My best time is 2 seconds off the best time of the timed run, but I don’t know this yet. I’m actually hoping it’s more so that tomorrow I can really enjoy the scenery and relaxation offered by Simola Hotel resort. Of course part of me, the competitive side, wants to push as hard as possible. But the larger part is just not interested. It wants to get this over and done with, especially given the fact that we’ve been waiting for hours to start driving. By the time our sight car, the Renault Twingo RS Gordini, pulls up for first runs my mind is way beyond supper.
Dinner time is almost here anyway. Sunlight is dropping slowly but surely and the occasional sounds of massive V8s and twin turbo V6s fills the air every now and then. My turn. Takeoff is spirited, evidenced by a little spin of the 17-inch front wheels. Twingo RS Gordini costs R214 900 at retail level, and doesn’t have any kind of traction control to speak of. So some smoke was expected. Two corners later and we are starting to enjoy the ride, if it’s a little tame in terms of power delivery. Again, expected from the naturally aspirated 1.6-litre giving out 98kW. Two runs in this should be enough.
Except the road being used for the Knysna Hillclimb 2010 Edition is part of the run-up to Simola and is therefore marked for two lanes, not just one. I’ve been driving two laps of about 1.4km sticking to the same lane! My second time feels quicker, if only marginally, since I now have a clearer idea of what this hill entails in terms of curves and corners. My gearshifts will need a little work though but sadly, I only get two laps in the Gordini. And in the Megane RS.
A sweet piece of candy for sure, but the Twingo is just a sardine in what proves to be a pool of sharks. For the next four laps my attentions have been given to the big dogs, the all-new Megane RS Sport and the RS Cup. Earlier I’d had the opportunity of twisting both mothas through passes not often passed on, down in the George/ Knysna area. Both cars had turn out almost exactly as I had imagined the first time I heard Renault was developing a new RS range for Megane. A hint of understeer around curves, but not as pronounced as one thinks it might be. That’s thanks to a new electronic limited slip differential (LSD) and other tricks up its sleeve. These include a 10mm lower suspension system and a stiffer axis.
My third run up that hill came courtesy of the Megane RS Sport, a tamer version of the model. Yes it packs a punchy 184kW at 5500rpm and maximum torque of 340Nm at 3000rpm. Claimed 0 – 100km/h time is 6.1 seconds and top speed is rated at 250km/h. Good figures if you want something to hurl up a mountain at high speed, high gear too. So I line it up and then light up the tarmac with a smile on my face. All electronic nannies are present of course; with a spectator spread of over 500, one doesn’t need the attention that follows a high speed wall attack. Therefore a bit of pushing will do, but not too much. Besides, remember, you don’t want to drive tomorrow – I tell myself. The swoosh sound of that turbo spooling, boosting, rising, falling off, rising again, is in sync with every gear change.
Megane RS is willing. And able. Through the corners I am confident, more so than I did in the Twingo for obvious reasons. Steering is responsive too, if perhaps a bit less attached than in the Clio RS I also drove earlier. Gear changes aren’t as crisp as I wish though. I feel I’ve gone faster again and start wondering if I might be pushing too hard. Perhaps the next lap should be a little easier. I try different lines, still in the same car. Two laps are up. Bugger. Exterior lighting is dimmer now.
Last run is in the Megane RS Cup. Renault South Africa says they’ve investigated the market well and feel two models of the Megane RS will go down well with us performance-oriented South Africans. I won’t dispute that. A split of around 70:30 in favour of the Sport is envisaged.
Stepping into the Megane RS Cup is a different experience from the get go. It has all the features of the Sport, with added bonuses. Apparent to the naked eye are the thin Recaro seats positioned up the front. Comfort, albeit present, is only secondary to the main purpose of supporting against lateral forces. Shiny pedals, some prominent stitching around the steering wheel, carbon fibre feel on the dash are just some of the highlights. Mainly the Cup features the LSD, even more stiffness at the front end, and red Brembo brake calipers. Both it and the Sport have the Brembos but Sport only does with grey calipers. Also, the rubber differs by an inch, with the Sport laying down on a 235/40 R18 tyre size with 18-inch wheels, while the Cup slaps the road with ultra low-profile 235/35 R19 tyres and special 19-inch Speedline flow-formed rims.
The Cup is a different animal without a doubt. Everything is on high alert, even without the software that allows for different characters of the car to emerge. One setting, the highest, is called Extreme. It’s the Defcon 3 of Renault Megane RS Cup. Set it only when you have the balls to grab it tight and smack it twice across its face. Everyday driving should be left in Sport mode or less.
These cars were always gonna be impressive. I mean, Renault’s racing heritage speaks for itself. In fact, its RS tradition has put it alongside other legendary names in the game, names like GTI for instance, and to a lesser extent, M, AMG and RS. The new cars, although both quite pricey even as you consider all the standard equipment like Tomtom navigation, are now firmly at the top of their respective segments and show no possibility of relenting anytime soon.
Renault Megane RS Pricing
Megane RS Sport (R349 900)
Megane RS Cup (R399 900)
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