Cool Hand Luke

Thanks for the posts guys - any more info/opinions greatly appreciated. I'd really like to know if it was real carbon or not though to be honest we tried placing it on the car after my first post to gauge how it would look and it seems look a lot better on the bumper and fits really well - you dont seem to notice the slightly unfinished edges. Thing is i reckon my mates heart isnt in it anymore and it'll probably sit in his garage or be put up for sale

Pics...

My mate has just taken delivery of a Carbon Fibre front lip and isnt too happy with his purchase - basically it was described as carbon fibre but it looks more like carbon effect rather than the real deal. I've had a look at it and tend to agree with him - problem is we have nothing to gauge it against as neither of us have seen another CF lip so i was hoping we could get some opinions from people on here who already have one - real carbon or otherwise. I've had real carbon items in the past and would say carbon is usually light but pretty strong - this seems flimsy and you could probably push both ends together just by squeezing your fingers. I also expected it to be carbon weave front and back if a proper carbon sheet was used - this isnt. Even if the back has been coated i would have thought you could see the layering from the sides where its been cut - instead it looks like a carbon effect skin over some flimsy plastic. The other thing is the corners look really unfinished - i thought they would have been shaped and curved to fit up to the edges of the bumper insert? I could be wrong though so have tried to take a few pics to let you see what i mean and get some feedback.

Alex, you have PM.

I'm the same

Yeah let us know how you get on with Holdcroft, i'm pretty tempted by a set of the ones Alex is selling...

No sorry - just saw it advertised a while back when i was still hunting for my Zed.

No problem with my leather either but had considered trying a cleaner and conditioner at some point to moisturise and feed the leather - better to be proactive than reactive. Would be interested to hear what people use - i see Meguairs, Autoglym and Zymol all offer cleaners and conditioners.

Is your new car the one the Lexus dealership in Newcastle had by any chance?

Removed due to lack of interest.

I reckon some more info on pricing might drum up a bit more interest.

Once you've completed A class the S class is opened up - its race car spec so you need to have your car modded or have bought something thats already tuned to keep up with the other cars. I have completed every single race in every single class with a gold but cannot for the life of me manage a podium place on the last two 700pt 'tuned car battle' races of S class! Soooo frustrating! I have a Mines R34 GTR, Ford GT LM spec test car, and Honda Amuse Turbo S2000 - each one is over 700pts as standard so has to be de-tuned to compete in either of the 700pt races. I have tried adjusting power to weight ratio, adding/removing downforce, tweaking the suspension, altering the gear ratio's but i just cant seem to get something quick enough! Anybody managed to complete these races? If so what car and setup did you use? P.S Heard a story that there may be an update coming that will let you choose who you play online - fingers crossed!

Did you get yours yet Jay? Any pics of it fitted? I quite fancy one of these from ESR for £60 too if they are real carbon. Couple of questions though if anyone can help me out: - Whats the quality like on these items? - Is it just 3m tape that holds them on? If so is there any chance it might pop off or start to come loose after a while? - If you wanted to remove this at a later date - is it likely to mark or damage your paintwork? Cheers CHL

Sinbad - 35mpg is easily achieved from my experience and thats from a real mix of driving. Mark - The 230 engine in the new Clio would be perfect - its just what the slightly chubby new clio needs in my opinion. I'd be surprised if Renault ever did it though as i think their Megane 230 R26 sales would be seriously affected!

Looking Is there any difference between twilight grey and gunmetal? Or is it just a name change by Nissan marketing?

Congrats on the car - looks just like mine! Whats the mileage? What interior does it have? Any factory or dealer fit extras?

Those recaros are pretty comfy and supportive - i had them in one of my old cars - the only thing is that its not real leather on them, instead its a vinyl covering. Have you thought about a Renaultsport 182 Trophy? Same seats as the R26, lightweight Speedline Turini's and Sachs adjustable dampers as standard. Will fall into a lower road tax bracket than the others your looking at, will return an easy 35mpg combined, and you can have a mint 55 plate car for under 10k. Considered by Evo magazine as the best hot hatch produced.

Congrats! I know exactly how you are feeling too - i only got my Zed two weeks ago and i felt like a kid at xmas the night before

Back on topic - anyone else got one of these they'd consider selling?

Dont give up on the Z idea Dave! Like Stew says, maybe you could do a lot of the labour work yourself and save some money that way. Also, is there any way you can get a Zed out on a test drive to try it on the current drive or have someone come round with their Z? I know you tried a Mazda on the drive but ideally you want to compare like for like - if you're thinking of a Z then its worth trying a Z on the drive.

I'd keep the Z if you can - the Megane might be a bit of a false economy. I'd say its definitely going to depreciate a great deal quicker than the Z and i'm sure you'll feel like you're taking a step back in terms of quality (exterior - panel fit & paint finish / interior - plastics and ergonomics). Dealers are pretty terrible as you say. Also i think you might find those mpg figures you've quoted a little optimistic but who knows, servicing costs i think will be similar or possibly a little more expensive than the Z. Just my thoughts really as a former Renaultsport owner, you could check out renaultsport and megane sport forums for some other advice and info. Also i'd get a test drive to see what you think of it - i remember sitting in an R26 and really didnt get on with the gearshift - size of gearstick, length of throw and feel of shift - just something that sticks in my mind. I've no doubt it'll be a cracking hot hatch though and fun to drive

Yeah that would do i suppose

Impressive power to weight ratio indeed, bet that thing can shift.

Its gunmetal Jay - will need to get round to posting a pic or two