Renault Megane RS 265 Cup And Megane RS 265 Trophy 8:08 First Drive Review
RENAULT MEGANE RS 265 REVIEW
Vehicle style: Sports hatch
Engine: 2.0 litre F4R 16-valve turbocharged petrol
Power: 195kW @ 5500rpm | Torque: 360Nm @ 3000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel Consumption listed: 8.2 l/100km | tested: 10.7 l/100km
OVERVIEW
You know you've got a classy front-driver under you when you can tighten its line through a sweeper with the throttle.
And when barrelling into a really tight one, you can bring the back around - in classic progressive oversteer - simultaneously as you tuck the nose in.
This is Renault's stove-hot new Megane RS 265. Hot hatch? It's as hot as they come. Better, it matches the heat it's packing under the bonnet with a flat and very nicely balanced chassis.
With hunkered-forward lines, fat black guards-filling rims, brilliant sports seats and a raucous exhaust when under the whip, it's a blast at the wheel.
And it won't only set your heart racing: what we've got here in the RS 265 is a track day weapon, straight out of the box.
We drove both the RS 265 Cup, the base model at $42,640, and the limited-edition RS 265 Trophy 8:08 at $49,990 - the latter's badge commemorating the Megane RS's 8:08 minutes record-setting lap for a front-drive car of the Nurburgring.
Dynamically, for the bits that matter most, each is identical.
Each has the same six-speed box behind the same 2.0 litre 16-valve turbocharged 195kW and 360Nm engine. And each offers the same selectable 'sport' settings and track-day metrics.
But the Trophy 8:08 gets 19-inch alloys, Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tyres and superb leather Recaros (and a few other dress up bits).
Yes, Renault has cooked up a very tasty cassoulet with its new Megane RS 265.
The Interior
There's nothing wrong with the interior of the cheaper 265 Cup. At first glance, except for the cloth trim (which has a robust tightly-woven quality feel), you could easily not notice the differences.
It misses the leather inserts of the Trophy 8:08, but gets the same combo of shiny piano-black surfacing, metal highlights and bezels, and the same understated, sporty style.
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