More power, trick suspension and
sticky tyres have me in love with Renaultsport’s latest hot hatch
I start the lap as the last of a bumble-bee
line of yellow and black Megane 275 trophy editions, and after the first set of
left-right-lefts, the Nürburgring opens with an on-camber, downhill left. I
push the 275 Trophy into the corner, realise it’s not quite as open as I
thought, lift, then as the rear-end kicks outwards, correct through the lovely
alcantara-clad steering wheel. The Megane RS forgives me, and that 2.0-litre
turbo four’s meaty, bassy soundtrack doesn’t let up as I recover, drop a gear
and push my foot back onto the aluminium throttle pedal.
The
Renault Megane RS 275 Trophy is a proper driver's hot hatch; it feels very
mature
The Renault Megane RS 275 trophy will be
looked at through rose-tinted glasses in years to come. The regular Megane RS
is a stellar performer, a car that gets under your skin the way a seat Leon
Cupra can’t, a Focus ST won’t and in a completely different way to the Golf
GTI. It’s not trying to be all things to all people and because of that – and
Renault’s tuning mastery – has a sharp chassis, good steering, brilliant
brakes, and doesn’t offer an urban-chic ride. It’s unapologetically built to go
hard, and that’s its forte – and now the 275 trophy goes further.
Alcantara-trimmed
steering wheel is good. Red striping less so
Here’s why. Despite only 10bhp more, the
new 275 trophy still sprints from 0-62mph in the same 6.0sec time, way behind
the golf R and in the same paddock that the lethargic Alfa Giulietta QV grazes.
The difference – and this is why the 275 is a true legend – is how it delivers
that power, and how it turns every last breath of energy into forward motion.
While that Alfa fumbles with its body like a bride who’s lost in the waves of
her wedding dress, the Megane 275 trophy is one of the best performance cars
that doesn’t wear a Porsche or Ferrari badge.
For the trophy, which starts with the
firmer, harder Cup chassis, the bark has been improved with an Akrapovic
titanium exhaust system for a meaty note that’s even darker, more sinister and
addictive. The extra power potency, and even sharper throttle, come courtesy of
ECU changes.
Supportive
bucket seats hold you in place with ease during high-speed cornering
You can sneer when Renaultsport says the
275 is all about ‘efficiency’, but we’re not talking CO2; we’re talking about
the super-compliant Öhlins suspension package, a $3,420 option, that combines
with a set of sticky Michelin Cup 2 tyres and razor-sharp steering for immense
control. And it’s a manual, in an age when three-pedal cars are being binned
like Jimmy Savile paraphernalia.
Renaultsport R&D boss Thierry Landreau
says that 10kg costs the Megane about a second around the ‘Ring versus the
stripped-out Megane Trophy R, giving it a theoretical time of 8:01. That’s
slower than the Leon Cupra, but the 275 spanks the seat for involvement,
character and sharpness, and further hones an already brilliant chassis. It’s
old school, and we’re not looking forward to cars like this becoming patrons of
the past.
