In 2004, the Clio 172 gave way to the slightly more powerful 182. It received dual exhaust pipes, shaved a couple of tenths off the 172’s 0-62mph time, and gained a few other visual tweaks, while a cut-price 182 Cup did without a few luxuries in order to save weight. It still ended up heavier than the outgoing 172 Cup, however, and isn’t as well regarded today.
The exception was the 182 Trophy, produced with input from Renault UK as a thank you to customers, who were buying 182s at a rate of nearly 3000 a year. Just 500 were built for Britain, with bespoke Sachs dampers, Capsicum Red paint and Speedline Turini alloy wheels. It’s now widely considered the best Clio of its generation.
The Mégane RS received a Trophy version in 2005, silencing critics with steering, brake and suspension upgrades that made it a much more focused machine. Only 160 were built for the UK, but were snapped up so quickly that a Cup version, available in a wider selection of colours, was put into full series production. It was here that Renault began offering its hot Méganes with either a Sport or Cup chassis, letting customers choose between more focused handling or a more comfortable daily drive.
When Renault won the 2005 Formula 1 season’s constructors’ championship, the Mégane Renaultsport F1 Team Special Edition was launched to celebrate. With Ultra Blue paint and gloss black alloys, it was among the most distinctive hot hatches on sale and, inside, its Recaro bucket seats signalled it as a true performance car, but it received no mechanical upgrades. It was The F1 Team R26 that went a step further, raising power to 227bhp, adding an uprated exhaust and, most important, a limited-slip differential that transformed the Mégane’s on-the-limit handling. We said: “You’d be crazy to buy a GTI, ST or VXR without trying one of these on a B-road first.”