And for that money the bastard thing bleeps at you when it decides you should change gear! I found that bloody annoying in an Aygo I rented for a tenner a day (and it was always wrong - I'd be at 3,700rpm on a hill on a dual carriageway and it would tell me to change down).
Thank you so much for this review Harry. This is definitely one of those cars that are unavailable in America but we still love seeing reviews of it, regardless of the outcome. Cheers mate.
@@taketimeout2share if you're talking trophy-r there is nowhere to hide if you are buying R26R just give her the money you saved and she will forgive you
@@dalibormilic139 Haha. Agreed. Maybe a shrink would be the best destination if you spend £72k on a Megane with more doors for the occupants than seats. And a good divorce lawyer. Decisions decisions.
The production quality... as always, absolutely fantastic. The effort and planning you put in shows every time. What a couple of special special cars. Great work!!
That beep is the beep of the speed, if you're in a 50km/h zone and you go at 70 for example, you hear that sound... You can deactivate it if you want in the r-link. Great vídeo 💪💪
I just can’t get over the 4 doors, it’s madness when the rest of the car has been subject to such obsessive weight saving. I understand the production issues but it’s a massive blot on the copybook and must have driven the engineers mad with frustration given all the effort and expense applied elsewhere
Having 4 doors really detracts from the idea of it being an outright performance model for me, but then I guess those of us that are longer in the tooth are just used to one door either side on the hot models. If nothing else in the past the 3 door type shell was prefered for body rigidity.
I think I'd buy a used FK8 Civic type R for around £25k (only 3 sec slower round nurburgring), a used Nissan GT-R for around £35k a nice holiday for £5k, and some home improvements for the remaining £7k. Job done.
blahblahwhatblahblah Wouldn’t that be great?! He probably can’t take it on public roads but he could certainly thrash it on his own farm roads and trailer it elsewhere.
I´d take the R26R not just over the Trophy R, but any hot hatch ever made - just look at it - gorgeous! This was made when Renault design peaked. The Trophy R leaves me totally indifferent, when it comes to design.
It would have been nice if you'd driven it with the standard wheels & then the carbon wheels so you could tell us what difference £12k of unsprung weight makes.
I do not understand how 2 nonsese French cars fit with the "chef d'oeuvres " that you have in that garrage... the only reason why we talk about it is because is 3sec faster that Type R on Nurburgring and at what cost ? ...
These ceramic brakes are probably the reason behind the Ring record, despite how useless they may be for the road or even a light track day. Awesome video Harry, as always.
Great video as always Harry, thank you. As good as the Trophy-R is, I think the R26R and cars of it's era are the pinnacle for hot hatches. The new regulations are only going to mean further dilution from now on.
I love this car, I owned an r26 r in grey after reading the EVOCOTY 2008, I still have that issue I used to pine over it until I bought one a few years later. It was the best car I ever owned, made me feel special whenever I drove it and the change of direction was so quick I still think of it. I cannot afford cars anymore and now ride a motorbike but if I ever do it will be a renaultsport product, I've owned a Clio 16v in 1995, a Clio 182 cup in around 2003 and then the r26r around 2011. I miss them all. great vid harry. d
Alright mate. I currently drive a BRZ but used to have a clio Williams back in the day. I've driven some quick fwd & rwd cars in my time but never have i had so much fun and pml! As in that clio. Made me cry one day i think lol. Such a drivers car and thrashes my brz for fun. Now the question, did you prefer the r26r over the similar Valver you had?
14:58 I reckon if they would run the R26R these days, on Cup2s and on the smoother & straighter Nuburgring, it would go down to 8. At least. 23:10 There is room for more: why full spec rear doors when no one will sit in the back? Make them thinner and out of something else, that's lighter. Also, the hatch..it can shed a few pounds at least.
I had R26.R #021 from new, and oh how I miss it. Fully specced like this one, but in black eith red wheels. Actually Harry would you believe it had electrically assisted steering, rather than hydraulic
@@matthewp9015 I'd heard exactly that somehow not long after it sold but was never able to verify. Anyway that's what I've always told people! Hope it's well 🙂
Depends what you want.... an Alfa 147 GTA sounds much better, looks much better, has a far better NA response from sheer displacement, has a far better badge on the bonnet and is simply alot more tasteful. Everything i want from my daily motoring experience! It wont admittedly handle like one of these though or do 7.40 round the nurburgring (who actually cares).
Then you'll drive your M2 Comp on the track for 10-15 minutes, and the brakes will be done, the diff will start to overheat, you'll get gearbox oil temp warnings, etc. This Megane is full of basically race-ready components. The advantage is not the full out pace, but the way it drives and what kind of abuse it can take on track.
@@baronvonteuchter1412 Because you've never driven a proper hot hatch, FWD is a benefit in this case too. If you disagree, go look at the speeds at which this Megane goes through corners...check the corner apex speeds...you'll see they're in fact the highest of any car that's done these record runs on the Nurburgring. Yes, even higher than the 911 GT2 RS or the Huracan Performante. Those cars build their advantage in terms of lap times on straights. In braking and turning speed, they lose. The only cars that will give you the same raw experience in terms of driving itself are cars like the Porsche RS models and Ferrari special editions. Not my words either. Ask Chris Harris for example, where he ranks the Megane Trophy R... his words, the only road car that he's ever driven that matches the Ferrari 458 Speciale on track for involvement.
I miss the old hot hatches. Take your economy hatch, firm up the suspension, throw in some horsepower, wider tyres and an LSD then tear up your favourite back roads for very little money. Most of us aren't going to the track every week. Or ever.
@@mzhp317 You're not wrong. That's more inline with what the original hot hatches were all about, and I do like them small and cheeky. However, the Up along with the vast majority of super-minis are unavailable here in the States where everything is unnecessarily large. You can't even buy a Fiesta anymore. I was born in the wrong country. LOL.
Don't be daft. It's not a LaFerrari; it's a Renault with rice mods (race-inspired cosmetic enhancements) with marginal benefits. I'd reckon you can take a Megane R.S off the showroom floor and for the same money as the carbon wheels make it beat the Nordschliefe record without breaking a sweat.
@@supercooled Whatever you did to it would never beat the record as the record is for a production car. If you've modded it it would NOT be a production car.
@@DidesCharlie Elle n'a jamais prétendu être une voiture de série! comme tous les autres constructeurs ils doivent simplement faire des compromis à partir d'une voiture de série! et RENAULT est champion dans ce domaine! point à la ligne..............
Love how the French produce dynamic cars that ride well. Probably due to the potholed twisty backroads they have like in the UK - such a hoot to drive with the right car.
Thanks for yet another great review. This has increased my desire as I have ordered the non-carbon version 👍😎 Cheaper, better brakes and only 20 coming to Australia. Not going to be paranoid about carbon rims either. I know it's a good car when I see you grin like that! Good work Harry.
Wonderful that these Meganes exist - great video content from a proper car enthusiast. Not my type of car, but thanks so much for the content Harry - excellent video.
*I love how you can see the R5 turbo 2 DNA in the shape of the rear on the earlier Megane. I followed a couple of the newer cars around Silverstone (well I tried but I was in my track E30 M3) and was blown away by how quick they were. I had R5 Gordini turbo's back in the day and still have a Clio 182 sport now. I think Renault hatchbacks are about as good as it gets when it comes to handling.*
I love the fast Renaults. But the trophy is so hardcore yet only a bit faster around the ring than a much softer more usable Civic. I’m not a fan of the Civic personally but a brilliant performer considering how road biased it is compared to the Megane Trophy!
LOOK NO BRAKES the civic time around the ring needs to be redone without the rubber mounted roll cage and semi-slick tyres. It would still be quick, but nearer to the new trophy 300 than the trophy-r.
Andrew Norris All to do with setting the ultimate lap time. The carbon brakes would be fine on a circuit where their immense power (where you generally only use 100% braking or nothing) would be a major pulse but on the public road, where you regularly modulate the amount of braking you require, these were a liability. Shame.
Harry's garage Interesting, I have the Carbon ceramic brakes on my M4CS and they are by far my favourite addition, in general driving they are no different to steels in terms of feel, but when pushing on they can really haul you back consistently and give you big confidence. Ironically ceramic brakes are arguably weakest on track due to their insane replacement costs, as a road brake, they should in theory outlast the car.
Great content Harry, as usual. I do wonder what time the R26R could do around the Nurburgring with more power, and a more modern suspension set up, and tyres.
I'm sorry but 72.000 pound for what is still a hatchback is quite simply too much, especially given what half the money (with the other half set aside for running costs) can buy you on the used car market.
The hatchback part isn't a problem at all to me. If anything I welcome a truly special hatchback build for a niche, but the problem is that you are stretching FWD Megan way out there with the normal Megan interior with some bucket seats. That's a bit harsh, yes. A 45 AMG does feel special inside, or at least the 2017 model I've been inside to did. On the other side of the spectrum Renault has a perfect example of a totally out there made for track car from rally days with Renault 5 Turbo. I can imagine who this RS Trophy is for, but I'm not sure if such person exists.
The people that buy this car aren't having to choose between this and something else, half the price. The people that buy this car want [in their opinion] the 'ultimate' track FWD hatch. They are paying for something that will be 1 of 500. To them the price will be justified. What irritates me is that people whinge about how all new cars are the same and boring and manufacturers don't do anything exciting, and then when something like this comes out, "OH, that's not practical! 12K for wheels!!? For a hatchback!?" It's a marketing exercise to sell hot, warm and dull Meganes.
Front wheel drive sports cars vs rwd as a proposition are like dc electricity to your home or ac. Betamax vs VHS. The fight happened and there was a winner. Fight over. Front wheels are for turning and braking most. Back wheels are for pushing and braking less. And with that we have the well understood racing car. Hopefully we also have the engine in the middle but that's another fight. :-) Luv and Peace.
Harry thanks for a great video. The BBC missed a trick with you I would have tuned into Top Gear had you been presenting with a hand picked team by you! Awesome.
why would you make a 2 seater 5 door? baffles me... I still like 3 doors and am currently not enjoying the 5 door surge in car manufacturing, SUV's have killed fun drivers cars
I adore it Harry. Its wonderful. I'm probably going to get slated for saying this, but I just think for that price I could be sat in an M2 comp? Still a stunning car with an individual character. Lovely.
Great video as always. R26R is better because it is older, 2008 is really the last era of great cars, pre spaceship technology, no bullshit. Who wants to drive around in an Iphone with wheels?
I'll buy a Honda Civic type R & a i30n for less and still have £12000 in the pot , I liked Renault in the old days when they brought the clio cup out at £13200 brand new , I will look forward to Honda's stripped out Type R ,it has to come soon .
Honda have never built a stripped down road going Civic R and with the UK Honda plant due to close once the current Civic model ends I doubt they ever will. They did strip down and tweak the Ring record car but you can't buy a replica of that car from Honda
@@bat33.12 There does appear to be at least 2 more Civic Type R models due, one with a low spoiler & slightly smaller wheels the other might possibly have a carbon fibre roof & a new yellow colour available.
@@Zerofightervi I think the lower spoiler version is already an option outside the UK but I know a couple of owners and they are not fans of paying £1k+ for a set of new tyres and issues with 20"wheels flat spotting so a smaller wheel option maybe 19" like the previous one would make sense.
@@bat33.12 Currently the Type R is only available with the large wing, I think it's probably putting off people who find it too lairy, hence the slightly less hardcore look being offered.
You'd have to be a really big die hard fan to pay £72K for a FWD hatch. Great car I'm sure, but there's just to much out there for similar or (a lot) less. Great video as always though Harry. Please keep them coming.
Cant't help but think the golf club sport S would of been a better buy, half the price and probably a much better built car. If he had a Renault urge a nice limited edition Renault GT5 turbo in dark blue would of slotted very nicely into his collection . That's if Harry has purchased the new RS of course.
The Clio Trophy as arguably the best hot hatch ever would be great to have a comparison with the newest Fiesta ST performance (or whatever the latest version is called) as it seems that it's an old school formula different from these modern cars, but i doubt anyone will compare them sadly.
Youd haver bigger grin in type r , and espcially after 5 years trouble free ownership . I've had a few type r my little few 11 years no faults . Miss it like hell
Harry, I love your videos since day 1, and I would love to see you make a video with the only missing gen. in between those 2. The 3rd Megane RS Trophy. It could be the 265 Trophy, or the 275 Trophy or the Trophy-R .... Whichever available. ( I'm a current owner of a 265 Trophy ) ..... Cheers #cars #pov #review #harrymetcafe
I’ve just watched this video for the fourth time and through headphones I reckon the gearbox is shagged on that R26R. Mine never sounded like that. The darthvader sound is just brilliant. I remember mine sounded even better after you removed the foam from the air box. 😂
Good review. Just a small nitpicking correction, R26r has electric power steering as well. Not hydraulic like was started in the video. I had the regular r26 about 9years ago. Great car for spirited driving, tiresome around town. Lots of rattles and creaks from the interior. Window regulators failed 3 times. Gearbox did not like the cold. Brake pedal feel was very good though as was the steering in my opinion. I thought the steering ratio was a bit slow though. A modern rack ratio would have been more to my liking but retaining the feel.
Like watching a child’s computer game, this bores the tits off me and is everywhere on TH-cam . Stick to the classic stuff Harry, you do it fabulously well and no one else comes close.
Bapster Man yeah well helping those that need it the most, I’m down for that. And the taxation of cars is not limited to helping those who flee from war, terror etc. It sustains our welfare state, and with that I think that in our privilege we are obligated to helping people in need. The taxation is silly as of today, because of the two scales. 85% of The first 150.000 dkk, then 150% of the rest and finally 25% vat.
Mads Kongsved Jesus dude, how can an ordinary guy in Denmark afford a nice car then, it’s seems very unfair to me, I know most Scandinavia country have a great welfare system, but that seems very extreme..
I still have my Clio 172 in the garage cause this car gave me the most fun ever i had with a car. I would love a Clio 182 but they cost a lot in my country
Beyond just a marketing tool I really don't understand the whole Nürburgring obsession. Also, a person would have to be a very dedicated Renault fan (or just someone hoping it will increase in value) to justify 72K, crazy crazy crazy. Great review though, always learn something interesting whenever Harry posts a new video.
£72000 I just about fell off my chair. Had to pause for a moment after.
im still on the floor someone else is typing this for me
Yup, at that price they'll be lucky to sell the two cars.
Wife is hoovering around my jaw, some snotty kid will copy the body kit on their diesel for nothing
@Top Lobster This is very true
And for that money the bastard thing bleeps at you when it decides you should change gear!
I found that bloody annoying in an Aygo I rented for a tenner a day (and it was always wrong - I'd be at 3,700rpm on a hill on a dual carriageway and it would tell me to change down).
I currently own r26r #020 and love it always puts a smile on my face
R26R is an awesome car and a special event every time you drive it. Prices are still only going up - a real future classic.
The Trophy R may have been faster but I counted 30% more grins when you were behind the wheel of the R26R. 😁 R26R FTW 👌
I was offered an r26.r for £18k new when the local Renault dealer couldn’t sell it. Still regret not buying it
I bet! Mega cars!
Why didn't you ring me? I would have bought you a very big drink. Still would if the offer is still on.
Given how much they go for now that's a sickener!
Harry, the bleep is when you are passing the speed limit ;)
He kept doing 61 mph
"It just keeps happening " .,.. lol.
Watching this on my iPhone, I kept wondering if something was wrong with my phone charger
Automotive journalist who can't figure out what it is and how to turn it off :D
Thank you so much for this review Harry. This is definitely one of those cars that are unavailable in America but we still love seeing reviews of it, regardless of the outcome. Cheers mate.
I would just buy R26R and laugh all the way to the bank.
Dalibor Milić , hahahahahaha?
Corvette C8*
I d head for somewhere with no extradition treaty for when my wife finds out.
Then to the Ring when she forgave me. But not the Bank.
@@taketimeout2share if you're talking trophy-r there is nowhere to hide if you are buying R26R just give her the money you saved and she will forgive you
@@dalibormilic139 Haha. Agreed. Maybe a shrink would be the best destination if you spend £72k on a Megane with more doors for the occupants than seats. And a good divorce lawyer. Decisions decisions.
The production quality... as always, absolutely fantastic. The effort and planning you put in shows every time. What a couple of special special cars. Great work!!
£3k per wheel. I wonder who I'd trust to put new tyres on them.
Quick fit, obviously...🤣😂🤣😂
Can't think of anyone. All numpties
Imagine kerbing them during a parallel park. I would literally throw shit at the nearest person!
@@liamsandie got it in one.
pothole
That beep is the beep of the speed, if you're in a 50km/h zone and you go at 70 for example, you hear that sound... You can deactivate it if you want in the r-link. Great vídeo 💪💪
I just can’t get over the 4 doors, it’s madness when the rest of the car has been subject to such obsessive weight saving. I understand the production issues but it’s a massive blot on the copybook and must have driven the engineers mad with frustration given all the effort and expense applied elsewhere
Welcome to 2019 where noone wants a 3 door except you and me.
@@ThaDutchDK1989 it's the most ridiculous 2 seater production car I've ever seen for this reason alone I'm afraid I'm out🐲
@@ThaDutchDK1989 And me.
Except when rear seats are retro fitted for ring taxis and other motorsport experiences
Having 4 doors really detracts from the idea of it being an outright performance model for me, but then I guess those of us that are longer in the tooth are just used to one door either side on the hot models. If nothing else in the past the 3 door type shell was prefered for body rigidity.
I think I'd buy a used FK8 Civic type R for around £25k (only 3 sec slower round nurburgring), a used Nissan GT-R for around £35k a nice holiday for £5k, and some home improvements for the remaining £7k. Job done.
I'm still waiting for an 037 video...
037 is still in the back with bonnet up. He must be planning a video at some point.
The car is for sale at the dealership his son works at
Tim Maybe Harry will disregard practicality and buy it ( probably not).
Yes! Come on, Harry!
blahblahwhatblahblah Wouldn’t that be great?! He probably can’t take it on public roads but he could certainly thrash it on his own farm roads and trailer it elsewhere.
I´d take the R26R not just over the Trophy R, but any hot hatch ever made - just look at it - gorgeous! This was made when Renault design peaked. The Trophy R leaves me totally indifferent, when it comes to design.
It would have been nice if you'd driven it with the standard wheels & then the carbon wheels so you could tell us what difference £12k of unsprung weight makes.
Thumbobby lol
I think the difference doesn't deserve 12k even if those wheels can save you 1 second in Nordschleife.
I reckon most of the weight saved is from your wallet after paying for them..
The weight saving of the carbon wheels is 2.1 kgs per wheel over the standard Trophy-R "Fuji" alloys. 1.5k per kg saved, not a shy pricing, is it.
I do not understand how 2 nonsese French cars fit with the "chef d'oeuvres " that you have in that garrage... the only reason why we talk about it is because is 3sec faster that Type R on Nurburgring and at what cost ? ...
The other beep is actually everytime you go over the speedlimit. I own a Trophy R since a week, lovely ride
These ceramic brakes are probably the reason behind the Ring record, despite how useless they may be for the road or even a light track day.
Awesome video Harry, as always.
A form of cheat ,to take crown of fk2
@@stevevater8598
So, fitting better brakes is 'cheating'?
Type R fangirl detected.
Great video as always Harry, thank you. As good as the Trophy-R is, I think the R26R and cars of it's era are the pinnacle for hot hatches. The new regulations are only going to mean further dilution from now on.
Don't forget the FD2 Civic Type R, albeit a sedan. 225hp and 8600rpm of naturally aspirated goodness.
I love this car, I owned an r26 r in grey after reading the EVOCOTY 2008, I still have that issue I used to pine over it until I bought one a few years later. It was the best car I ever owned, made me feel special whenever I drove it and the change of direction was so quick I still think of it. I cannot afford cars anymore and now ride a motorbike but if I ever do it will be a renaultsport product, I've owned a Clio 16v in 1995, a Clio 182 cup in around 2003 and then the r26r around 2011. I miss them all. great vid harry. d
Alright mate. I currently drive a BRZ but used to have a clio Williams back in the day. I've driven some quick fwd & rwd cars in my time but never have i had so much fun and pml! As in that clio. Made me cry one day i think lol. Such a drivers car and thrashes my brz for fun. Now the question, did you prefer the r26r over the similar Valver you had?
14:58 I reckon if they would run the R26R these days, on Cup2s and on the smoother & straighter Nuburgring, it would go down to 8. At least.
23:10 There is room for more: why full spec rear doors when no one will sit in the back? Make them thinner and out of something else, that's lighter. Also, the hatch..it can shed a few pounds at least.
I had R26.R #021 from new, and oh how I miss it. Fully specced like this one, but in black eith red wheels. Actually Harry would you believe it had electrically assisted steering, rather than hydraulic
I currently own r26r #020
#021 now lives in New Zealand :)
@@matthewp9015 I'd heard exactly that somehow not long after it sold but was never able to verify. Anyway that's what I've always told people! Hope it's well 🙂
Arunweb100 Yes car is well, still in excellent condition and health. Was privately imported in 2012. A great colour and spec...
R26R is, til this day, my dream hot hatch of all time.
i have it. You are so right.
King of them all. Nothing comes close - particularly the most modern hatches. Numb machines
Depends what you want.... an Alfa 147 GTA sounds much better, looks much better, has a far better NA response from sheer displacement, has a far better badge on the bonnet and is simply alot more tasteful. Everything i want from my daily motoring experience! It wont admittedly handle like one of these though or do 7.40 round the nurburgring (who actually cares).
Mine is a EG6 or EK9 Civic...
Do love a fast Renault. I've got a R26 F1 at the moment. Always dreaming of the R26.R 😍
Think I’ll take a new m2 comp and the nicest 182 trophy on the market
Correct sir! Correct.
New M2 comp? What country do you live?
Then you'll drive your M2 Comp on the track for 10-15 minutes, and the brakes will be done, the diff will start to overheat, you'll get gearbox oil temp warnings, etc. This Megane is full of basically race-ready components. The advantage is not the full out pace, but the way it drives and what kind of abuse it can take on track.
BeyerT1 Nope. For a track car I wouldn’t be buying a front wheel hatchback. Not if I was spending £72k
@@baronvonteuchter1412 Because you've never driven a proper hot hatch, FWD is a benefit in this case too. If you disagree, go look at the speeds at which this Megane goes through corners...check the corner apex speeds...you'll see they're in fact the highest of any car that's done these record runs on the Nurburgring. Yes, even higher than the 911 GT2 RS or the Huracan Performante. Those cars build their advantage in terms of lap times on straights. In braking and turning speed, they lose. The only cars that will give you the same raw experience in terms of driving itself are cars like the Porsche RS models and Ferrari special editions. Not my words either. Ask Chris Harris for example, where he ranks the Megane Trophy R... his words, the only road car that he's ever driven that matches the Ferrari 458 Speciale on track for involvement.
Lancia 037 in rally spec at 24:00. Can't wait!
svetlin petrov good spotting
I’m with you Harry the older one is the sweetest of the two
I miss the old hot hatches. Take your economy hatch, firm up the suspension, throw in some horsepower, wider tyres and an LSD then tear up your favourite back roads for very little money. Most of us aren't going to the track every week. Or ever.
Completely agreed. That profile name of yours is pretty ace, too. 👌
@@Wolf_Larsen Thank you. It's been many years and you are the very first to ever get it, so gold star to you!
An Up GTI might be for you than
@@mzhp317 You're not wrong. That's more inline with what the original hot hatches were all about, and I do like them small and cheeky. However, the Up along with the vast majority of super-minis are unavailable here in the States where everything is unnecessarily large. You can't even buy a Fiesta anymore. I was born in the wrong country. LOL.
Crazy money even without the wheels but they'll all be sold already I'd imagine.. ready to sit in a garage somewhere never to be driven..
Don't be daft. It's not a LaFerrari; it's a Renault with rice mods (race-inspired cosmetic enhancements) with marginal benefits. I'd reckon you can take a Megane R.S off the showroom floor and for the same money as the carbon wheels make it beat the Nordschliefe record without breaking a sweat.
@@supercooled Whatever you did to it would never beat the record as the record is for a production car. If you've modded it it would NOT be a production car.
@@DidesCharlie Elle n'a jamais prétendu être une voiture de série! comme tous les autres constructeurs ils doivent simplement faire des compromis à partir d'une voiture de série! et RENAULT est champion dans ce domaine! point à la ligne..............
Love how the French produce dynamic cars that ride well. Probably due to the potholed twisty backroads they have like in the UK - such a hoot to drive with the right car.
Renaults with cup suspension ride like crap
@@tim2163 maybe you ride like crap
@@jamespatagueule9013 nah broski your mom does.
@@tim2163 and you talk like a crap.....
@@tim2163
TIMMMMMEH!
Demented hoover! The kind of hoover that swallows dust, cats, birds and GTI of all sorts! =)
Thanks for yet another great review. This has increased my desire as I have ordered the non-carbon version 👍😎 Cheaper, better brakes and only 20 coming to Australia. Not going to be paranoid about carbon rims either. I know it's a good car when I see you grin like that! Good work Harry.
Fastest fwd car round the Nurburgring yes, but what is the fastest 72k pounds car round the ring?
Probably some M3\M2
Not this.
Cayman GT4? 🤔
Probably a corvette now LOL
@@gt4viking789 the gt4 starts around 90000
Wonderful that these Meganes exist - great video content from a proper car enthusiast. Not my type of car, but thanks so much for the content Harry - excellent video.
Love your content Harry!
@Sion h
complete, unmitigated and EMPHATIC agreement.. ;- P
Thanks Harry, would have been even better if you had the 275 Trophy R in there as well!
Such a good video - as always from Harry. Such good stuff for us car-nuts. Many many thanks.
And his razors are good too. Best shave I've had.
*I love how you can see the R5 turbo 2 DNA in the shape of the rear on the earlier Megane. I followed a couple of the newer cars around Silverstone (well I tried but I was in my track E30 M3) and was blown away by how quick they were. I had R5 Gordini turbo's back in the day and still have a Clio 182 sport now. I think Renault hatchbacks are about as good as it gets when it comes to handling.*
Great video Harry, personally I would opt for the R26. R as its one of those childhood cars that really made an impact when it came out!
All that over run exhaust popping would drive me crazy.
As Harry said, you can switch it off. I personally like it but having the option is nice.
Too artificial sounding for my liking.
The mk3 rs does it as well in sports mode
Phil Eagles it’s not artificial though.
@@lok481 If it's part of the engine map it is definitely artificial.
Just a casual day down Harry's garage, with a Lancia 037 in the background at 24:10...
I love the fast Renaults. But the trophy is so hardcore yet only a bit faster around the ring than a much softer more usable Civic. I’m not a fan of the Civic personally but a brilliant performer considering how road biased it is compared to the Megane Trophy!
Civic looks like a bargain in this light
I couldn't live with the Civic's looks but I'd be more ashamed to pay £72k for a Renault Megane.
LOOK NO BRAKES the civic time around the ring needs to be redone without the rubber mounted roll cage and semi-slick tyres. It would still be quick, but nearer to the new trophy 300 than the trophy-r.
@@timster046 The fact it is even close to it's performance and less than half price was more my point
@@thesillyhatday CIVIC TYPE R LOOKS SO MUCH BETTER THAN THIS MEGANE TROPHY R
For me the R26R looks much nicer. Great video Harry.
These low weight cars don't need carbon discs for the road. Benefit far more from the better brake feel. Lower running costs too.
Andrew Norris All to do with setting the ultimate lap time. The carbon brakes would be fine on a circuit where their immense power (where you generally only use 100% braking or nothing) would be a major pulse but on the public road, where you regularly modulate the amount of braking you require, these were a liability. Shame.
Harry's garage Interesting, I have the Carbon ceramic brakes on my M4CS and they are by far my favourite addition, in general driving they are no different to steels in terms of feel, but when pushing on they can really haul you back consistently and give you big confidence.
Ironically ceramic brakes are arguably weakest on track due to their insane replacement costs, as a road brake, they should in theory outlast the car.
That engine intake sound on the r26 😍
Is that intake or exhaust noise? I can’t tell.
72,000 beeps later......love it when I get home to find a new video by Harry :)
Great content Harry, as usual. I do wonder what time the R26R could do around the Nurburgring with more power, and a more modern suspension set up, and tyres.
You just described the Renault Megane RS Trophy R...
@@broncokonco
I mean not really.
I'm sorry but 72.000 pound for what is still a hatchback is quite simply too much, especially given what half the money (with the other half set aside for running costs) can buy you on the used car market.
I couldn't agree more.
The hatchback part isn't a problem at all to me. If anything I welcome a truly special hatchback build for a niche, but the problem is that you are stretching FWD Megan way out there with the normal Megan interior with some bucket seats. That's a bit harsh, yes. A 45 AMG does feel special inside, or at least the 2017 model I've been inside to did.
On the other side of the spectrum Renault has a perfect example of a totally out there made for track car from rally days with Renault 5 Turbo. I can imagine who this RS Trophy is for, but I'm not sure if such person exists.
You can buy a new M4 competition right now for sub 50k
It seems there are
More than enough
People willing to spend
40 grand plus on a car.
I'll stick with summat a
Bit cheaper thanks,lol
The people that buy this car aren't having to choose between this and something else, half the price.
The people that buy this car want [in their opinion] the 'ultimate' track FWD hatch. They are paying for something that will be 1 of 500. To them the price will be justified.
What irritates me is that people whinge about how all new cars are the same and boring and manufacturers don't do anything exciting, and then when something like this comes out, "OH, that's not practical! 12K for wheels!!? For a hatchback!?" It's a marketing exercise to sell hot, warm and dull Meganes.
£12,000 for a set of wheels. That's more than I paid for a mk1 focus rs, that was limited edition and I got the full car for that :)
Way better car. Mk2 owner right here.
Front wheel drive sports cars vs rwd as a proposition are like dc electricity to your home or ac.
Betamax vs VHS.
The fight happened and there was a winner.
Fight over.
Front wheels are for turning and braking most.
Back wheels are for pushing and braking less.
And with that we have the well understood racing car.
Hopefully we also have the engine in the middle but that's another fight.
:-)
Luv and Peace.
Great video as always. Not sure Trophy R is progress other than in lap time. Would have loved to have seen the 182 in action too!
A nice affordable, practical hot hatch from Renault.
People moaned about the R26.R as well.
Harry thanks for a great video. The BBC missed a trick with you I would have tuned into Top Gear had you been presenting with a hand picked team by you! Awesome.
All your videos are top class, very informative and professionally done, I'm hooked on Harry's Garage 👍👍👍
Drove this car (the RS) at the Nurburgring. It’s a shame we don’t get them in the states. Fantastic chassis rigidity is key to its greatness
why would you make a 2 seater 5 door? baffles me... I still like 3 doors and am currently not enjoying the 5 door surge in car manufacturing, SUV's have killed fun drivers cars
WelsheDragon one of the fastest vans out there ;)
I adore it Harry. Its wonderful. I'm probably going to get slated for saying this, but I just think for that price I could be sat in an M2 comp? Still a stunning car with an individual character. Lovely.
the way it makes you feel means more than lap times in a road car. R26R over the new one by far.
Lapel mic would take these awesome videos to the next level. Thanks for all the great content!!
Good evening harry and always good to watch your videos your a gent mate.
I‘ll never give up mine RB8 for both of them (ok maybe for R26, but maybe)
The real deal is Megane RS Trophy R 275 😎
Best part of any day - new HG clip
R26r sounds and looks epic!
Great video as always. R26R is better because it is older, 2008 is really the last era of great cars, pre spaceship technology, no bullshit. Who wants to drive around in an Iphone with wheels?
its nice to see a RHD special from a French Manufacturer unlike the supercar builders of Italy who seem to only offer LHD goon on you Renault.
I'll buy a Honda Civic type R & a i30n for less and still have £12000 in the pot , I liked Renault in the old days when they brought the clio cup out at £13200 brand new ,
I will look forward to Honda's stripped out Type R ,it has to come soon .
Honda have never built a stripped down road going Civic R and with the UK Honda plant due to close once the current Civic model ends I doubt they ever will. They did strip down and tweak the Ring record car but you can't buy a replica of that car from Honda
@@bat33.12 There does appear to be at least 2 more Civic Type R models due, one with a low spoiler & slightly smaller wheels the other might possibly have a carbon fibre roof & a new yellow colour available.
@@Zerofightervi I think the lower spoiler version is already an option outside the UK but I know a couple of owners and they are not fans of paying £1k+ for a set of new tyres and issues with 20"wheels flat spotting so a smaller wheel option maybe 19" like the previous one would make sense.
@@bat33.12 Currently the Type R is only available with the large wing, I think it's probably putting off people who find it too lairy, hence the slightly less hardcore look being offered.
@@ZerofighterviYou are correct the picture I'd seen was a US owner that had removed it themselves and not a factory version
Love love love a Harry video, even if its about a massively overpriced Megane ;-)
the life Harry leads, and yet he makes/shares these videos, we're fortunate right
R26R anyday. Such a classic car :) Love all these specialcars Renault have done thru the years.
Good to see you still get the rear passanger grab handle! :)
You'd have to be a really big die hard fan to pay £72K for a FWD hatch. Great car I'm sure, but there's just to much out there for similar or (a lot) less. Great video as always though Harry. Please keep them coming.
Cant't help but think the golf club sport S would of been a better buy, half the price and probably a much better built car. If he had a Renault urge a nice limited edition Renault GT5 turbo in dark blue would of slotted very nicely into his collection . That's if Harry has purchased the new RS of course.
I loved my Clio 197 RS... The chassis was great , could have done with more power and better brakes though (over heating).
What a car the R26 R must be to still be amazing 10 years after it was launched.
No doubt which one to buy... the one that makes you giggle!!
That beep would drive me insane.
R26R is by far and away the best Renault ever made.
You mean Renault actually made a good car...
You’re STILL teasing us with shots of the 037 in the background! This time with its engine cover up - it is a Italian though lol
The Clio Trophy as arguably the best hot hatch ever would be great to have a comparison with the newest Fiesta ST performance (or whatever the latest version is called) as it seems that it's an old school formula different from these modern cars, but i doubt anyone will compare them sadly.
some says the clio williams was the best hot hatch ever, and some says it was the 205 gti...
Clio Williams....there will never be another road based car like it 😪
You had a far bigger grin when you were driving the R26R.
Youd haver bigger grin in type r , and espcially after 5 years trouble free ownership . I've had a few type r my little few 11 years no faults . Miss it like hell
The R26.R still looks stunning! Its 100bhp and some mechanical tweaks away from being the best hot hatchback ever!
Good job! Only super duper spec, carbon everywhere, no rear passenger seats Trophy R Edition won Type-R 4 door saloon from any dealership :D
Rear beam suspension is crazy! Mad respect for the driver that set the record. Thanks.
No IRS is mad.
I think that beep is the gear change reminder....
Harry, I love your videos since day 1, and I would love to see you make a video with the only missing gen. in between those 2. The 3rd Megane RS Trophy. It could be the 265 Trophy, or the 275 Trophy or the Trophy-R .... Whichever available. ( I'm a current owner of a 265 Trophy ) ..... Cheers #cars #pov #review #harrymetcafe
Great review! Makes me wanna take mine for a blast!
You really needed that Renault Megane RS Trophy RR - all the doors lock on that one (optional extra)
I’ve just watched this video for the fourth time and through headphones I reckon the gearbox is shagged on that R26R. Mine never sounded like that. The darthvader sound is just brilliant. I remember mine sounded even better after you removed the foam from the air box. 😂
Good review. Just a small nitpicking correction, R26r has electric power steering as well. Not hydraulic like was started in the video. I had the regular r26 about 9years ago. Great car for spirited driving, tiresome around town. Lots of rattles and creaks from the interior. Window regulators failed 3 times. Gearbox did not like the cold. Brake pedal feel was very good though as was the steering in my opinion. I thought the steering ratio was a bit slow though. A modern rack ratio would have been more to my liking but retaining the feel.
love your videos, thank you harry
Trademark titanium .R sound. Love it
Like watching a child’s computer game, this bores the tits off me and is everywhere on TH-cam . Stick to the classic stuff Harry, you do it fabulously well and no one else comes close.
Well, that's a heck of an opening scene!
Nevermind the price in the UK. In Denmark it'd be around 200.000 GBP after taxes ;)
That’s a lot of taxes, it’s to pay for the refugees houses cars food education and so on
Bapster Man yeah well helping those that need it the most, I’m down for that. And the taxation of cars is not limited to helping those who flee from war, terror etc. It sustains our welfare state, and with that I think that in our privilege we are obligated to helping people in need. The taxation is silly as of today, because of the two scales. 85% of The first 150.000 dkk, then 150% of the rest and finally 25% vat.
Mads Kongsved Jesus dude, how can an ordinary guy in Denmark afford a nice car then, it’s seems very unfair to me, I know most Scandinavia country have a great welfare system, but that seems very extreme..
Harry you shoud do a watchbox review! Ive seen a bunch of cool watches throughout your videos :)
I like the 5135P best
Like the functional air scoop in the Bonnet, reminds me of the R19 16v (it's great great great grand dad) and the Clio 16v+Williams.
Only thing used to let the rain in to the top of the spark plugs.
@@incognito96 Yes the Phase 1 19 16v had that problem, they solved it with ph2 model.
I also love these Renault Sports, I own a 182 Clio. So much fun. Really enjoy these videos.
I still have my Clio 172 in the garage cause this car gave me the most fun ever i had with a car. I would love a Clio 182 but they cost a lot in my country
I would not want to change those discs lol. my 380 mm are already 1800 euro's to replace those must be 5k+
72k 😳😬 that's definitely a massive win for the type R
They had to throw to much money into it to beat the Honda. For 72k i would buy a quality used gtr
hOnG k0nG fu3y it’s still faster then a gtr around a track
Ridiculous pricing and ridiculous having a 5 door but only 2 seats, It's not for me I'm afraid.
5 doors, 2 seats. Yep, could not live with that.
Beyond just a marketing tool I really don't understand the whole Nürburgring obsession. Also, a person would have to be a very dedicated Renault fan (or just someone hoping it will increase in value) to justify 72K, crazy crazy crazy. Great review though, always learn something interesting whenever Harry posts a new video.