My Megane III RS

[Apex 693]

haven't started a topic on this car, have done a few small cosmetic things over the last year of owning it, its on its third set of tyres and about to go for its 40,000km service so it gets driven more than anything else... still waiting to get my race car fixed

Fitted a Kicker 12" active sub. Sounds nice!

Update black headlights. Update Black wheels. Update Black Fern Euro-plates, genuine, de-badged Megane badge, sound proofed the doors.

Took it around Pukekohe before they closed it down, could go a second faster with more comitment and better tyres, have fitted cheaper tyres and its sucks.

Has a built in lap timer, G meter, 1-100kph and 400m timer, also has several throttler and steering maps and three levels of EPS, Sport, Normal and Extreme off, its nice to have the option and Sport is the best most of the time.

Also went around Hampton when I got to see what it was like, went O.K with a 1.20.01 100% stock full spare tyre and all. Sory about the i-Phone quality, have a Go-Pro now!

Thanks for looking... I know its not an E30.

[nastnas 9]

1:20 in stock form, is so F#!@ing fast!

[Apex 693]

It goes O.K, struggles for grip on the road tyres and needs more power, but its in a straight line where it looses most with only 250BHP, OEM 340mm Brembo's help. Would be a bit faster with some semi slicks. I think with Semi slicks, removal of the spare tyre and tools and back seats and a ECU flash to 300bhp you should see low 1.18's or faster, not bad for a daily driven hatch back.

I know guys in Europe are doing sub 8 minute Nürburgring Nordschleife laps with semi slicks and a remap, some video's showing them, keeping supercars honest and passing nearly everything is inspiring, RS know what they are doing!

Example, stock Megane vs Porsche 997 GT2.Not to bad for the wifes shopping cart.

[Greg111 13]

Time for an RS265 perhaps? Tad more power. Claimed to be the fastest production fwd in the world.

[Apex 693]

Nope, the 265 is mechanically identical to the RS250 Greg, you may learn this as time goes on and you work on a few, the only difference is some new interior colours and more LED's in the day time running lights... the 265 is kinda like a series II Ford Falcon XR6, Marketing and lipstick, would still buy one if I didnt have this though!

I do like the new colour's available on the 265, the Liquid Yellow is awesome!

Think I may replace this with a more practical car when the time comes at the end of next year, like you a family is next so it will likely be something a little less hard core with 5 doors, the 2014 Ford Focus RS perhaps, possibly a BMW M135i if they can sort the pricing out to make it a bit more realistic.

[Greg111 13]

Oh ok, was told it had a slight increase in bhp but they have been mislead. The 265 stands for 265kw does it not?

[Apex 693]

You have not been mislead. Warning, sh*t is about to get geeky.

The 265 is supposed to have 265Bhp and the 250 is supposed to have 250Bhp, the truth is both have between 265 and 280Bhp, most seem to dyno around the 270Bhp mark and both can be remaped to between 290 and 300Bhp. Some will go to 100kph/400m faster than claimed and some are slower.

What they have done with the 265 is change the tune so that when you hit the "sport" button it goes to the cars most aggressive sports map and with it off it tones things down and gives the car a more linear power delivery and throttle response, so when you hit sport you get the feeling you have massive amounts more power, its clever, much like BMW do with the M-Button on some models, the 250 has the same maps only they are manually selected from within the RS Monitor menus.

The claim that they are the fastest FWD in the world valid but its mostly a marketing thing, all manufacturers do it, Renault Sport basically took a 250 Cup, a model we don't technically get in NZ (our Cup is a full fat with the Cup package) and then fitted some very sticky Bridgestone tyres we don't get as factory fit, they then through a very good driver in it and set a record, its not a false record, its just that the 265 Trophy they used is not a model you can actually buy anymore, it was a limited edition. In saying that, better drivers in slightly tuned cars with semi slicks have smashed that record again so if Renault wanted to prove something (like when the new Civic Type-R beats it) there is plenty more left in the tank in the form of a striped out 280BHP .R version with semi slicks like they did with the R26.R, a CSL version if you will. I have no doubt that the 250 and now 265 are the fastest FWD's in the world though, not just fast for FWD but fast full stop beating out cars that have double the power that are AWD or RWD.

Some records here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_N%C3%...leife_lap_times

[BMWTouring 20]

love it. giz a go.

also, $82,800 for a M135i is reasonable....

Edited January 22, 2013 by BMWTouring

[Greg111 13]

Good read,that sums it up. And for the price tag of $55,000 it's a lot of car for the money.

[Apex 693]

Yep, this is the Trophy model so you get a few options like Recaro's, Proximity, U"upgraded stereo", 19" wheels anda few other bits, pushes the price to just over 60k, still a bargain compared to slower cars costing twice as much with less equipment.

love it. giz a go.

also, $82,800 for a M135i is reasonable....

Reasonable if you can afford it I suppose. I cant and especially cant see the value in it where in the U.K the M135i is only a few thousand more than the Megane and more than a match performance wise, you can buy the BMW brand new for under $60k NZ, not sure why BMW need to mark the car up $25k where the likes of Renault or Ford bring cars in from Europe and sell them at the same price they do in every other country

With the amount of U.K imports we are getting I'm sure I could get something that way, I nearly brought a Focus RS ex UK before buying this, glad I didn't!

[BM WORLD 1283]

sounds pretty

I'm converted.

rights lets change this forum to renosport

[Apex 693]

Ha, would only have three members!! I did stick it inthe "other European" section. I do like how its other European and not Other cars..

Will have to give you a lift to the next South Auckland meet Via the coast Brent, i'm sure you will like it.

[BM WORLD 1283]

Ha, would only have three members!! I did stick it inthe "other European" section. I do like how its other European and not Other cars..

Will have to give you a lift to the next South Auckland meet Via the coast Brent, i'm sure you will like it.

just a lift!!! ,

i think swap cars for the drive .

my e28 M5 for yours

[Apex 693]

As long as you are still over 25 and have a full driers licence haha

For sure, sounds like a good trade to me... lets get the Southside meet together!

[deeveus 81]

I've never really been a fan of French cars, but that's one tough looking unit!

[central3 31]

The driver has ovbviously been around the ring a few times but the car looks well up to it - I'm a convert too

[deeveus 81]

Hope that Commodore that overtook you had better than standard brakes, they melt even under normal driving conditions. They'd be stuffed after a lap.

[Apex 693]

That commodore was chasing me the whole run, he had big power, big race brakes and some sort of suspension work, he was also a fellow Targa competitor... he would catch me hard under braking and on the straights but the Megane would leave him for dead in and out of the corners!

In the end he passed me after I got silly and thought I would catch up to that Mitsubishi EVO X again and completely ham fisted that corner at way to much entry speed for my humble road tyres!! Woull like to get into track racing one day, looks like a bit of safe fun.

Cant wait to get the rally car back on the road though, we have entered the targa one day tarmac rally sprint on the 2nd of March, its great value and a good taste of how awesome a a tarmac rally is, its on a great piece of road too.

Would be good to see a few people there, I like the 2WD competition!

http://www.targa.co.nz/2013-Targa-Rally-Sprint_1074.aspx

[jeffbebe 1559]

Example, stock Megane vs Porsche 997 GT2.Not to bad for the wifes shopping cart.

I'd be happy with that, though I must say the driver of the Megane looks to be driving a far better line than the Porsche driver. I think the Porsche would have left it behind with a better driver at the wheel.

[Apex 693]

For sure, but it makes a great fanboi video and something good to show people on the inter-web.

What it also demonstrates is how easy the Megane is to drive fast, it goes where you want it to and it wont rip your head off, its a very faltering car to drive and yet it is still somehow fun, a good driver can drive one at 100% after a short time behind the wheel where a Porsche GT2 would take a long time to get confidently fast in and drive at 70%.