Photo: Alberto Lazzarini via Instagram
The unofficial title for the best hot hatch has been passed around over the years between a handful of models, with the Renault Megane RS being one of the names that were always constantly at least in contention, if not the actual choice.
The French don't do good cars: they're either great or, at best, average. That's a gross generalization that, like most other gross generalizations, is probably wrong. Still, it's meant to point out that very few models have come out of the Hexagon over the past two decades or so to rock the world in any way.
When it comes to hot hatches, though, you have to give them credit. The Renault Clio RS F1 Team R27 had one of the silliest names, but it was an absolute joy to drive, and the same could be said about its bigger brother, the Megane RS F1 Team R26, though the extra 30 hp it developed over the Clio weren't enough to make up for the increase in bulkiness.
Either way, while it was never the most powerful, the Megane RS would always be commended for its balanced chassis, lightweight build, and excellent handling when compared to its rivals. With the current trend, however, it means that at some point, Renault Sport will have to come up with a way of carrying over these traits while making the switch to an all-electric powertrain.
Performance cars will struggle the most, and that's because finding a balance between weight, maximum range, and power while also keeping the vehicle nimble is basically the modern-day equivalent of alchemy. But, hey, if Lotus can do it, a company built around the notion of lightness, so can anyone else.
Design-wise, the departure from the current lines shouldn't be that big. Renault already showed us what a future electric hatchback should look like (once we get past the Zoe incident) through the Renault 5 EV Concept introduced earlier this year, and it's not bad at all.
Taking things a little further, an independent Italian designer called Alberto Lazzarini imagined what the Megane RS EV could look like eight years or so from now. We can probably all agree that it's a very beautiful car, electric or otherwise. Sure, you wouldn't want to sit in the back if you're claustrophobic, but you would definitely want to jump into the driver's seat. That's especially because the EV architecture means it would be very simple for Renault Sport to make the Megane rear-wheel-drive if not even all-wheel-drive. Now that's a mouthwatering thought.
When it comes to hot hatches, though, you have to give them credit. The Renault Clio RS F1 Team R27 had one of the silliest names, but it was an absolute joy to drive, and the same could be said about its bigger brother, the Megane RS F1 Team R26, though the extra 30 hp it developed over the Clio weren't enough to make up for the increase in bulkiness.
Either way, while it was never the most powerful, the Megane RS would always be commended for its balanced chassis, lightweight build, and excellent handling when compared to its rivals. With the current trend, however, it means that at some point, Renault Sport will have to come up with a way of carrying over these traits while making the switch to an all-electric powertrain.
Performance cars will struggle the most, and that's because finding a balance between weight, maximum range, and power while also keeping the vehicle nimble is basically the modern-day equivalent of alchemy. But, hey, if Lotus can do it, a company built around the notion of lightness, so can anyone else.
Design-wise, the departure from the current lines shouldn't be that big. Renault already showed us what a future electric hatchback should look like (once we get past the Zoe incident) through the Renault 5 EV Concept introduced earlier this year, and it's not bad at all.
Taking things a little further, an independent Italian designer called Alberto Lazzarini imagined what the Megane RS EV could look like eight years or so from now. We can probably all agree that it's a very beautiful car, electric or otherwise. Sure, you wouldn't want to sit in the back if you're claustrophobic, but you would definitely want to jump into the driver's seat. That's especially because the EV architecture means it would be very simple for Renault Sport to make the Megane rear-wheel-drive if not even all-wheel-drive. Now that's a mouthwatering thought.
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