one and I don't think that we have one on order as a showrrom car.
Interestingly, I was told by the Renaultsport product Manager, they will all be numbered as per the whole world wide production, so someone in the UK may get a number 400, for example. |
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| D. |
Bizzare, horrid, awesome. | ||||
| "him" |
Oh right... this one definitely had "...of 230" on the plaque. He did say there were more Renault dealers in the UK than the current production run, so it is unlikely all dealers will get one. This was originally to be the directors car apparently, he currently has a "normal R26" but now it is going to stay unregistered until sold (at least for the present!) |
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| Humphrey The Pug |
I was mis informed then. Dealers were only allowed to have one as a showroom model if they didn't sell out to private buyers first, so we could order one for the showroom, and wait for it, if we wanted but would only receive it if the production run didn't sell out to buyers first. I would have the racing blue on red wheels, my wall paper at work. 
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| . |
Why give it Climate and leccy windows and no radio? Silly.
Horrid colour scheme. I see your daughter has adopted the ears at window line driving style there! Shes obviously spending to much time with 'daddy' at the local car cruises at Maccy D's... 
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| "him" |
I am doubting myself now... 
But agree about the colour, I am not sure what colour this one was but it looked almost like primer in the gloomy light I took the photos in. It was an "illusion" paint is all I know. I would still have "mine" in white though!
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| "him" |
Start them young, it is the only way...
I am surprised you never picked up my sons "hoody"...
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| Pkh72 |
Me too. I really like the R26R although i think i would have to be wealthy enough to have one as a second car, a scenerio that won't be happening any time soon. 
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| . |
He hasn't got it up hence why I didn't notice. Your letting him down! How will he learn to be cool when in da saxo? | ||||
| "him" |
True enough, but as he is presently too short to be clearly seen with the doors shut I have time to bring him up to speed... ...you are only 4 once!
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| D. |
How much was it? | ||||
| "him" |
It was just under £24k 
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| simonp |
I'm not 100% but I think they all have climate. Seems daft to not put a stereo in, though, IMO. | ||||
| . |
I like this version:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/897219.htm |
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| "him" |
They are worried about it getting stolen perhaps? |
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| "him" |
I'd have thought this was more "you"... http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/692952.htm |
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| . |
I'll take any Overfinch with only the mechanical upgrades!
But yeah. Mega Hubba Hubba there. You'll come round to my way of thinking one day! |
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| Blarno |
If it didn't have the crappy graphics and red wheels, I'd have one in a flash. Provided I had the money, that is.
Can they be had without climate? Kudos for no stereo, plaggy windows and lack of engine dressing. I like an engine to look like an engine, not a domestic appliance. Seats look ace, too. I suspect this will be the last of it's kind. I doubt Renault or anyone else will have the plums to build a proper balls-out hot hatch like this again. |
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| Matt |
I don't know why FG would make its way back in to a car like this anyway. If you have to add back in things the engineers didn't intend it to have, is it really the car for your needs? You wouldn't buy crotchless panties and sew in a zip. | ||||
| Humphrey The Pug |
They all have climate, electric windows and mirrors as standard, which is odd given the car that it is but perhaps developing manual windows specifically for a run of only 450 would probably have been pretty expensive, as for the climate I don't know.
As for the lack of stereo there is no wiring or anything, last time I enquired about one and the lack of radio Renault UK were investigating the possibility of having one retro fitted at the import centre at a cost but I believe they were struggling due to the lack of wiring. Blarno you can have black wheels as a cost option, £150 I think and you can delete the decals too. The grey is horrid, it's called Lunar Grey and is part of the id paint scheme so will set you back £1200, I've seen it on a Mk II V6 Clio and it looks as though someone forgot to paint the car. |
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| Matt |
Well if it's standard then that's a different matter. Did any of the range have manual heater controls? | ||||
| Humphrey The Pug |
Yep, most of them apart from Privilege, Tech Run, Dynamique S and the R26 the 225 started off with manual controls too. Again it's probably cheaper to whack in climate as the R26 has always had it, than to put in manual controls. |
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| Matt |
Perhaps they also thought there needed to be some concession to justify the price tag? | ||||
| Mark |
Doesn't do anything for me.
Looking at the top 2 pictures, the old Megane is looking pretty ancient now, no? |
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| Twelfth Monkey |
The colour scheme and graphics make me wince. Tyres look suitably 'take no prisoners', don't they? | ||||
| Matt |
I remember from my brief drive of the 225 Cup that when going over broken surfaces, that car sounded like it had explosions in the foot wells, so can only imagine this one will be worse on the road. | ||||
| "him" |
By all accounts it has a better ride than the Cup as the springs and dampers are softer (due to the lower kerb weight they can be...), but I am sure if you thought the Cup as uncomfortable this isn't going to suddenly make a comfortable car? |
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| Matt |
Oh, I don't mind hard riding cars as it provides some benefit when you are alone, but I'd imagine with less NVH materials and lower profiles this would resonate even more than the well-specced Cup model did. | ||||
| "him" |
It isn't a car to carry passengers in anyway... would you like to explain to your 'nearest and dearest' why there is no passenger airbag?
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| Blarno |
Airbags are bugger-all use with harnesses anyway!
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| Matt |
I've yet to own a car with two anyway! The E36 did without and the 306 only had one for the driver. The Astra does have a full compliment though! |
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| "him" |
True and interesting if your missus is wearing a skirt!
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| Dr. Hfuhruhurr |
Did you do up the harnesses? And are they as painful for men as evo and PC have suggested? | ||||
| "him" |
No I didn't try and adjust them to fit... I think perhaps driving with the aircon set to cold and all vents directed down should prevent any "issues" with crotch discomfort perhaps? Does your GT3 come with 3 point seatbelts? |
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| Dr. Hfuhruhurr |
Yes, harnesses are optional even with the bucket seats. |