New Megane RS Does Crazy Lap on the Nurburgring, Looks Fast on Autobahn

For starters, the 4-cylinder turbo is a 1.8-liter with 280 horsepower, not a 2-liter as before. It's responsive and fast, but some people are saying the Megane needs tune and straightpipes because it doesn't even sound as good as the Alpine A110, which has the same lump.

I'm going to bring attention to the autobahn video because it has a cute little moment. As the Megane tries to overtake, a Skoda Octavia RS moves to the slow lane but also floors it. However, it doesn't work, and the Megane still passes it easily. You can only imagine what was going through the Skoda owner's mind: "why did I buy a fat Czech wagon when I really just wanted a hot hatch?"

Now on to the Nurburgring, where another black RS, this time a manual performs a flying lap. It's the natural habitat of the Megane, and you can see the differences over the previous generation. The car is more agile thanks to the all-wheel-steering, but also twitchy on the steering. You can see the driver putting in minute inputs and immediately correcting afterward. This hot hatch makes you feel alive in a situation like this, but it won't be too long before we start seeing Nurburgring crashes.

The cabin lights up like a Christmas tree with displays showing every number imaginable, in contrast with the analog experience of old. The best time he managed to get is 8 minutes 30 seconds, which is nowhere near the 7:54 of the old Trophy R. Of course, this isn't a Trophy R and the track is full of other cars.