Video: 2018 Renault Megane RS - 280 manual driven flat out on track

2018 Renault Mégane RS Dieppe's latest hot hatch comes with four-wheel steering and a new 1.8-litre engine; is it a Honda Civic Type R beater?

Renault Sport has a habit of producing extremely fine driver’s cars when its engineers get their hands on Méganes.

We have fond memories of the last one, the deliciously involving Mégane 275, so it’s fair to say expectations are very high for its successor.

Thing is, the 2018 car is quite different. It loses its predecessor’s 2.0-litre turbocharged engine for a 1.8-litre one, so power is only slightly up. This leaves the car lagging behind rivals, like the Honda Civic Type R, which is 40bhp more potent. Can it make up the deficit with its clever chassis?

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