I bought my R26 back in August as a bit of an impulse purchase and with the aim to get in to track days and modify it. I really thought I would love it having had a Clio 172 Cup and a Clio 182 FF when I was younger and bought a nice mid market example, 1 owner from new, 72k miles, in silver (not the best colour tbh). I raved about the car to anyone who would listen during my first few weeks - the handling was a revelation vs the BMW Z4 35i it was replacing and it felt nice to be back in a driver's car. Engine pulled well and after some modifications (Remap, backbox chop and air intake) it was good bit of fun to chuck around. Maybe I'm getting old (almost 30!) but I just couldn't live with it as my only car. The defining moment was starting the car up in a silent cemetery (suited and booted) for the funeral of a distant relative....entire car park turns to look at me and I sheepishly tip toe the car out of the grounds trying desperately not to make it woosh or drone. I needed something just as fun but a bit more grown up. Enter the Cupra 300 DSG, there were (still are) some great deals flying around on these and I took delivery 3 weeks ago and I'm really impressed with it so far! It's not fair to compare a 2007 French interior to a 2018 VW group car so I won't even bother, other than to say the Cupra is a really nice place to sit and the Virtual cockpit is especially cool! The motor feels more refined and delivers the power across a wider rev range, the DSG gearbox gives seemless changes and lots of cracks and pops on the overrun and upshift. The handling as absolutely on par with the Megane, both have a mechanical LSD and both can pull you around a corner with surprising ease....funnily enough both cars are also crap at getting off the line and axle hop down the road (10 years of development and still an issue of a powerful FWD car then eh). The Cupra feels a lot more planted on the road and the adaptive suspension gives a much better ride and grip over bumpy B roads. The Megane is much more engaging with better steering and brake feel (Cupra is electronically assisted everything) but in terms of out right pace the Cupra definitely comes out on top for me. One thing to mention is it turns ZERO heads, literally no one gives a toss about it, even my petrol head friend saw a Leon FR and said "Oh look another Cupra"....so even us car people don't seem to be able to spot the subtle differences. I kind of like the fact it is a bit of a sleeper, the Honda Civic Type r goes too far the other way...but maybe a bigger spoiler and some more obvious interior styling would be a nice touch! Anyway....there you go, thanks to everyone on the forum for their help, a really good community. I'm sad I didn't stick around for longer and maybe I'll be back in to the brand new Megane RS in a few year's time.
Oh...and I've seen quite a few threads around R26 values and taking a while to sell. I sold mine in less than a week for slightly more than I paid for it (from Ktec amazingly) - the car ended up owing me a few hundred quid over my total ownership, not half bad!
I had a 280 Cupra on a 64plate, 3door manual. Like you say, no one at all noticed it, wich after my yellow Mk3 250 cup was odd.. lol. Also as you say the axle tramp was shocking, the first time it happened, about 3 weeks after buying it, giving it the big boot full coming on to a motorway over a repair that the nice gas/water/sewer man had left in thought the box or engine mount had broken, the thumping in the cabin was unreal.
These do seem to be a cracking car by all accounts and, as you say, some great deals around on them. It's a car I have considered but, like you said, it's just so subtle. A bit more of a body kit would transform it. The limited run Cupra R they did looked excellent. I thought that too I must say.
my mate has its sister car the Golf R 7.5. Remapped to god knows what. These cars car handle silly power without blowing to bits. My other mates integra turbo with 360hp..can just about keep it in view!
Yeah the EA888 seems pretty bulletproof. The Golf will do 450bhp with a bigger turbo and a couple of other bits won't it? My 7R was pretty devastating in standard trim to be honest, so would love to see what a modified one is like. It's meant to be very good isn't it? Anyway, what this thread is lacking is pictures!
The diff seems pretty good to me..you can certainly feel it under hard cornering. I haven't really pushed it particularly hard yet. Here is one on the wet rainy day it got delivered on! It's still only got 600 miles on the clock, barely had a chance to use it properly yet.
These modern Sport models dont look 'sporty' enough for me - they just put a red badge on the grille nowadays. I prefer the outlandish ducts & flared arches of a civic,clio 200 or the old Focus RS hehe.
Me too. hehe. Even cars like the RS3 etc. could be overlooked as nothing special at a quick glance. Couldn't really miss mine at the last funeral I took it too - yellow, red wheels, side skirts, spoiler, remap, exhaust - not exactly subtle but I don't care.
what a coincidence. Ive just bought a new mystery blue leon cupra but a 5 dr. I was going for a octavia vrs but found much better deals on the cupra so opted for that instead. Although Im keeping my 265. Completely agree with the op. i test drove pretty much every hot hatch rival of the mk3 megane of the same era before going for the leon. i came to the conclusion as a a-b car the megane is miles behind all of them in its interior and build quality. I was actually shocked at how far behind the interior quality of the meg is in comparison to the likes of a focus st. im glad i dont have to use my 265 on a daily basis. However the seating position, gear change, steering feel and brakes i thought feel better on the megane. As a sub 10k weekend/track car are great but paying anything more and using it more as a daily car there are far better cars out there for around the same money No doubt the mk4 megane rs will be a big step up in interior and build quality bringing it on par with this generation of hot hatches.
