Renault Megan 225 Cup
Rarely will you hear an ambivalent "s'pose it's all right" directed at the Mégane 225 Cup. The styling splits opinion like Marmite. Taking in the angular contours of my test car, finished in flat "Capsicum Red" with 18" anthracite alloys, then clocking the drilled discs, Brembo front callipers and twin pipes, I concede it looks sublime.
Inside, it's not all smiles. The dials are sound ergonomically and the centre console has a clean "less is more" feel; sadly it's all rather let down by a swathe of budget plastic, cloaking what could have been a quality cabin. However, the leather-bound wheel and aluminium pedals are as well judged as they are positioned.
Heading out towards some hastily recced A and B-roads involves a sluggish stint in the Saturday-shopping-scrum. The low speed ride is excellent with surprisingly supple damping. The brakes aren't quite as polished, a slightly grabby set-up making smooth halts tricky at first.
Once released from the crawl, I get the opportunity to pin the throttle all the way through second gear, there's a slight writhing of torque steer through the wheel, not too much, but enough to let you know that this 225 Cup has plenty of the real unfiltered character that's kept French hot hatches near the top since the early 80s. It's a credit to Renault that they've resisted artificially smothering the Cup's nature.
|
|
Fast roads punctuated by deserted roundabouts are huge fun, braking late, from third to second, then firing out the other side to the next one. Repeat 'til smug.
Plymouth's lumpy A-roads, while unfamiliar to me, are the Cup's intended domain and my confidence quickly builds. The positive steering allows you to place the car perfectly on the road. There's no slack in the suspension either. Front and rear dampers have been re-tuned and spring rates stiffened for the Cup, resulting in exceptional levels of grip and virtually no body-roll. Turn-in (on bespoke Dunlops) is instant. Keeping it nailed through tight second-gear corners activates the switchable traction control; it's refreshingly unobtrusive, keeping the nose online, quashing understeer at source. The chassis doesn't share the same "malleable adjustability" found in the smaller hot Clios. Instead it satisfies in a more clinical, precise manner.
The gear change is as quick as my hand, and is beautifully matched to the engine. This turbo-charged 2-litre unit feels strong at any revs; its lag-free delivery allows effortlessly swift progress without having to think about "power-bands" and "keeping it in the zone". It feels every bit as powerful as its quoted 225bhp and 0-60mph in 6.7 seconds too, especially as today the turbo is being force-fed gulps of freezing November air.
|
|
There's also plenty of low-down torque, pulling strongly from less than 2,000 revs in fourth as I lope reluctantly back to the dealership. This flexibility, a six-speed 'box and pliant ride means this Mégane is also a refined motorway companion. Basically, you could have a riot at a trackday, and then cruise home in its GT alter ego.
© Paul Sanders 2006
|
