Life with an R26.R

Well I have owned the R26.R for about 2 ½ months now, so its early days and still in the “Honeymoon” period where you introduce her to your mates and won’t hear a bad word said about her. I’ve let the comments about her having a rear end similar to J Lo, and “is that battleship grey paint” go over my head. My efforts to explain to my wife why we needed another car, especially one unable to transport more than ½ the family about fell short, even after explaining it had a climbing frame in the boot for the kids. However she came to understand many moons ago, that after her and those pesky kids, cars and driving are essential in maintaining my sanity and they just make me tick, therefore resistance is futile.



The R has been received by the family much like Marmite. The Good lady thinks it’s horrible and WILL NOT drive it under any circumstances. My eldest daughter thinks its noisy and stupid, but thinks the seats are “Epic”, and my youngest daughter (definitely a creature destined to have a fantastic bl**dy time in her teens, and likely to require me to apologise for her on many occasions) thinks it is hilarious and insists on buckling up whenever possible, so she can hear that funny noise and encourage me to “drive faster Daddy”. Friends are split on it until they go out in it which seems to either make them love it and really want one, or hate it and further question what my wife see’s in me. However without exception everyone expresses shock and awe (in a variety of expletives) about how a little Renault is able to make that noise, go and stop that well, and is it really road legal?



The car is modified to say the least, and is the first time I have had a really modified car. To say I was wary of taking on something so tweaked and fettled is an understatement on a similar level to dating Cameron Diaz and telling your mates she’s fairly tidy. However approximately 10 minutes into the test drive it was clear resistance was futile. To provide some background on the car it was bought by a car collector and track day regular due to the write ups on the car by the likes of EVO. Within 6 months he decided to get a Motorsport company to make it more track focused and extreme than it already was, resulting in him spending quite a lot of dosh on it. It has a forged engine with strengthened and improved internals, new ECU, brakes from the one of those things on TRON, KW suspension, fully plumbed fire extinguisher system, AIM race dash with data logging the list goes on. It was used occasionally and currently has done about 8,500 Miles. Allegedly its making about 350Bhp, but I haven’t checked and don’t really care, all I can tell you is that its F***ing quick. How much over a standard R26.R it is performance wise I couldn’t tell you as I’ve never been in one.



To explain how I have found the car over the past 71 days:

Love the seats and harnesses, hate the seats and harnesses, love the seats etc.
Lunar Grey is possibly the best colour in the history of everything, regardless of comments about it being primed and not painted.
Carbon Fibre makes me smile
I shouldn’t find the whoosh of a dump valve anything other than pathetic at my age, but its just brilliant so there.
Toyo are a bit blumming clever at making tyres, but was everyone busy or on holiday at the relevant agencies and departments on the day Toyo asked for them to be made road legal. In the dry just properly incredible, in the wet you may as well just park until in stops raining or make a few calls to your loved ones to say goodbye.
That exhaust noise is one that I will never get tired of or have heard anything else make…..ever
It’s ridiculous
It’s stupid and just not right
I Love it



So far it’s been around 3 tracks, up a hill climb, been used to get to and from work , treated me to 4 properly impressive blats, been on a 425 mile slog which to be honest was less enjoyable than having your finger nails removed using pliers. Its treated numerous friends, family, colleagues and a couple of strangers at track days to “a quick run up the road”, and has never failed to make me grin like a “big boned” girl in a Cake shop.
It has without any shadow of a doubt got a long term space in the garage. I think our first anniversary together will need to be marked with a suitable road trip……………..anyone know how to spell Nurburgring and Spa?

 

Thanks mate. Unfortunately I cant join you at the Ring on the May bank holiday as away with the family, lots of pictures and videos please. Love the ring and unreasonably impatient about getting the Megane round it.

 

Yeah its fair to say "track" is what is all about. Ignoring opinions of non petrol heads is easy

 

Yeah shame about Sat, but looking forward to following you up said Welsh hill soon mate

 

Thanks Matt, full Rallye invite will of course be extended!