The Renault Megane RS300 Trophy Costs The Same As A Civic Type R
If you’re about to order a Honda Civic Type R - or any other circa £30k hot hatch, for that matter - here’s something that may make you hesitate. There’s a new contender vying for your affections from Renault: the Megane RS300 Trophy.
First revealed a few months ago, Renault has now put a price tag on the most focused version of the Megane. It starts at £31,810 on-the-road, a few hundred quid more than a Honda Civic Type R, perhaps its closest competitor. And the holder of the front-wheel drive Nurburgring record, something which the new Trophy may well have a go at next year.
For that, you’re getting the Cup chassis as standard (comprising a stiffer suspension setup and a mechanical limited-slip differential), a boost in power to 296bhp, a more responsive ceramic ball turbocharger, a new exhaust and fade-resistant bi-material brake discs.
Want to swap that manual gearbox for a six-speed twin-clutch automatic? You’ll have to pay a little more - the auto version starts at £33,510.
The 19-inch ‘Fuji’ alloy wheels won’t be available until 2019, but it may well be worth waiting for these before putting your name down. Not only do they reduce unsprung mass by 2kg a corner, but they’re also shod in Bridgestone Potenza S007s. They’re effectively Bridgestone’s answer to Michelin’s PS4 S. And therefore rather good.
If you’re happy with the standard 19-inch ‘Jerez’ rims and their Potenza S001s, you can order an RS300 today.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
It’s a joke, seriously. Starts at £33k but in France it’s £40k (44k €), with few options and Eco tax you are at 58k € (£52,7k). It is not worth it …
In America its… oh wait
In Denmark this car would cost over 100.000 euro.
Enter your comment…
Completely unrelated in price, performance, usability, practicality, mentality and generally everything. But they have 4 wheels and a motor so they must be comaprable. Why not go harder and say for 220k you would rather have a mclaren 720 spyder?
You know what I’d rather get a moped seeing as that’s almost as related as the comparison you just made
I think it should be no less exciting than the Type R. Looking forward to reviews
PS thats a weird handbrake
In the development department before the car’s release
Lead development engineer: “Alright, everything is good and-wait, where’s the handbrake?”
Engineers: …
Engineers: Pulls out bent handbrake
LDE: What is this?
Engineers: It was the handbrake that was supposed to go in the car but SOMEONE had to sit on it and now it’s all bent
LDE: Well shit. Put it in since there’s no other alternative
Weird….but still around 100 times better than a button…
Sooo much better to look at than the civic. Love it.
I’d rather this than the Civic Type R
These starting at X price posts are a shameless gimmick. No RS300 will be sold for 31.800. Maybe a well (ab)used demo car.
This is absurd…. why not $100,000??
The steering wheel looks like a mix between a VW steering wheel and a Ford steering wheel lol
I would take one of these but not over a Type R
Is that… is that an actual hand brake on a brand new sports car?
I did a double take myself, when I saw that. Good for Renault for not going with a pointless innovation.
Plus a manual gearbox! If I still lived in Europe, I would strongly consider one of these.
And it still got outrunned by the civic type r on CARWOW on YouTube haha. 😂