The Renault Megane R.S. 300 Trophy is a fitting farewell to one of the hot hatch greats as, at the end of 2023, Renault bid farewell to its Renault Sport performance brand. To celebrate this milestone, we took the last ever car from Renault Sport for one final fling.
In 1976, Renault made the decision to centralise its motorsport divisions by merging Alpine (which it had bought in 1973) and Gordini (in which Renault had purchased a majority stake five years earlier) to form the all-encompassing Renault Sport.
Far from making the hot road cars we know today, Renault Sport’s sole mission was to compete in motorsport, which it did with great success.
The early days were about one thing only: being competitive. Although such notable hot hatches as the Renault 5 Turbo (also known as the Renault 5 Alpine and Renault 5 Gordini) made their mark on the motoring landscape in the mid-1980s.
Not until 1996, when the two-seater Renault Sport Spider roadster announced Renault’s intention to create Renault Sport road cars, would we see the now revered “R.S.” badge appear. The equally inspiring first-edition Renault Clio R.S. (slated as the spiritual successor to Renault 5 Turbo, followed in 1998.
By 2001, the era of Renault Sport hot hatches had dawned, with cars such as the 3.0-litre Renault Clio V6 forever changing how we perceived the brand. As far as statements go, the 169 kW and 300 Nm rear-engined Clio V6 was a loud one, sitting 171 mm wider, 66 mm lower, and 38 mm longer than a regular Clio.
Tamer Clio R.S.s and a range of Twingo R.S.s followed, but when 2005 rolled around, the French brand introduced South Africans to the first Megane R.S.
AN ICON IS BORN
A direct rival to the benchmark Volkswagen Golf GTI, the Megane R.S. used the same formula of taking a humble city car and turning it into an affordable performance car.
The original R.S. featured a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine pumping out 165 kW and 300 Nm, propelling the front-wheel drive hot hatch from zero to 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds.
Through evolution, the Megane R.S. has grown in size and reputation in the last two decades. Through three generations, each more powerful than the previous, the Megane R.S. is already a classic of the hot hatch genre. And, following the end of the Clio R.S. in 2018, it is Renault’s last remaining R.S. model.
Or should we say, it was the last remaining R.S., as the curtain came down on the Renault Sport moniker at the end of 2023, with the rebirth of the now all-electric Alpine (pronounced Alpeen) brand, which Renault South Africa has confirmed, will not be considered for local introduction at this time.
Fittingly, Renault has made 1,976 of the final Megane R.S. Trophy, with South Africa securing only 55. And we’ve taken one of them out for a final fling.
LAST HURRAH!
We’ve always liked the styling of the Megane R.S. Now, the Trophy’s exterior is accentuated by its sporty side panel “Trophy” insignia and F1-style splitter and rear diffuser, while the Jerez Triple Tone 19” wheels with bold red styling, and shod with Bridgestone Potenza S001 tyres, grant the Trophy an imposing stance.
Inside, the Megane R.S. 300 Trophy scores Recaro sports bucket seats, garnished with black Alcantara upholstery and red “R.S.” embroidery, unique numbered door sills, and a numbered build plate signed by Renault Sport’s development driver Laurent Hurgon.
While there are plenty of visual cues differentiating the Megane R.S. 300 Trophy from regular R.S.s, under the bonnet beats Renault’s turbocharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine that develops an unchanged 221 kW and 420 Nm, with power sent to the front wheels via a dual-clutch EDC gearbox. Its top speed is an exhilarating 260 km/h, with the zero to 100 km/h benchmark reached in a mere 5.7 seconds.
ALL THE FEELS
While the Trophy shines on paper, it is only when you unleash it on the open road, and your emotions begin to take hold that you genuinely appreciate the unquestionable heritage of this feisty hot hatch.
Knowing that this would likely be my last drive in an “R.S.”-badged performance car, I head out of town searching for that intuitive feeling only a well-sorted performance car can deliver.
That said, to actually get out of the city means having to spend time navigating suburban traffic before reaching the open road. This kind of environment is not the Trophy’s happy place, with the firm suspension making its presence felt over Pretoria’s notorious speed humps. There is a trade-off, however, as that same firm suspension comes into its own on the open road, especially in the twisties on the R511 towards Hartebeespoort Dam.
With its unmistakable character, the Trophy is happiest when you allow that glorious 1.8-litre to build revs and unleash its signature guttural growl with the accompanying bangs on upshifts.
While hampered by the sign-posted limit, this drive is less about hardcore acceleration and more about experiencing the Trophy’s 4CONTROL rear-wheel steering that adds a lively and agile demeanour to Renault’s hot hatch, one that shines around tight bends.
Years of development have paid off in that the Trophy doesn’t need to be pushed too hard to offer a reward. The 1.8-litre turbo-four offers plenty of low-down punch while the six-speed dual-clutch is glorious, with razor-like precision shifts when left to its own devices, although your own cog swaps can be managed via the steering column-mounted paddle shifters.
The Trophy’s feistiness is embodied by a soundtrack that is as intoxicating as any in this segment. Most expressive in its character, I cannot help but wonder if whatever comes next from Alpine will ever be able to mimic the headiness of the Trophy. For those who derive emotional pleasure from driving, the sound of internal combustion will be sorely missed in our impending all-electric future.
LAST WORD
It remains to be seen whether a new breed of hot hatches from Renault will redefine the notion of a performance car as much as the Megane R.S. 300 trophy has. Although we will not have the opportunity to find that out for ourselves, Renault and its Alpine performance division seem to be banking on it.
And that makes cars like this one, a tactile celebration of Renault’s heritage and the last of its kind from the French brand, so very special.
| Renault Megane | ENGINE | POWER (kW @ r/min) | TORQUE (Nm @ r/min) | TOP SPEED (km/h) | 0-100 KM/H (seconds) | FUEL (l/100 km) | PRICE |
| Renault Megane R.S. 300 Trophy | In-line 4-cyl; 1,798 cc turbo | 221 @ 6,000 | 420 @ 2,400-4,500 | 255 | 5.7 | 8.1 | R949,999 |
| Toyota GR Corolla 1.6T GR-Four Circuit | In-line 3-cyl; 1,618 cc turbo | 221 @ 6,500 | 370 @ 3,000-5,550 | 230 | N/A | 8.4 | R911,400 |
| Audi S3 Sportback quattro | In-line 4-cyl; 1,984 cc turbo | 213 @ 5,300-6,500 | 400 @ 2,000-5,200 | 250 | 4.9 | 8.0 | R928,800 |
| Volkswagen Golf R | In-line 4-cyl; 1,984 cc turbo | 235 @ 5,600-6,500 | 400 @ 2,000-5,600 | 250 (opt 270) | 4.8 | 7.8 | R956,300 |
Report by BERNIE HELLBERG JR | Images © RYAN ABBOTT
