|
By
DEREK OGDEN
2 December 2011
Let me say from the start, the bright yellow seat belt clashed
with every shirt I wore during my time with the Megane Renault
Sport 250 Trophee. And this from the country – France – that
sees itself as the arbiter of haute couture in the world.
The tachometer stood out from the other instruments with a yellow
face and there was standout yellow stitching on the leather-bound
gearshift and steering wheel, the latter including a hoop marking
top dead centre.
OK, yellow is a sporting colour from the French marque that hosted
the first ever Grand Prix and is powering Mark Webber and
Sebastian Vetted to glory in F1 today. But why the randomness of
its use? It must be a Gallic thing.
However,
performance of the new sports coupe measured up to what we have
come to expect from the French automobile giant, one of the
foremost powertrain providers on the planet.
The new Megane Renault
Sport 250 comes in two versions – the Cup and the Cup Trophee
– both powered by a new generation 2.0-litre 16-valve
turbocharged petrol engine pumping out 184 kW of power at 5000 rpm
and top torque of 340 Nm from upwards of 3000 revs. Power is put
to ground via a six-speed manual transmission.
A high performance
‘Cup’ chassis, which incorporates a limited-slip differential,
makes sure the best attributes of the motor are passed on to the
road to give an exciting driving experience.
But
there’s more. Renault Sport Dynamic Management aims to add even
more enjoyment for the driving enthusiast. This divides the
Electronic Stability programme into three modes, each selectable
by the driver. ‘On’ is the default mode in which the ESP is
fully-on; ‘Sport’ makes the system less intrusive; while
‘Off’ completely disengages the aid, leaving the driver
totally to his or her own devices.
The connection with the
world of motor sport extends to the cabin interior with the
Renault Sport Monitor Display providing the driver with
information about engine performance at any time, a gear-change
advisory, and 0-60 mph (it is set up for the Poms, who still use
miles) dash off the line.
Drilled aluminium pedals
are perfectly positioned for fast heel/toe footwork (in the Cup
Trophee variant) supported in black leather Recaro front seats.
The Trophee also adds multimedia connection with Auxiliary and USB
input.
As well as the
aforementioned ‘yellow bits’, the Cup Trophee displays modern
carbon effect on the dashboard and includes a tyre pressure
monitor.
Sleek
and sporty just about sums up everything about the Megane Renault
Sport 250 Cup Trophee. From the black deep set radiator grille
flanked by daytime running lights to the steeply raked windscreen
and curved roof the car says ‘catch me’.
A wide C-pillar and raked
rear window do present a sizeable blind spot and extensive use of
the exterior mirrors is called upon when overtaking, a regular
occasion with such an outstanding performer.
Sight lines from the rear – a common angle for other road users
– converge mid-bumper, the focus being a single, fat, chrome
tipped trapezoidal exhaust and diffuser.
The Cup Trophee rides on 19-inch alloy wheels with stand-out red
Brembo brake calipers. 18-inch AX-I alloys are optional.
Active and passive safety
features in the Cup Trophee are what we have come to expect in any
modern vehicle. ABS anti-skid brakes include Electronic Brakeforce
Distribution; there’s Traction Control and sports-tuned
three-mode Electronic Stability Programme for those who want to
experience the full feeling of sports car driving.
Passive safety is taken
care of by three-point front seat belts with pre-tensioner and
load limiter, three-point rear belts, plus front lateral and
curtain airbags.
As expected, the three-door syndrome affects getting in and out of
the Megane Renault Sport 250. While the side doors are wide
enough, entry into the rear seats means a great deal of bending
and twisting. When in the back, leg room is in short supply.
Even entry for the driver and front seat passenger has its
difficulties. It’s a matter of awkwardly climbing into and not
so much onto the deeply contoured Recaro front seats. Snug and
laterally supportive, they are made for those of average build;
for others with greater girth, they maybe not so comfortable.
The test Cup Trophee, rolling on 19-inch wheels wrapped in low
profile tyres, picked out every blemish in the bitumen. On the
plus side, road grip was second to none and snappy steering –
just 1.43 turns lock to lock – had the car relishing fast bends,
even those with a late surprise or two.
Time constraints and a total absence of racetrack time did not
allow for a full appreciation of the three-mode switchable
Electronic Stability Programme.
The pocket rocket did not like being held back in heavy traffic.
It begged to be set free. When it was, it did so with a suitably
wild animal-style engine snarl.
With all its minor gripes, the Renault Sport 250 Cup Trophee is
what it is – a true driver’s car.
MODEL RANGE
Megane RS 250 2.0 litre petrol MT Cup: $41,990
Megane RS 250 2.0 litre petrol MT Cup Trophee: $46,990
SPECIFICATIONS (Megane Renault Sport 250 Cup Trophee 2.0-litre
three-door hatch)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 1998cc
Configuration: Four-cylinder turbocharged
Head Design: Four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 8.6:1
Maximum Power: 184 kW @ 5500 rpm
Maximum Torque: 340 Nm @ 3000 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Front
Transmission: Six-speed manual with limited-slip differential
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4299 mm
Wheelbase: 2636 mm
Width: 1848 mm
Height: 1435 mm
Turning Circle: 10.95 metres
Gross vehicle weight: 1835 kg
Boot capacity: 377 litres
Fuel Tank Capacity: 60 litres
Towing Ability: N/A
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Suspension; Cup chassis with limited-slip diff
Front Brakes: Ventilated discs (340 mm), four piston callipers
Rear Brakes: Solid discs (290 mm)
ABS anti-skid with electronic brake force distribution, traction
control.
Three-mode sports tuned Electronic Stability Programme
WHEELS/TYRES
Wheels: Alloy, 8.25 J 19
Tyres: 235/35 ZR 19
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 6.1 seconds
Top speed: 245 km/h
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Type: Petrol 98RON
Combined Cycle (ADR 81/02): 8.7 L/100km
CO2 Emissions: 201 g/km
GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating: 6/10
Air Pollution Rating: 7.5/10
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/100,000 km
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
|
|
