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back to article Renault Mégane 265 Trophy 2.0 turbo

Reg Hardware Car Week Lap times around the fearsome 13 mile Nürburgring have become a touchstone for performance road cars in recent years. Renault’s new Mégane 265 Trophy has been hustled around in 8m 08s, which is the current lap record for a front-wheel drive car. Renault Megane 265 Trophy Not a subtle car To put …

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  1. JDX Gold badge

    I think I'm with James May on the Nürburgring thing.

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    1. mdava
      Reply Icon

      I was behind some boring hatch the other day and spotted a decal on the back with the now-familiar Nurburgring lap shape.

      However, just as I was preparing to sigh I noticed that underneath the text had been changed to "Notbothering".

      Made me chuckle, anyway.

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  2. MJI Silver badge

    Interesting review but

    Pity everything is going front drive.

    I have driven cars of similar power with perfect steering, and no tugging (and 6 cylinder engines), conversly I have some across torque steer with 120bhp, actually bad enough to scare.

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    1. NogginTheNog
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      Re: Interesting review but

      "Pity everything is going front drive."

      That's because FWD is BY FAR the better option for the vast majority of (non-cmmercial) vehicles on the road.

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      1. MJI Silver badge
        Reply Icon
        Megaphone

        Re: Interesting review but

        FWD - sorry the only real advantage it has is packaging, RWD is better for steering quality, getting the power down, towing, playing, handling, and weight distribution.

        I used to own a RWD hot hatch and that killed most front drivers on the twisties.

        If FWD is so good why are most racing cars RWD? Most lorries RWD? All motorcycles RWD?

        The BWM tricycle advert had it right.

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        1. NogginTheNog
          Reply Icon

          Re: Interesting review but

          Because racing cars and lorries are built to do ONE job the best they can?

          For the majority of tasks an average car is going to be asked to do FWD does the job as well as, or better, than RWD. For one thing, in the recent snowfall we had in the UK who else enjoyed watching the Mercs and BMWs struggling around car parks? :-)

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          1. MJI Silver badge
            Reply Icon

            Re: Interesting review but

            RWD tow better!

            And were they struggling or playing.

            It is fun to slide the back end out you know!

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        2. Anonymous Coward
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          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Interesting review but

          FWD's chief advantage is efficiency as you're not sending the power down the back. Otherwise RWD beats it. I have a FWD turbo diesel and it gets on my tits the fact that it is near impossible to pull away at any pace without the bastard spinning the front wheels whereas the equivalent 3-series will out accelerate its petrol twin due to the RWD.

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      2. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Interesting review but

        FWD is cheaper to manufacture and gives more cabin space. With 265BHP through the front wheels it will be horrible to drive. 4WD is by far the better option

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      3. Anonymous Coward
        Reply Icon
        Anonymous Coward

        fixed it for you

        That's because FWD is BY FAR the better option for the vast majority of (non-competent) drivers on the road.

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  3. Leona A
    Thumb Up

    Ford Transit

    Remember that said Ford Transit was driven around by a woman ;)

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    1. Al Taylor
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      Facepalm

      Re: Ford Transit

      I know. The humiliation!

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    2. Slartybardfast
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      Happy

      Re: Ford Transit

      But what a woman!

      Hubba Hubba...

      2 1
      1. Anonymous Coward
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        Anonymous Coward

        best female driver...

        ... in the world.

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  4. pPPPP

    Why do so many fast versions of cars look so daft? It's an interesting looking car otherwise, something which the French are doing well again. Maybe in black, without the silly red bits on the wheels, and some normal seats and it could be a decent car.

    Shame that in a couple of years, the electrics will probably be shot, and the fog light will flash with the indicators. Or have they fixed that sort of thing yet?

    Bet it's a lot of fun though.

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    1. Giles Jones Gold badge
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      It's called style and fashion. It looks odd at first and then a few years later you barely notice them.

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    2. Cyberelic
      Reply Icon

      Went out to my 1 year old Scenic yesterday, in the pissing rain, started it and the wipers went mad. DON'T BUY A RENAULT!!!

      'Shame that in a couple of years, the electrics will probably be shot, and the fog light will flash with the indicators.'

      P.

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    3. Anonymous Coward
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      Anonymous Coward

      Red bits on the wheels...

      Yes, the red outline.... all very Thomas the Tank Engine.

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  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "Excellent Recaro seats, hold you firmly but comfortably, just like a good hooker"

    I'm assuming that this caption is a Rugby reference

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  6. cottonfoo

    GT4

    There's no such Porsche as a Carrera GT4. Under 7m30s is a Carrera GT or 911 GT2 RS, however you've linked to a Carrera 4 GTS.

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  7. jungle_jim

    HAHAHAHAHAHA

    FWD.

    big fucking YAWN

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  8. jungle_jim

    FWD

    im going to go out on a limb here..... but the bes FWD powering engines IMHO have to be the saab B2X4.... 600+ bhp on a stock bottom end?

    all this 2.5 bar talk? it means nothing if you cannot flow enough air.

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  9. jungle_jim

    sorry again.....

    track days? 1/4 mile runs? i would LOVE to know what the 1/4 time for this is.

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  10. Shades

    What is it...

    ...with Renault and their massive arses? Is it a French thing? Actually, I went out with a French girl for a couple of years, she had a fairly big, but perfectly formed, arse so it must be! lol Still, its a good looking car... in black, that yellow would give me a headache!

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    1. Mark 65
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      Re: What is it...

      Matisse - he loved big arses too.

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  11. John I'm only dancing

    Not forgetting

    The ever-unreliable Renault (or is it Peugeot) turbo....will probably blow up in not time at all.

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    1. Anonymous Coward
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      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Not forgetting

      various electrics will fail along with the cheap interior falling apart after 5000 miles.

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  12. DangerousQ

    FWD - pffff

    fastest hot hatch? hmmm, so the Focus RS 500 and Audi RS3 are slower, for the average driver I think not, if its a bit wet i think not! the Ford and the Audi would slaughter the renault.

    RS3 is awesome I want one now but £40k is too much, you do get 340 BHP, 4WD, 450Nm of torques, 0-60 in 4.5 secs and a top speed of 179 mph. And it wont fall apart if you sneeze.

    http://www.4ringblog.com/audi-rs3-goes-laptime-hunting-at-nurburgring.html

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    1. dr evil
      Reply Icon
      Go

      Re: FWD - pffff

      Agree with that. the standard Audi s3 chugs out 265bhp and with 4wd will always put the power down whilst the renault owner is learning all about understeer and lift-off oversteer (the former annoys, the latter is a killer). As for the RWD monkeys - one word - snow. I pootled past lots of BMW and Mercs - all absolutely buggered with 2mm of snow. Finally - i do believe with a shiver under 500 notes Audi motorsport will take an S3 upto 310 and an RS3 upto 400 horseywhatsits.

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      1. Shades
        Reply Icon

        Re: FWD - pffff

        "the latter is a killer"

        Only if you're not expecting it, or know what to do with it... but then the same could be said for a powerful RWD in the hands of someone who doesn't know what they are doing, usually preceded with "watch this!".

        Personally I love a bit of lift-off oversteer, especially when you've got people in the back who don't believe you can, with careful throttle application, get the arse end out, and keep it out, on a FWD car. Damn, I miss my little Punto, it was soooo much more fun to drive than my Audi :(

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        1. MJI Silver badge
          Reply Icon

          Re: FWD - pffff - RWD = power oversteer

          My old RWD hatch was mad, not that powerful (under 120bhp) but light and well balanced.

          I rmember going to work and they had loose chippinged the road, thought nothing of it but then realised the speedo was doing silly values, I was looking where I was going out of the side window, and the steering was pointing right on a left hand bend.

          And the car was completely under control.

          OK the suspension of it had forest written against the parts, and the biggest engine version was a very successful rally car, and my engined version was a successful club rally car.

          I just cannot see how a front drive car could be more fun or in more control.

          Pity it rotted away.

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      2. MJI Silver badge
        Reply Icon

        Re: Snow

        Actually that is mainly because the RWD cars you see getting stuck are running very wide tyres, or have drivers not used to RWD.

        Last bad winter I got stuck once and the only car which could manage that bit of road was an off roader. All the FWDs were more stuck than me (my neighbour is getting a 4WD now). Rest of the time I had no problems. Despite running auto box, just a large car not fitted with the widest tyres.

        And as far as I recall my old hot hatch never got stuck as it was so light, and a full tank of petrol and a heavy live axle gave it enough rear weight.

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  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Everything is a compromise

    For a price/performance and everyday practicality a hot hatch is hard to beat. FWD is cheaper to make, doesn't impact cabin or cargo volume. So you put a big-ass engine in it, tweak suspension and brakes - you got a cheap and fast car.

    But of course, everything is a compromise.

    For performance it has got to have brick-like suspension. So you can fit passengers in it, but they may not like the ride.

    You can carry a lot cargo in that cavernous ass, but with a FWD this powerful, more weight in the back will affect road holding.

    It probably handles like a champ for a FWD car (I drove the previous Megane Cup, and it was very good, for driving I'd take it over any FWD Audi), but not as fun as a good RWD.

    For this price I'll take a second-hand mx-5 for driving fun, and a regular megane to carry people and groceries. Or preferably, an Alfa Giuletta - it simply looks too good.

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    1. MJI Silver badge
      Reply Icon

      Re: Everything is a compromise

      Comprimise

      My old hatch had a minisule rear storage area, enough room for my tools and a few bits and pieces.

      But plenty of room in the front.

      My current barge handles pretty well and still has a good ride - RWD does not need to be rock hard.

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  14. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Down

    It could have

    eleventy million horserpower and i wouldn't own one. Why? Bloody obvious, its French!!!!

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  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    FWD? Or RWD? Panic!

    In my personal experience, 4WD is the allround best for cornering, wet conditions, ice and snow, etc. Sure there's a wee weight penalty, but plenty of BHP and Nm solves that.

    Signed: Quattro driver.

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    1. Anonymous Coward
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      Anonymous Coward

      Re: FWD? Or RWD? Panic!

      That's generally AWD not 4WD - technical difference being lockable diffs etc. Think AUDI vs Land Rover Discovery

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  16. mrdalliard
    IT Angle

    ...and in other news....

    ..on tonight's "Top Gear", Jeremy Clarkson talks us through how to set up a Beowulf Cluster.

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  17. darklord

    shame

    Itll fall to pieces as soon as you put your foot down and wind in the hedge at the first hint of damp weather just like its predecessor the renault 17 turbo.

    we were forever pulling them out of hedges when father was on recovery. it rained itll be a renault in the hedge

    Torque steer and 150 is the limit in reality no such issues with RWD.

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