Why There's No Better Hot Hatch Than A FWD Megane RS 275 Trophy R

I’m going to make a bold claim: the Renaultsport Megane 275 Trophy R is the most fun you can have in a hot hatch right now. When we drove the non-R version of this car last year, we found it to be so good that we decided to face it off against something with more power, more driven wheels, and more aggressive aesthetics. Matt gave the win that day to the WRX STI for the way its extra power (and sense of occasion) just pounded the Renault into submission.

But the decision wasn’t so clear cut for me. Yes the Megane’s ride was harsh enough to have me Googling local chiropractors by the end of the week, but performance-wise it was never left wanting. On the same stretch of road, I could keep the Trophy’s nose sniffing around the Subaru’s rear end, with the only differences through corners coming down to which driver had the bigger balls.

So I’ve been itching for the chance to drive this more hardcore Trophy R. It gets the same 2.0-litre turbocharged engine as its slightly more sensible sibling, again making 271bhp. That power goes through the same limited-slip differential, which again keeps the front wheels in check through some kind of witchcraft. It also keeps the rorty Akrapovic exhaust that makes the sort of noise grumpy old people might describe as ‘a bloody racket’. Inside, all the stuff you look at from the driver’s seat is still incredibly plain, save for the Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel, however it’s there where the similarities begin to tail off.

The Recaro Pole Position bucket seats get a decent grip of even my slim frame, and a red five-point harness slots through slats to make sure you’re going nowhere if things go wrong - the seatbelt warning bong will sound for a few minutes if you don’t slot the traditional belt in, but if you can put up with it, it does go away…eventually. Behind the front buckets is, well, not much at all. The rear seats have been binned in order to save weight.

If the exterior of the standard Trophy lacked impact compared to the WRX STI, the Trophy R makes up for any inadequacies. It dazzles in bright white paint, red 19-inch Speedline Turini alloy wheels and garish stickers (which look a bit cheap up close but fit this car’s extrovert nature nicely). This dressed up Megane is a proper head turner.

Strapped in, engine fired up, the Megane can do docile suprisingly well. Prod the ‘RS’ button beneath the steering wheel, though, and the engine awakens. Throttle response is sharpened up, full power is sent to the front wheels, and that awesome exhaust note is fully unleashed. The way this thing puts its power down is manic; it pulls burnouts by mistake.

Once you’re pressing on, it truly comes alive. The power delivery might unstick the rubber easily from stationary, but once you’re attacking corners you can plant your foot and power out of corners carrying quite some pace, largely thanks to the track day-spec Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. I’ve read others have had scary moments in the wet with this rubber, but in the dry they’re phenomenal.

This car doesn’t do away with torque steer or understeer quite as magically as, say, a Leon Cupra 280, but having a little fight at the end of your wrists makes the car so much more fun to hustle. It’s edge of your seat stuff at all times; the car communicates directly with your backside and fingertips, so you know exactly how mad things are getting and can set about taming the beast with all the relevant information readily available to you.

So what of the chassis? If the Trophy was sprung too hard, the R would surely be even crashier, right? Wrong. This R gets Ohlins Road&Track adjustable dampers, and they completely transform the ride. Despite its extreme makeover, this car is a more comfortable, composed ride. Through corners the ride remains firm, but those trick dampers soak everything up and give you confidence to dive in harder next time.

It’s not all good news, though. Removing the rear seats means road noise is massively increased, and after a week with the car I genuinely had earache in my left ear. So this isn’t a car you can daily, as much as I’d like to pretend it is. But here’s the good news: you can spec those Ohlins dampers on the standard Trophy. Tick that box, ditch the tacky graphics, and the Trophy would be the perfect daily driver.

For hardcore, focused thrills, though, the Trophy R cannot be beaten. The bewinged Civic Type R might have just smashed its Nurburgring time, but I’d guess the Honda driver wasn’t having as much fun as the guy in the Renault. If you’re looking for a track day machine, give front-wheel drive a chance. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.