Renault Mégane 3 RS
This is the most powerful of all the Meganes, the RS, standing for Renault Sport.
Like the Clio Cup, this Megane comes straight from the Renault Sport Technologies department, a subsidiary of the Renault Group where there are three axis of activity: the organising of the World Series by Renault and the Clio R3 Trophy series’, which by chance happen to be televised by Motors TV.
Producing and selling race cars is another activity. Renault is busy on all fronts building everything from F1 and GP2 to Clio Cups and Megane Trophy cars to rally cars such as the Clio R3.
The 3rd axis is the definition, development, construction and selling of production sport vehicles with the famous RS badging: the Twingo, Clio and Megane.
The RS version has been available since 2004 and more than 21,000 have been sold. The 2nd generation Megane’s time has come to an end but rest assured the third generation will continue the tradition.
25% of the parts in the two-litre turbo engine are new. Included on the long list of innovations are re reinforced harness for the connecting rods and pistons. The valves are now cooled with sodium. There are also new air to air exchangers as well as water to oil.
All of this results in a gain in power and torque. This Megane RS now has 250 brake horsepower from 5,500 rpm and 340 Newton metres of torque from 1,900 revs.
As for its look, the sporting character is reinforced with a front chin spoiler with an integrated wide radiator grill as well as improved aerodynamics. The fenders are wider and the centred muffler pipes, diffuser and rear roof lip complete the package.
To improve getting the power to the ground, the Megane RS features the tried and tested limited slip differential. If one of the wheels spins, the system redistributes the power to those wheels that still have grip. This adds bite but also provides added stability under braking.
And there’s been little change in weight; the latest Megane RS tips the scales at 1387 kilograms.
Time to put the numbers aside and head to the circuit at the wheel of a Cup version, which had its chassis tweaked to the nth degree: resized anti-sway bars and stiffer shock absorbers. In this optional configuration, the car is 15% faster than the standard issue sport chassis.
The result is more than convincing because the rigour and efficiency of the former generation has been livened up with a rear axle that can now be played with. Without any major difficulties, you can now pretty much put the car where ever you want in the corners.
There isn’t much more to say about the rest, the brakes are long lasting, the steering is precise and the driving position is above criticism.
On the road, the handing is just as convincing; the only difficulty is not getting caught out by the car’s excess of enthusiasm. With the Cup chassis and on a dry road surface, this RS is a real treat for the driver but it can soon become just a bit irritating for the passengers who pay the price for so much stiffness from the chassis.
All of this vivacity can actually become a handicap on a wet surface with reactions that are not the most progressive and a level of grip that is hard to evaluate. For daily use, the sport chassis is recommended, while the Cup chassis is for those with the skills to drive on a circuit. One thing is sure, driving pleasure and efficiency are what this latest Megane RS is all about.
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