2015 Renault Megane RS275 Trophy-R

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Yessiree... you can buy a front-wheel drive econobox faster than most rear-wheel drive non-exotics without a 911 or Corvette in their name.

*Interior and air-conditioning optional. Rear seats not an option. Chiropractor service subscription highly recommended.
 
I have absolutely no doubt that Renault know what they're doing. They've been firing out some of the best Hot Hatches for years now.

But I worry about them getting bigger and more powerful each gen. Where does it end?
 
Danny
I have absolutely no doubt that Renault know what they're doing. They've been firing out some of the best Hot Hatches for years now.

But I worry about them getting bigger and more powerful each gen. Where does it end?
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Well, considering that Ford pulled it off to get 305hp to work through the front wheels, I believe that in the next generation, we'll be seeing similar performance and numbers for the next generation Megané, especially since Mercedes and Audi have shown, how much these small 2L 4 cyl. turbo engines can put out (350HP or even up to 420HP), although these cars of course rely on AWD rather than FWD, but it just shows you that we definitely haven't remotely reached the end of the "more horsepower" contest. :D
 
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Tire technology, traction control, differential design and suspension geometry knowhow have been improving steadily over the decades. It's not inconceivable, nowadays, for a front-wheel drive car to put out 400 hp and deal with it. It'll just need a bit more weight over those front tires...
 
niky
Tire technology, traction control, differential design and suspension geometry knowhow have been improving steadily over the decades. It's not inconceivable, nowadays, for a front-wheel drive car to put out 400 hp and deal with it. It'll just need a bit more weight over those front tires...
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Don't these cars already have close to 60% weight on the front? I think that (especially with the advancements with differentials) we don't need more weight on the front, otherwise we'll be having the same problem Audi used to have with their older S and RS cars, where they've turned into understeering pigs. I think, the most work has to be put into the suspension, working with camber and stiffness. I dare to say, that a lot of FWD hot hatches (like the Leon Cupra for example) could shed off 0.2 or 0.3 seconds from the 0 - 60 time by just having stiffer rear suspension to increase the traction at the front and stopping the chassis from leaning back too much while launching for example.
 
20832
Don't these cars already have close to 60% weight on the front? I think that (especially with the advancements with differentials) we don't need more weight on the front, otherwise we'll be having the same problem Audi used to have with their older S and RS cars, where they've turned into understeering pigs. I think, the most work has to be put into the suspension, working with camber and stiffness. I dare to say, that a lot of FWD hot hatches (like the Leon Cupra for example) could shed off 0.2 or 0.3 seconds from the 0 - 60 time by just having stiffer rear suspension to increase the traction at the front and stopping the chassis from leaning back too much while launching for example.
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There's only so much you can do that way... and if the rear is too stiff, the handling balance suffers.

It's not necessarily more weight up front only... but more weight, period. It's worth noting the last Focus RS weighed nearly 1.5 tons, whereas the first RS, with just 200 hp, weighed only 1.2 tons.

It's rather easy to make up for the extra weight nowadays with more grip and more suspension work... and that weight helps press the drive wheels into the ground... the same reason the Nissan GT-R weighs so much (well, that's the excuse Nissan gives... reasoning the GT-R's weight gives it the same traction as a racing car with a few hundred kilos of aerodynamic downforce... given it's so fast on a dry track, I tend to believe them, though)... hence, if we'll be seeing 400 hp front-drive sports cars, I doubt they'll come in at under 1.5 to 1.6 tons.
 
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niky
There's only so much you can do that way... and if the rear is too stiff, the handling balance suffers.

It's not necessarily more weight up front only... but more weight, period. It's worth noting the last Focus RS weighed nearly 1.5 tons, whereas the first RS, with just 200 hp, weighed only 1.2 tons.

It's rather easy to make up for the extra weight nowadays with more grip and more suspension work... and that weight helps press the drive wheels into the ground... the same reason the Nissan GT-R weighs so much... hence, if we'll be seeing 400 hp front-drive sports cars, I doubt they'll come in at under 1.5 to 1.6 tons.
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If that's going to be the case, then I rather have "just" 280HP and a car that weighs around 1.2 tons than a car that weighs 1.6 and has 400HP. Personally I don't see cars getting heavier anyways, not in the day and age where fuel consumption and downsizing is the name of the game.
 
20832
If that's going to be the case, then I rather have "just" 280HP and a car that weighs around 1.2 tons than a car that weighs 1.6 and has 400HP. Personally I don't see cars getting heavier anyways, not in the day and age where fuel consumption and downsizing is the name of the game.
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I'd rather have one that weighs 800 kilograms and has just 180 bhp... but that's just me. :D Weight sucks in slow corners, but the faster you go, the less it matters.
 
niky
I'd rather have one that weighs 800 kilograms and has just 180 bhp... but that's just me. :D Weight sucks in slow corners, but the faster you go, the less it matters.
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What about one that weighs 180kg and has 800bhp? :p
 
Renault-Megane-RS-275-Trophy-R-3.jpg


I approve 👍
 
niky
I'd rather have one that weighs 800 kilograms and has just 180 bhp... but that's just me. :D Weight sucks in slow corners, but the faster you go, the less it matters.
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Again, recent schleps in stuff with significantly less power than the average modern hot hatch but a lot less weight too has left me in little doubt as to what I actually prefer.

Some of the latest hot hatches are absolutely fantastic, but when they've got to the point that you need a circuit to really demonstrate their potential... they've arguably lost their reason for being. A good hot hatch should be at its best on a twisty, bumpy road, rather than a perfectly smooth, open track.

Not that the 'Ring is perfectly smooth but I guarantee it hasn't got as many pot-holes as some of my local driving roads...
 
niky
@homeforsummer - In some respects, the Mirage is the greatest hot hatch ever. You could probably hit a cinder block and no feel it through the suspension... :lol:
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It would be fine, were it not for the fact that whatever bump you hit at speed leaves it unable to deal with subsequent bumps as the shocks can't keep the body in check... It's the first car I've driven that feels unstable in a straight line.
 
homeforsummer
It would be fine, were it not for the fact that whatever bump you hit at speed leaves it unable to deal with subsequent bumps as the shocks can't keep the body in check... It's the first car I've driven that feels unstable in a straight line.
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You haven't driven Opel Kadett E then..
 

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