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What is it?

Without a single hint of a doubt, the most hardcore hot hatchback the world has seen. It’s called the Renaultsport Megane R26R, it weighs 123kg less than the standard (and already quite lithe) Megane R26, and during its development set a record time at the Nurburgring for a front-wheel drive car.

What makes this feat yet more amazing, and also impressively relevant, is...Read the full article

VelSatis23:

It sounds like a great track car, but not an everyday drive

How so?

It rides with more pliancy than a standard R26 and only produces a little more road noise (some of it desirable). Granted it's not a car for single car families with children but in every other respect it's just so tempting. Renault have a knack of producing brilliantly resolved, focused, fast hatchbacks (along with a lot of mundane fodder) and this is certainly one of them. I would have never considered a standard Megane 225 over say a Golf GTI but with each incarnation these quick versions have steadily improved (Trophy, Cup, F1, R26) and now this thing just blows me away and it makes a Mini GP's half hearted rear cross brace seem apologetic. Brilliant.

Honest Paul:

 Granted it's not a car for single car families with children but in every other respect it's just so tempting.

julianphillips:

I read that the internal crossbars that take up the rear space are an option that can be removed.

The half cage is a huge part of the appeal. Start deleting major components like this and you're most of the way back to a standard R26, missing the point altogether.

And it 'beats, an M5 around the Nerd berg ring!! Oh my God, a 1200kg stripped out Renault hot hatch 'Beats' a near 2 tonne 4 door  and by a whole second! Must be an ex-News of the World headline writer came up with that one. Oh and by the way, it didn't beat the M6 or M3 which they forgot to mention in the headlines but in did 'beat' the beloved Cayman. More biased Autocar reporting.

twinturbo:

More biased Autocar reporting.

I didn't read a 'biased' word in that entire article. I did read honest subjective assesment and factual figurative statement. But where was the bias? 

And it 'beats, an M5 around the Nerd berg ring!! Oh my God, a 1200kg stripped out Renault hot hatch 'Beats' a near 2 tonne 4 door  and by a whole second! Must be an ex-News of the World headline writer came up with that one. Oh and by the way, it didn't beat the M6 or M3 which they forgot to mention in the headlines but in did 'beat' the beloved Cayman. More biased Autocar reporting.

Sounds like Renault is going back to an earlier era for inspiration when the Gordini models were very much out and out club racers, that worked suprisingly well on the road.

I drove a Gordini replica for years on the road and have still have not found such an entertaining car since.

 However judging by the comments received on the Megane that is a difficult idea to sell today, even when the lighter weight brings such obvious benefits.

 Well done Renault for building it. 

Honest Paul:

didn't read a 'biased' word in that entire article. I did read honest subjective assesment

Perhaps I should have said 'anti-BMW again. I would have thought 'beating' a Cayman would have more relevance than a 4 door saloon.Or an M3 but of course it didn't 'beat' an M3. And looking at the pictures the Renault looks stripped out to me or do they make 'em without rear seats??

I've got to agree that this Megane is about as stripped out as you can go to and still be a viable daily drive. As for its Nurburgring laps I think that we should applaud and be awed that a 227bhp hot hatch can achieve such an extraordinary time, regardless of whether it beats a Cayman or not.

Honest Paul:

I've got to agree that this Megane is about as stripped out as you can go to and still be a viable daily drive. As for its Nurburgring laps I think that we should applaud and be awed that a 227bhp hot hatch can achieve such an extraordinary time, regardless of whether it beats a Cayman or not.

I couldn't agree more. I guess the new Focus will give it a run for it's money though.

My point is that Autocar over about  a year have been talking up Jaguar and rubbishing BMW. I have a BMW and it doesn't bother me what they say about my car but the reporting has gone down the nick IMHO. Take the XKR they had on long term.Nothing was finer, it had paddle shift which meant you didn't have to take your hands off the wheel as you would in an M6 according to Autocar. True. Then this week Mr. Hallet comments that the Ferrari they tested has paddles that don't move with the wheel which is how they should be. The paddles on an XKR move WITH the wheel. He didn't mention that!!