Tuesday 23rd August 2016

Last Renaultsport Megane 275 on sale in the UK

The chance to buy a piece of hot hatch history gives us the opportunity to celebrate a legend

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It should hopefully be well known by now that we're rather big fans of the outgoing Renaultsport Megane. So with news of the very last third-generation car now being sold in the UK, a tribute fitting of such a legend seemed appropriate. Stay away from the homepage for the rest of today if you don't like the Megane, put it that way...

From original 250...

To the car in question. As the last Megane 275 Cup-S ever made at Renault's Palencia factory, every option has been thrown at it. That or it just coincidentally has Liquid Yellow paint, the Ohlins adjustable dampers, the Michelin Cup 2s and the Recaro seats. A full (and very appealing) house as far as Megane spec bingo goes.

The other options fitted to this car are the 19-inch wheels (needed for the Cup 2 tyres, adding another £1,000), some interior Alcantara (£300), a keycard (£250), plus the R-Link touchscreen with TomTom subscription and Renaultsport Monitor (three separate options, totalling £845). Combined the overall price is £31,930, with the car on sale right now at Arnold Clark Renault Dundee. Might we suggest a Scottish road trip on the way home?

So that's it for this Renaultsport Megane - the last one has been made and is up for sale. Well, hopefully not for too long. Anyway, such an occasion deserves a proper send-off, so here's the PH best bits in the Megane III story. Are you sitting comfortably?

Our tale begins way back in October 2009, when PistonHeads first drove the new Megane 250 and concluded that the Cup was "a terrific driver's car". Response to the standard 250 was less complimentary, but hasn't that always been the way when there's been a Cup option too?

... to 275 Cup-S, it's been some journey!

Fast forward to 2011 and the updated 265 Trophy is in the news for - you've guessed it - a Nurburgring lap time. Its 8:07.97 lap beat the R26.R's record by 10 seconds and it was arguably the point that enthusiasts really began to accept this generation of Megane as another Renaultsport legend. A year later that limited edition became the series production Megane 265; not only did we enjoy an epic first drive review at Spa, but a 265 Cup also enjoyed a stint on the PH Fleet. 'Divisive' probably best described that one.

Now while the Megane has never raced as prolifically as the Clio, Renault saw it fit to bestow some motorsport kudos on it in 2013 with the RB8 special edition. Limited to just 30 in the UK, it was essentially a 265 Cup with the Recaro seats, 19-inch wheels and rather fetching Twilight Blue paint. We rated it highly enough to pitch against the more expensive BMW M135i, a comparison it did very well in.

Still with us? Still interested? Good, because now it gets properly goof. 2014 was the year of the Megane Trophy-R, the car that took on the R26.R's mantle, smashed the Nurburgring front-wheel drive record and secured a place in our favourite cars of that year too. It was - and remains - one of the finest driver's cars you'll find anywhere. At the same time the range was refreshed to include the 275 Trophy also, a car that continued where the 265 left off with a twin test victory against the then-new Leon Cupra.

In fact the Megane has done rather well in tests on these pages, the Civic Type R recently suffering a double defeat against both a 275 Trophy on road and a 275 Cup-S on track. The margins were slender in both instances, but there's no doubting the old stager has proved its worth against a lot of more modern competition.

It's some final spec, that's for sure

Which brings us to the last few months, where the Renaultsport Megane has been available as either the aforementioned Cup-S or the 275 Nav, both with big price savings over previous models. Which also means cars like this Nav are available at £20K with delivery mileage. Very, very tempting...

So it's done fairly well on PH over the past seven years, this Renaultsport Megane. And yet still it remains a niche choice, the Megane's track focus clearly not appealing to as many buying customers as it does Internet commentators. Whatever, it has established a fantastic reputation amongst a small group of enthusiasts for its focus, its ability and its sense of fun too. If the fourth generation car can combine those attributes with the additional layer of maturity required to capture further sales, we could have another legend on our hands.

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Previously on PH... Renaultsport Megane timeline
Renaultsport Megane 250 Cup first drive (October 2009)
Renaultsport Megane 265 Cup first drive (May 2012)
Renaultsport Megane 265 Cup Fleet farewell (May 2013)
Renaultsport Megane RB8 price announced (July 2013)
BMW M135i vs. Renaultsport Megane RB8 (September 2013)
Renaultsport Megane 275 Trophy-R 'ring record (June 2014)
Renaultsport Megane 275 Trophy driven (June 2014)
Megane 275 Trophy vs. Leon Cupra 280 (July 2014)
Renaultsport Megane 275 Trophy-R review (December 2014)
Honda Civic Type R vs. Megane 275 Trophy (June 2015)
Renaultsport Megane 275 Cup-S and Nav announced (September 2015)
Civic Type R vs. Renaultsport Megane 275 Cup-S (July 2016)
Civic Type R vs. Megane 275 Cup-S video (August 2016)

[giveablondeabone]

Am I the only one who finds all the different iterations and specs of these Renaultsport Meganes confusing?

I mean, which is actually the best for general fast road/daily use?

[Roma101]

giveablondeabone said:

Am I the only one who finds all the different iterations and specs of these Renaultsport Meganes confusing?

I mean, which is actually the best for general fast road/daily use?

You can't really go wrong with any of them. However, if you are a keen driver, go for a Cup version, as the article suggests. The main difference between the 250, 265 and 275 is the power and torque levels. Other than various cosmetic changes to the front end, I don't think there were any other material changes, especially mechanical ones. However, when you get to 275 level you start to get the fancy options like the Akrapovic exhaust, Ohlins suspension, Cup 2s etc. Therefore, if you want these, you will need to go for a 275 spec. car.

The 265 Trophy is essentially a tarted up (i.e. paint, equipment and stickers job) 265 Cup.

To answer your question though, my pick to suit your needs would be a 275 Trophy with the Akro exhaust and Ohlins suspension. Alternatively, a Cup S with these options is pretty much the same car. However, these might be hard to find and will cost more than other models (other than the R), so my second choice would probably be a face-lifted 265 Cup or 265 Trophy (which was not face-lifted as it came out before the 265 Cup).

[Phooey]

Stick it on 18's and I'll give yer £22k for it

[CedricN]

It must have sold 10 times the amount of the old one, or probably even more than that. They are plentiful here in sweden as opposed to the old one which is rarely seen. The body with coupe/sports car ish profile and limited rear seat will of course limit the sales alot. But it do give the car a very special look, looks much more special than a fast golf for example..

Ive only driven it on track and the setup was great, i couldnt belive how adjustable it was, a car so tail happy in this day and age . But it did suffer from being FWD with lot of power, at least on swedish tracks. On the ring you would probably not notice the problem at all, probably much better on cup2s. For being a modern car it really is very very fun and fast!

[Alex_225]

I must admit I've lost touch a little with the Renaultsport range since moving away from hot hatches a bit but having owned two variations of the MKI Megane 225, I can only imagine the last offering of this model is something quite special to drive.

I can't say it's the best looking hot hatch out there, dare I say I think the Astra VXR perhaps looks a little nicer but to drive i'd have my money on the Megane.

Looking forward to the next RS model though, it has some big shoes to fill going up against the Focus RS and new Type-R!

[MikeGoodwin]

+1 needs 18" wheels.

I got a used 8 month old NAV 275 with Tibors, cup chassis and Recaros for £20k with 6500 miles in flame red, but I had been searching the ads for months to find one I really wanted and placed a deposit on the car without driving it or seeing it. I expected to get a 265 with cup and recaros originally but that came up and thought why not.

I really want to get ohlins but they are so expensive. The car is at its best at 8/10ths+ on a twisty and relatively smooth back road. Under those circumstances it really is a gem.

[kpb]

giveablondeabone said:

I mean, which is actually the best for general fast road/daily use?

I'd just go for the latest 275 Cup S or Nav on 18s. Akra / Ohlins aren't great VFM in my opinion, and take them into a price bracket that I dont think a discontinued car justifies, especially when you can (could?) get a car without them for well under £20k and minimise the depreciation.

Plus, having owned a 250 (pre- and post map), 275bhp is well judged with the Perfohub set up, and feels usefully stronger than a standard 250 without torque steering all over the shop.

I got my Cup S for £19k with plenty of options. Ridiculous bang for buck.

[hufggfg]

Roma101 said:

giveablondeabone said:

Am I the only one who finds all the different iterations and specs of these Renaultsport Meganes confusing?

I mean, which is actually the best for general fast road/daily use?

You can't really go wrong with any of them. However, if you are a keen driver, go for a Cup version, as the article suggests. The main difference between the 250, 265 and 275 is the power and torque levels. Other than various cosmetic changes to the front end, I don't think there were any other material changes, especially mechanical ones. However, when you get to 275 level you start to get the fancy options like the Akrapovic exhaust, Ohlins suspension, Cup 2s etc. Therefore, if you want these, you will need to go for a 275 spec. car.

The 265 Trophy is essentially a tarted up (i.e. paint, equipment and stickers job) 265 Cup.

To answer your question though, my pick to suit your needs would be a 275 Trophy with the Akro exhaust and Ohlins suspension. Alternatively, a Cup S with these options is pretty much the same car. However, these might be hard to find and will cost more than other models (other than the R), so my second choice would probably be a face-lifted 265 Cup or 265 Trophy (which was not face-lifted as it came out before the 265 Cup).

Or to summarise; "Yes the different iterations and specs are very confusing"

I own one and I don't understand all the different iterations etc without looking it up, and that's not exactly easy!

As said though, the one with the most things as standard and most options likely to be on it is a Trophy 275.

[dotgillingham]

I may (quite conceivably) be wrong, but will they not always be a niche product when few people over 25 can own one without looking a bit silly, and few people under 25 can afford to buy, run and insure one at these now lofty prices?

I had always thought that these were bought by the few and rich as second cars to enjoy at the weekends and track days, hence the low mileages you often see them advertised with.

[nickfrog]

dotgillingham said:

I may (quite conceivably) be wrong, but will they not always be a niche product when few people over 25 can own one without looking a bit silly, and few people under 25 can afford to buy, run and insure one at these now lofty prices?

I had always thought that these were bought by the few and rich as second cars to enjoy at the weekends and track days, hence the low mileages you often see them advertised with.

They don't all come in yellow - my Cup is totally anodyne I would have thought. They are £10k second hand and make for a very good daily driver too.

[Roma101]

hufggfg said:

Roma101 said:

giveablondeabone said:

Am I the only one who finds all the different iterations and specs of these Renaultsport Meganes confusing?

I mean, which is actually the best for general fast road/daily use?

You can't really go wrong with any of them. However, if you are a keen driver, go for a Cup version, as the article suggests. The main difference between the 250, 265 and 275 is the power and torque levels. Other than various cosmetic changes to the front end, I don't think there were any other material changes, especially mechanical ones. However, when you get to 275 level you start to get the fancy options like the Akrapovic exhaust, Ohlins suspension, Cup 2s etc. Therefore, if you want these, you will need to go for a 275 spec. car.

The 265 Trophy is essentially a tarted up (i.e. paint, equipment and stickers job) 265 Cup.

To answer your question though, my pick to suit your needs would be a 275 Trophy with the Akro exhaust and Ohlins suspension. Alternatively, a Cup S with these options is pretty much the same car. However, these might be hard to find and will cost more than other models (other than the R), so my second choice would probably be a face-lifted 265 Cup or 265 Trophy (which was not face-lifted as it came out before the 265 Cup).

Or to summarise; "Yes the different iterations and specs are very confusing"

I own one and I don't understand all the different iterations etc without looking it up, and that's not exactly easy!

As said though, the one with the most things as standard and most options likely to be on it is a Trophy 275.

Yes, I thought that when I had finished writing the post! Unless you are a fan boy, it can be confusing. And even if you are a fan boy, it can be confusing. To the best of my memory, the different versions are, in chronological order, and in summary:

250 non-Cup - not as sharp to drive as (but has more luxuries than)...
250 Cup - lower ride height, LSD, stiffer suspension, coloured brake calipers
265 Trophy - basically a 250 Cup with more power and torque, 19 inch wheels with Bridgestone tyres, a couple of other options as standard (Recaros and RS monitor), yellow or black only, limited to 50 UK cars
265 non-Cup - see 250 non-Cup but more power and torque
265 Cup - see 250 Cup but more power and torque
Confusingly, at this stage the car had a facelift, so you can, I believe get a 265 with two different front ends. Either that or the facelift came in as the standard 265s came in (i.e. the non-Cup and the Cup) after the 265 Trophy finished. Can't remember.
Red Bull special edition - 265 with special paint, stickers and free options. Can't remember if Cup pack was standard. Probably.
275 Trophy - 265 Cup with more power and torque, stickers, extra kit (including Akra exhaust) and optional kit like Ohlins, Cup2s, choice of wheels
275 Trophy R - 275 Trophy but stripped out (e.g. no rear seats), one-piece racing front seats, Cup option, Ohlins and Cup2s standard, lithium battery, bigger brakes and harnesses optional extras
275 Nav - basically a 265 non-Cup with more power and torque, all the goodies from the 275 Trophy range are optional
275 Cup-S - basically a 265 Cup with more torque and power, all the goodies from the 275 Trophy are optional.

And to confuse things further, you could spec. non-Cup cars with the Cup pack so that you could have the extra luxuries and the sharper handling.

Simples

[mat205125]

I've been lucky enough to enjoy an R26-R at the Nurburgring through RSR, and a 250 Cup on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit with an instructor whilst on an open pitlane trackday.

These Meganes are simply fantastic fun, and so competent for fast road and track use.

Sure, a Golf may be a better road car package for daily use, however I'd prefer the Megane every time!!

[MustardCutter]

dotgillingham said:

... few people over 25 can own one without looking a bit silly...

I wish this attitude would just die in a fire; who cares what people that you don't care about care about?! It's not like your friends and family will disown you for driving one or that complete strangers will suddenly love you because you drive something else like a keeping up withe Jones' German soft roader.

[giveablondeabone]

Roma101 said:

Yes, I thought that when I had finished writing the post! Unless you are a fan boy, it can be confusing. And even if you are a fan boy, it can be confusing. To the best of my memory, the different versions are, in chronological order, and in summary:

250 non-Cup - not as sharp to drive as (but has more luxuries than)...
250 Cup - lower ride height, LSD, stiffer suspension, coloured brake calipers
265 Trophy - basically a 250 Cup with more power and torque, 19 inch wheels with Bridgestone tyres, a couple of other options as standard (Recaros and RS monitor), yellow or black only, limited to 50 UK cars
265 non-Cup - see 250 non-Cup but more power and torque
265 Cup - see 250 Cup but more power and torque
Confusingly, at this stage the car had a facelift, so you can, I believe get a 265 with two different front ends. Either that or the facelift came in as the standard 265s came in (i.e. the non-Cup and the Cup) after the 265 Trophy finished. Can't remember.
Red Bull special edition - 265 with special paint, stickers and free options. Can't remember if Cup pack was standard. Probably.
275 Trophy - 265 Cup with more power and torque, stickers, extra kit (including Akra exhaust) and optional kit like Ohlins, Cup2s, choice of wheels
275 Trophy R - 275 Trophy but stripped out (e.g. no rear seats), one-piece racing front seats, Cup option, Ohlins and Cup2s standard, lithium battery, bigger brakes and harnesses optional extras
275 Nav - basically a 265 non-Cup with more power and torque, all the goodies from the 275 Trophy range are optional
275 Cup-S - basically a 265 Cup with more torque and power, all the goodies from the 275 Trophy are optional.

And to confuse things further, you could spec. non-Cup cars with the Cup pack so that you could have the extra luxuries and the sharper handling.

Simples

Oh Lord..........

My perfect car with this in mind would have a cup chassis with some toys as options. Are 18's better for road use whilst we're at it?

[CrouchingWayne]

I keep coming back to these in the classifieds - spec wise I was also confused but the posts in here have gone some way to helping.

What would concern me is values sliding - are there any editions that it's reasonable to think will depreciate really slowly? I'd love a facelift variant, but value wise I always end up looking at GP Mini's.

[hufggfg]

MustardCutter said:

dotgillingham said:

... few people over 25 can own one without looking a bit silly...

I wish this attitude would just die in a fire; who cares what people that you don't care about care about?! It's not like your friends and family will disown you for driving one or that complete strangers will suddenly love you because you drive something else like a keeping up withe Jones' German soft roader.

This.

I'm over 25, and have mine in yellow, with the stickers (though at least they're silver so a bit more subtle than on the Trophy-R), and have been really surprised by the number of positive comments I've had on the car (mostly from random strangers). I'd assumed that no-one other than proper petrolheads would bat an eyelid, but it seems that having a car in a bright colour means lots of people like it.

[nunpuncher]

Also keep finding myself drawn to these...... and i'm a fair bit older than 25.

I can't see prices sliding too much. Cheapest ones I've seen are around £10k but the ones i'm drawn to seem to be around £13k - £14k for a late 250/early 265 cup*. It seems people have been picking up the run out 275 cup S models for around £19k so that's pretty bloody good depreciation. Ok, it's not Mini GP flat depreciation but this is a much more usable car just with being bigger and actually having some back seats.

• the variants are seriously confusing even after reading the descriptions here so I may have that wrong.

[giveablondeabone]

hufggfg said:

MustardCutter said:

dotgillingham said:

... few people over 25 can own one without looking a bit silly...

I wish this attitude would just die in a fire; who cares what people that you don't care about care about?! It's not like your friends and family will disown you for driving one or that complete strangers will suddenly love you because you drive something else like a keeping up withe Jones' German soft roader.

This.

I'm over 25, and have mine in yellow, with the stickers (though at least they're silver so a bit more subtle than on the Trophy-R), and have been really surprised by the number of positive comments I've had on the car (mostly from random strangers). I'd assumed that no-one other than proper petrolheads would bat an eyelid, but it seems that having a car in a bright colour means lots of people like it.

Good for you and yes, I also feel deeply sorry for people who actually allow others to influence there car buying habits.

But then people like that aren't really enthusiasts are they?

One of these or a CTR for me next and i'm 47. Go smoke that neighbour................

[SuperVM]

MustardCutter said:

dotgillingham said:

... few people over 25 can own one without looking a bit silly...

I wish this attitude would just die in a fire; who cares what people that you don't care about care about?! It's not like your friends and family will disown you for driving one or that complete strangers will suddenly love you because you drive something else like a keeping up withe Jones' German soft roader.

Indeed, I own cars I like and am too old, too married and have too many kids to care if other people think I look ridiculous in my car.

[Verbal_v2]

Closest I got to owning one of these was my old man's 1.9TDi Megane estate. Still went bloody well and was nice to drive. Definitely a car I'd loved to have owned.