Renault Megane Renault Sport Monaco Review: White heat

What we like:

Sublime handling

aggressive looks

engaging drive

What we dislike:

No mechanical tweaks over standard car

can be hard work to drive on the road

Other than the exterior, the Monaco GP differs most from the standard car on the inside. The exterior’s pearlescent white colour scheme is matched by similarly coloured interior door handles, dashboard inlays, seat belts and rev counter. The white seatbelts and rev counter, together with the leather Recaros and white stitching on the seats, steering wheel and gear shift boot do make the Monaco GP cabin feel and look classier than the yellow themed interior of the standard RS. The Monaco GP also comes with ‘Monaco GP’ stitching on the seats, bespoke floor mats and last but not least, a numbered plaque on the centre console to show off its limited edition status.

The previous generation Megane was well known for its appalling lack of quality on the inside. The new Megane’s cabin is an improvement over its predecessor’s but it is still not up to Volkswagen levels of quality and perceived luxury. In terms of utility, the Megane actually offers more trunk space and rear passenger room than the Volkswagen Scirocco.

Those who expect the Monaco GP to be a limited edition model in the mould of the old Megane Renaultsport F1 Team R26 and Clio Renaultsport F1 Team R27 will be disappointed as this new limited edition model isn’t exactly faster or can corner better than the standard car. The Monaco GP is ultimately a Megane RS with added luxuries and extra kit, which Renault will charge you an additional $6k over the price of a standard Megane RS. For those who want an even faster and more hardcore Megane RS, the Trophy should arrive really soon.

Credits: Story and photos by Raymond Lai