Who here owns a Renaultsport?

Soldato
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I'm considering a Twingo RS Cup. There is a lowish miles one nearby which looks like it has been off the road for a while. The only one within about 150 miles lol.
 
Soldato
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Pushing this to the top again.

I'm considering a Renaultsport RS265 Cup on a 13 plate, 40,600 miles, no RS monitor or Recaros or Leather which doesn’t bother me, has anyone had one? Would you recommend it? What sort of MPG did you get? Mine will mostly be long runs along a motorway or dual carriageway with some A road as well, very little town driving.
MPG wise you will get around 15-19MPG with hard driving :cry: & perhaps 30MPG otherwise around town or cruising. The big thing to check is the cambelt has it been changed as its a given on 2013 plate it needs to be done by now! Renault recommend every 5 years or 72K miles whichever comes sooner (most likely no cambelt on this one as many owners skip the cost and sell instead) but the RS are obviously driven hard so every 5 years minimum. Same time you also get the water pump replaced,& cam pulleys main dealer cost is around £1K ish you can shave £400-500 off by going to an independent but for a job like that which can instantly cause a lot of expensive engine damage (if not reassembled correctly) main dealer is best as they will have to fix at their cost if they get it wrong!! Independents are less likely to do the honourable thing & spend £3-4K of their own money fixing a broken engine its a big factor to bear in mind (you can do yourself but its a lot of hassle to gain access & you need to buy the timing tools from Renault as well as know exactly how to mark & set the timing correctly).

Also, I would look closely for signs of track use as again its likely to have been driven hard so if you get a test drive ensure the car feels smooth to drive & suspension is working correctly as they are very expensive & lot of hassle to fix if the track rods are worn or damaged. Clutch as well is a very expensive item to replace ensure all gear shifts are smooth & there is no slippage (clutch should easily last 100-150K Miles if looked after if hammered though 40K is about their limit).

The engines (1970s design heavily refined over the decades) are bulletproof 200K is quite common without any major work as long as belts are changed, oil & coolant changes & top ups are performed every 6-8 weeks depending on driving style.
 
Soldato
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Will ask the salesman tomorrow about cam belt, thanks.
If its the black RS for sale right now with 40K as no cam belt change mentioned in the ad I would assume its not been done so either ask the dealer to get it done as a condition of sale or they lower the price by £1K! You should also check out the 2015 RS for sale which is a similar price but newer spec ;)
 
Caporegime
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If its the black RS for sale right now with 40K as no cam belt change mentioned in the ad I would assume its not been done so either ask the dealer to get it done as a condition of sale or they lower the price by £1K! You should also check out the 2015 RS for sale which is a similar price but newer spec ;)
Got a link?

Or is it this one? https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010265458001
 
Soldato
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Yep that's the one. Its a better deal then the black one as newer (even though its clearly a phase2 mk3 one of the last to be made the mk4 was sept 2015!). As no mention of cam belt change in the ad assume it needs one though (unless you want to chance it snapping ) you might get away with it but not worth taking the chance. Some last 100K plus some go way sooner around the 7 years mark no way to know so just get it done ASAP & enjoy the car!
 
Soldato
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Cambelt was done in 2019 on the black one which is good.
Yes that is essential so good news.

I would still think about the white 2015 plate its going to hold its value slightly better & has lower mileage. Get test drives on both to see how smooth the clutch & gearboxes are. Closely examine the bodywork look for signs of any accident damage repaired (lower sills under the doors have a factory stipple finish this is normal its to reduce stone chips issues. Renault & other French manufacturers use this method on recentish cars).

Also ask about track useage as brake discs & pads wear out faster so might need replacing if they have been used heavily on track days!

Engine bay as well check to see how clean & look for oil leaks on the floor sometimes the camcovers leak oil due to faulty gaskets (many owners do not even notice this) its cheap to fix but something to be aware of.

If either car has had a racechip or fuel injection turbo timing mod or tuning box I would avoid (you would have to tell the insurance company it would double the quote!). The engines are bulletproof & really strong as standard but easy to install undetectable ECU mods add another 50-75BHP & 70-80NM so expensive to replace components will wear out faster if not driven with care! These F4RT (yes that is the real Renault code for the engine!) RS engines are really strong & so is the gearbox but if an owner has started to extreme tune you need to be careful.

Another option is look at the RS250-265 from 2010-2013 always plenty around going for £6-7K leaves you plenty of money to address any issues if they come up. In real world road driving you would notice zero difference between RS250/260/275 (apart from fuel consumption!). The entire Megane RS range from 2009-2013 uses the same F4RT engine (newer have slightly more turbo boost pressure & larger intercoolers & ECU tweaks) all are capable of giving out more or less the same power as no changes were made to the actual engine internals they all use the exact same pistons, cranks, cylinder heads, same gearboxes & clutches etc etc. Only Mk4 onwards are totally different but way more expensive.
 
Soldato
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Allow extra money for running costs & other issues it will almost certainly have which until you own will not become apparent in a test drive! Niggly little things dealers are good at hiding like paintwork flaws (they use polish, wax & ceramics to cover!) tyres can look good on the car but are they all the same brand & correct size & speed rating.

Look at these cheaper but still very capable cars:

Yellow I think is the best colour for the RS!:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-de...lude-delivery-option=on&price-to=14000&page=2

This black & red Cup is not bad either but Cup is not as comfortable for general road use more of a track focus car:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-de...nclude-delivery-option=on&model=MEGANE&page=1

White with silver alloys low price one lady owner! :p
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-de...nclude-delivery-option=on&model=MEGANE&page=1

Personally I would look to spend up to £10K max for a 2009-2013 then you have some spare money in case of issues afterwards. There were only ever a few 100 sold in the UK its not like you have a massive range to choose from and autumn-winter is the best time for more choice as people tend to hold onto their cars over the warmer months. In 2 months I doubt there will be more than a handful on sale these cars do not hang around for long (unless they have serious issues!).
 

BaJ

BaJ

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I’ve had an RS Twingo for almost two years now. Mine’s a 133 with Cup pack.

I bought it as a cheap bit of fun. I had a Williams and 172 a decade or so back and was after something similar in feel. So picking up a much newer car from £2K upwards seemed a sound move. 172/182’s are quite old now so are either a bit knackered or the good ones are appreciating in value.

I spent a bit getting the belts and dephaser done when I first picked it up. Other than that it’s been pretty sound, save for a cracked front spring and leaky rear damper.

The AC works surprisingly well and mine has factory Bluetooth. Cup suspension makes for a firm ride for sure, but not excessively so I find. It’s adequately fast enough for me on modern roads and trafffic, in fact I like that you can give it stick and maintain sane speeds. It handles incredibly well too so lots of fun.

Surprisingly practical for its size I find. The rear seats slide (in the full fat version) forward and back. My two young kids love going for a drive in it, I think it makes a nice change for them from the family bus Qashqai.
 
Soldato
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The RS Twingos seem to have gone up as well, you can't find any as low as 2k now. More like 3-5k :(

I love how stumpy they look with the wide arches.
 
Soldato
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Well...I tested one but didn't get on with it. It felt very twitchy mid corner and the gear change was very notchy.

I dont know if its because I'm just not used to the car, someone had messed with the geo or suspension maybe, bad tyres, are they just like that, I dunno :\
 
Soldato
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Pushing this to the top again.

I'm considering a Renaultsport RS265 Cup on a 13 plate, 40,600 miles, no RS monitor or Recaros or Leather which doesn’t bother me, has anyone had one? Would you recommend it? What sort of MPG did you get? Mine will mostly be long runs along a motorway or dual carriageway with some A road as well, very little town driving.

I had a 275 Cup-S that I ran from new to 30K miles

Would definitely recommend it. I still miss my old car!

I averaged about 22MPG on my commute in stop/start traffic, ~35MPG on the motorway

Best A road blast car you can buy for the money. You can get RS Monitor installed aftermarket by some chaps in Birmingham.
 
Soldato
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Yep that's the one. Its a better deal then the black one as newer (even though its clearly a phase2 mk3 one of the last to be made the mk4 was sept 2015!). As no mention of cam belt change in the ad assume it needs one though (unless you want to chance it snapping ) you might get away with it but not worth taking the chance. Some last 100K plus some go way sooner around the 7 years mark no way to know so just get it done ASAP & enjoy the car!

That's a none cup car (No LSD, no Cup Dampers)

You can tell a Cup pack car as it will have red front brake calipers

Personally I'd avoid any Megane without the LSD
 
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