Gives you Wings

Renault Megane RS Monaco GP Edition.

Ayrton Senna has been there, done that. Nelson Piquet drew parallels of it, stating that it felt like riding a bicycle round your living room. It took Schumi only 1:14 minutes to travel a full 3.3 kilometers of it.  The Vegas of France has seen motoring greats conquering this tight track with more satisfaction than Imola. Circuit de Monaco will always be the highlight of the Formula 1 calendar.

Now, RenaultSport’s bold move to label their Megane RS after this street circuit will be heavily scrutinized by the motoring world. Named the Monaco GP edition, it had better be awesome at the very least. We do not really care about the pearlised white paintwork, neither are we interested in the matching white interior door handles and dashboard.. There is only one question that has needs to be addressed. How’s it like to drive?

As I slid my left hand towards the knob, engaged it to first gear and felt for the biting point, I was greeted with a pronounced metallic clonk from the gearbox. The clutch was made to withstand abuse and we would expect it to be a chore to operate, but honestly, anyone can drive off in it. It’s that user friendly.

The car was taken to a secluded part of Singapore for some G-Force related activity. But before I test its road holding capability, I wanted to know if straight-line adrenaline alone would send shivers up my spine. In order to feel the entire punch coming from its potent 250bhp powerplant, I kept the revs up to more than 3000rpm, which means that I’ll have 340nm of torque at the slightest of right feet input. Throttle response was also tweaked to the highest setting via the in built computer. Results? Pure insanity. RenaultSport engineers couldn’t do better with the engine refinement and response. There wasn’t even a slight hint of turbo lag, impressive for a car with a front mounted intercooler. Its worthy to note that force-fed cars here need to inhale overtime due to the sweltering heat. I have to admit that the RS could do with more poke, but once we realized that RenaultSport had built this from scratch, every figure and every parameter is there for a reason. This is the amount of respect they get, and who would question them, as they had all the part to play for the success of the R26R and 200 Cup.

19 inchers used here doesn’t sound promising for ride comfort, and the CSC5P rubbers seemed like a downgrade, in terms of grip level, from the stock Michelin PS2 found on the 18 inchers. I braced myself for a bone-shattering ride, but tackling humps in third gear felt as relaxing as wading in calm waters. The RS treated humps like chicanes, gliding over them without drama, and it seemed well prepared for whatever irregularities the tarmac in front might offer. 4 potters by Brembos work seamlessly with the chassis and suspension, which brings me to how well balanced the car is during corners. I could literally sense the Perfohub (Renault’s version of Limited Slip Differential) doing its job while braking and steering at the same time. It’s as though the front suspension could communicate with the rubbers, informing them to stick to the ground like chewing gum with all their might, grabbing every millimeter of tar by its grooves, and ease off only when the driver tells them to do so. All these are done milliseconds before the front rubbers are required to respond to the throttle again. I’ve never driven a front wheel drive car that is so willing to turn in without any hint of understeer.

RenaultSport has managed to defy science. The RS’s precision during any driving moment is more than apparent and all we can do is wait for a new variant to experience something similar. The impatience is understandable once you’ve tried it. We’ve seen the Twingo Cup, Clio Cup and Megane Cup, and please don’t stop here. We are obsessed and we want more. It’s an addiction, and I have no choice but to fix all blame on RenaultSport.

Track Toy

Went down to Wearnes Automobile to have a look at the RenaultSport Megane RS.

Initial impressions

This is one car built for the track. Petrolheads will know that this car means serious business. Go fast bits such as yellow tachometer, full yellow bucket Recaros and yellow seat belts are extremely eye catching. Orangy red Brembos on the yellow test car shows that this car is meant to be seen. Michelin PS2 as stock?? They surely did not think twice giving this beast the best goodies in the business.

On the road

Ride was surprisingly comfortable. Suspension works its magic on bumpy tarmac. Although I must say that its not blistering fast on the straights, its around the bends where this car shine. All important LSD works to perfection providing optimal handling and assurance tothe driver when going round a corner at physics defying speeds. This engine has to be worked hard, Turbo spools at around 2000rpm. It might be a little sluggish when caught in the infamous Singapore peak hour traffic, but once the roads clear, this RenaultSport will put a smile on your face and it would be hard to wipe it off once you know how to handle its short shifting 6 spd manual transmission to perfection.

Comparing with rivals

For a car as niche as this, it will only appeal to car enthusiasts. When pitted with rivals such as the Ford Focus RS, it would lack outright horsepower (306 bhp to 247 bhp) but it will show Ford whose boss round the bends. I wouldn't compare this with the Golf R as they are impressive in their own ways. As an all rounder, the R wins hands down. For driving pleasure and raw performance, the French as the upper edge.

Unfair comparison?

"The GTi isn't the best at anything, but it has everything"

Comfort

Handling

Practicality

Appeal

Image

These are the reasons why I love this car. It cant be the best at everything.

Perfect illustration through this video.

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How can they pit the GTi against the track-ready Megane and 300bhp Focus RS? Obviously the GTi will lose out in the handling and power/weight ratio department.

What they need to compare with is THIS

A sneak peak, but petrolheads well know that she's the most powerful production Golf ever

French flair

Unable to post pictures until now, so I'll have to submit wordy enties from now on.

Renault Megane Sport 5 Door (225hp/300nm)

Sat in 1 last month.

First impressions:

Not a great fan of the near vertical rear screen. Comes with Brembo 4 pots as standard. As its not the R 26 R megane, it looks rather dull. Looks similar to the 1.6 version other than central twin tailpipes. Inside feels very Japanese. Plastic feels hollow and it seems that the French doesn't feel bothered with the interior design at all.

On the move:
the driving/seating position is way too high. You feel on the car rather than in it. Fabric seats are not wrapped around enough, so body roll during fast cornering was expected. i will have to say that it feels like an SUV rather than a performance hot hatch. However, stopping power thanks to the silver painted Brembos were excellent. Really gives the driver more confidence. Turbo lag is non existent courtesy of the light pressure turbo. Rather torqey (especially when pulling away from 3rd gear), but not as "pinned to the back" as the big turbo Japs.

Pros:

- ample power for Singapore roads.
- easy to handle at low speeeds

Cons:

- cheap plastic aplenty
- Many other well built and more satisfying hatch backs in the market.

Verdict:

4/10


(Will post a review on the Mini Cooper S soon after a test drive)