Renault Megane Renaultsport 250 specifications
October 16, 2009 by Anthony Crawford
Renault’s spanking new track inspired Megane Renaultsport 250, and Megane Renaultsport 250 Cup, are guaranteed contenders for the world’s best hot hatch title, if the specifications just announced are anything to go by.
Renault know how to build a proper hot hatch, they did that with the Megane R26, which was a cracker of car, both on the road and on the track.
Moreover it was superb driver’s car, despite being front wheel drive. The addition of a mechanical limited-slip differential saw to that. There was very little torque steer, and its 2.0-litre turbocharged engine was especially potent.
But the styling of the previous Megane wasn’t to everyone’s liking, you either tolerated it or hated it, but no one loved it. I was somewhere in the middle, due to the car’s stunning all-round performance and exclusivity, when compared to the more common and slightly less manic Golf GTI.
The new Megane 250 Renaultsport is more a revolution than an evolution, with brilliant styling and detail, which should prove a winner to a wider group of motoring enthusiasts than the previous generation car found.
Customers will be able to order the standard Sport chassis, which is said to deliver the perfect balance between performance and daily driveability.
For those track day enthusiasts, there is the Cup chassis, which adds a limited slip differential and significantly stiffer spring and damper rates, for competition-like performance.
You won’t have any trouble recognising the Cup chassis over the standard Megane 250 either, thanks to its grooved brake discs and four-pot red brake calipers by Brembo.
Peak power from the 2.0-litre, twin-scroll turbocharged engine is 186kW with maximum torque of 340Nm at 3000 rpm across a wide rev-band. These numbers are seriously close to that of Audi’s potent S3 output.
Renault have chosen excellent tyres for both chassis’s, with the Sport shod with Dunlop SP Sport Max TT (225/40) and the Cup with wider Michelin Pilot Sport 2 235/40 rubber on standard 18-inch ‘Keza’ alloys.
Among a host of sensible options available on both Megane 250 chassis’ are some 19-inch alloys from Italian wheel maker Speedline. These are wrapped with a set of Continental Sport Contact 5 Performance tyres (235/35 R 19 Y) for extra grip.
Despite the performance pedigree, Renault has not forgotten about creature comforts in the Renaultsport 250.
Standard kit includes leather interior, heated front seats, electrically adjustable driver’s seat with memory, Renault Hands Free card, dual-zone climate control, automatic on for headlights and wipers, privacy glass, tyre pressure monitor and more.
Cosmetic styling is exceptional, especially in Sport Yellow, with its front bumper and F1 style blade, door mirrors and rear diffuser finished in gloss black as standard fit.
There’s one option box you might want to tick and that’s the Renaultsport Monitor, which provides on-board telemetry not dissimilar to that in the Renault Formula One car.
Those functions include:
- Data such as turbo pressure, oil temperature and brakes
- Real time engine performance as in power and torque
- G-force (transverse and longitudinal)
- Lap timer with memory function
- Acceleration times and top speed, with memory function
Also new on the Renaultsport 250 is the Renaultsport Dynamic Management system, which offers drivers three degrees of electronic aid including an “off” mode which means as it says, completely off!
Standing starts should receive a boost too with a new system called PowerStart, which allows fast starts (when ESP is selected) without loss of grip off the line.
Top speed is not listed in the specifications, but the Megane Renaultsport will do the 0-100km/h sprint in just 6.1 seconds.
No one, to my knowledge has ever had anything negative to say about the steering feedback in the Megane R26, so the electric power steering in the Megane Renaultsport, has been specially calibrated for performance driving and with more precise feedback, and a closer steering ratio than the previous iteration.
Renault has chosen to equip the car with a six-speed manual box using taller gear ratios and a more precise shift. It’s a pity that there isn’t a paddle shifter option for this car, through a dual clutch transmission, but then again, that may not be as much fun for the hard-core enthusiasts.
For all of the performance of the new Megane Renaultsport 250, it is remarkably CO2 friendly, producing emissions of just 195g/km and a combined fuel consumption of 8L/100kms.
Managing Director of Renault in Australia Rudi Koening, has told CarAdvice that the Megane Renaultsport 250 is a car they expect to see in Australia next year, and are working hard to make that happen.
We wish him well.
Print it: 
Hopefully this is the Nissan GT-R of hot hatches!
Rudi Koening, please get this into Australia now!!!!!
And given the strong aussie dollar, we won’t tolerate a big price rise Mr Koening.
If you can keep the price down, I’ll have a white ‘cup’ with black wheels and recaros in leather.
Sold!
But if we have to wait and wait and wait for this thing…buyers (like me) will lose interest.
Make it happen Rudi!!!!
0-100 in 6 secs – sorry it ain’t no GTR of hot hatches. WRX, Sti, Evo, S3 all quicker and all with AWD.
For FWD, nice effort but it will never compete with the AWD brigade hot hatches.
This is better pegged at Golf GTI and 3 MPS.
The Evo is a sedan not a hatch, Chief.
Correct Max, did agent 86 tell you that?
Simon, this is about how much driving fun the car can deliver, and I expect the Renault will be made for more fun than the AWD cars you mentioned.
Good point t39. I guess that is always going to be subjective.
Pick any of the cars in my above comments and I’ve no doubt they are all fun to drive in different ways. It will be up to the individual where their money goes and why.
Looks alright but I’d take it in a different colour.
Would still prefer a Scirocco though! Make it happen VW!!!!
I know for a fact, that the sciroco has very very very slim to – 0% chance of coming to Australia. As VW Aus do not want to market it, SHAME!!
Does anyone know if the normal new generation Megane is coming to Australia?
Yep they are coming some time early next year.
I would choose this over a VW Golf GTI any day! Looks great and the performance is even better.
But like with so many other makes there has to be a “business case.” In other words, if they do bring it out they will make it so expensive and deter buyers.
The australian Nissan importers that bring these Renault cars into Aust, have no idea about marketing Renault in Australia. They really need to pick up their game and increase the brand awareness in this country.
I owned a 2007 Megane and honestly, they are a great car! I really hope the new megane shape works here and if this model is brought into this country – then i will 100% buy one – but not in yellow!
BTW, what is it with these ugly yellow cars these companies come out with? Skoda and VW do the same thing. The way I see it is you either love it or hate it. I think the majority of people hate it. When you promote a car promote it in a popular colour eg Black, Silver. I have no idea what people like about yellow cars. TAke a look at the recent promotion on the Skoda Octovia RS with the 33K special and you will notice they are only availiable in yellow. That’s because they have so many of them and nobody is buying them in that colour. Does it take a genius to figure it out?
It seems these days most designers don’t even consider rear visibility when designing a new car. No matter how sporty it is, it will still have to be reversed out of the supermarket car park. This Megane is just ridiculous.
Badass, most modern cars have so many censors this isnt such a problem
And i really do think they have just moved from one sort of ugly to a new sort of ugly.
“Ugly” is a very strong word especially when it comes to this car. I really wonder what you consider to be a good looking car in this category
And by the same token Mitch, many don’t.
I actually really liked the old design, the new one just looks like it’s had chocolate smeared over its face, the rear is just a different form of fat. the old fat rear looked nice.
LOL….reminds me of my 2009 Mazda 3 MPS in a way…people hate the look of that too! but I bet both these cars would make for a good race ;)
This car was one of the biggest surprise of the Frankfurt motor show for me. I went to check out the VW GTI and R (Scirocco & Golf) as a potential purchase if/when they come to Australia and left thinking about purchasing this new Renault. It looks amazing in the metal (especially with the 19-inch wheels in the first pic) and the things like an LSD & 186kw are almost deal sealer’s. Will have to wait to see availability and pricing when it gets to Australia.
PS Congrats on the Frankfurt (IAA) pics caradvice. I didn’t realise how hard it is to photograph a car and make it look half as good as what it looks in the metal (especially with the super bright lights and crowds). My photos are just disappointing.
This car is stunning!
Looks good except for the wheel arches.They make the wheels look more like 15 inches.This car will obviously be compared to the GTI( which I personally feel should not even be called a “hot” hatch).
I like the Megane RS,because it’s probably one of two or three hot hatches that has taken the fight right up to the GTI.The Megane RS will trounce the GTI( as it and others have in the past) in the performance stakes but I assure everyone,reviewers will still choose the GTI.
It’s about time reviewers stopped with the overrated-”all rounder” tag and start measuring on performance criteria with these “hot” hatches.I’m not suggesting either that they should have rock hard suspension or be very noisey etc.
So, you don’t think the best hot hatch on the market should even be considered a hot hatch?
I think your problem is that you don’t actually know what a hot hatch is meant to be. The Golf GTI fits exactly the criteria for the perfect hot hatch. You may have different ideas, but a hot hatch is meant to be a terrific all rounder and that’s about it. It’s meant to be a practical, good to drive, fun, spacious, comfortable and once again, just a brilliant all rounder. The Golf ticks all of those boxes and just drives wonderfully. You also get the added pluses of a worthy automatic gearbox on offer that you don’t have to feel lazy or embarrassed about optioning, a class leading interior (for quality, looks are subjective) and the fact that it’s one of the very few hot hatches, in fact possibly the only hot hatch, that’s relatively tasteful without being anonymous.
I’m very sorry if you have some sort of vendetta toward the GTI, even though it seems that you only dislike it because most agree it’s the best, but that doesn’t make it any worse. It gets praise heaped on it for a reason you know, and it’s not because of the Volkswagen badge. Have you even driven the new one? I have and it’s great. It beats the Civic Type R, the previous Megane RS and the Focus ST hands down. It’s just an excellent car.
No,in my book it doesn’t beat the CTR or else I would’ve bought it instead of the CTR and yes I have driven the MKV GTI(manual).
I suppose my idea of a “hot hatch” is different than yours,so I’ll just leave the comment there.
Rear is awesome. Front looks like someone knocked off the lower bumper. Whats with the car manufacturers stuffing up either the front or the rear?
im with you. If they could fix up the rear then itd look pretty damn good. And as for what the previous comment stated, its right on the money. The reviwers have to start looking at the HOT side of Hot hatches and not the other way round.
I loved the last Megane, but this one will still have to grow on me a bit I think. I’d like to see a five door RS version because I think the coupe is just a bit dumpy looking. Smart and handsome, but not all that sporty and a bit heavy around the back. I’m sure it will drive brilliantly though and I can’t wait to try one.
I just think it’s a bit of a shame that Renault got scared when (apparently) everybody hated the last Megane and now they don’t seem to be taking any design risk that aren’t in the shape of a concept. The Laguna is just plain boring, the Scenic and the updated Clio just don’t look as good as what came before them and the Koleos, though a good looking car, tapers in at the back which looks a bit strange.
I really hope they take some risks again. And by risks, I don’t mean a big black mustache.
If it drives well and they release a five door version, it would definitely be on my possible hot hatch list. It would have to be a five door version though, because the coupe doesn’t look particularly practical and that kind of misses the point if you ask me. In fact is this even technically a hot hatch? It seems more like a Scirocco competitor to me. Oh well, I won’t start that argument.
Getting sick of FWD cars with tuned power outputs, always end up wanting more.
Eitehr way nice looking car, id take it in White.
I ♥ it in every way possible!
I must have it!
Check out the Autocar magazine review on the new Megane RS.
I agree with some of the comments posted previously- I’m not sure about the rear styling- hopefully they will bring over a 5-door (more practical and may improve the ‘dumpiness’ at the rear – looks way too much like a VXR, which is a fugly tincan).
As regards competition, some of the comments are way off the mark. This car is targeting the Golf GTI, Mazda MPS and VXR. It isn’t aimed at WRX’s, R32’s Ford’s RS (if it ever comes here). It sits in the segment below, in the $40k (hopefully) price band. If they market it around that price point & genuinely market it, then they could have a real winner.
I have owned a number of ‘warm/ hot’ hatches over the years. The Golf GTI was/is a good allround car, but I decided to take the plunge and go for an R26. It couldn’t match the Golf for quality, daily useability, but I moved from the Golf because whilst it ticked most boxes, it lacked the ‘grin’ factor. The R26 is definitely flawed, but it is an absolute riot and I would not swap it for a Golf for that reason. Other people will prefer the Golf’s more mundane nature and all-round quality, but I wanted something that put a smile back on my face, whether on a twisty road or even a round-about. Only negative is the high servicing cost, but I can balance that with the knowledge that every time I hit the start button, the car will be immense fun.
Sounds like they’ve tamed the new RS a tad, which is a shame, but I suppose in todays market, you can’t just rely on producing lairy fun-machines as they won’t sell volume. It sounds good- be interested to see what it comes in at with the optional 19″ continentals- they look sensational. Good performance figures, wins hands down over a GTI or MPS.
Don’t stuff up the pricing Renault. Keep it around $40 – $44k and it should sell well.