Last month we discovered that the already rather nippy Renaultsport Megane 250 was being upgraded and renamed to the Megane 265. Now Renault have announced how much it will cost and what you’ll get for your money.
We already know that the Megane 265’s engine is being treated to the same upgrades that made it into the limited edition 265 Trophy. With more turbo pressure and a reworked air intake the 2.0 turbo is good for 265bhp and 265lb/ft of torque, but the surprise is that you’ll only get that headline figure if you activate ‘Sport’ mode.
Forget to press the button and you’re limited to the old Megane’s 250bhp, although you might be hard pressed to tell as it will only take 0.1 seconds longer to reach 62mph and you’ll be losing out on just 2mph from the top speed. Mind you, you’ll be missing out on an enhanced exhaust note, so that might be enough reason to hit that button every time you start the engine.
There are two models to choose from, the cheapest being the Megane 265 Cup that costs £24,825. The more generously specified Megane 265 costs £26,025.
What’s the difference? The 265 comes as standard with Renaultsport gey leather upholstery with red seatbelts and red stitching. Recaro front seats with carbon grey leather and yellow seatbelts are an option on the 265, as is a new carbon and silver grey bi-tone leather.
The 265 Cup comes with cloth trim as standard, highlighted by red stitching to match the red seatbelts, while the door panels have a carbon fibre effect finish. Recaro front seats with a Carbon grey cloth and synthetic leather edging and yellow detailing are an option on the 265 Cup, while the seatbelts are also yellow with these seats.
As the name implies the 265 Cup comes with Renaultsport’s acclaimed Cup chassis as standard, while the 265 can be specified with the Cup Chassis pack as an optional extra. For an additional £1,350 it offers 18-inch alloy wheels in matt black wrapped in Michelin Sport 2 tyres, grooved brake discs, limited slip differential, red brake callipers and stiffer springs, dampers and anti-roll bars.
The new Renaulsport Megane 265 benefits from a range of new alloy wheel designs, including:
- 18” ‘Tibor’ matt black for the 265 Cup and when the optional Cup chassis is selected on the 265.
- 18” ‘Tibor’ satin anthracite fitted as standard to the 265.
- 19” ‘Steev’ Speedline in a diamond cut finish as an option
- 19” ‘Steev’ Speedline in a gloss black finish with a red rim and Bridgestone RE050A tyres as an option
If you were disappointed to miss out on the limted edition 265 Trophy, not only can you now have a Megane with the same power output but you can also choose the ‘Red Design Pack’ as an option. This copies some of the style of the 265 Trophy, with red striping on the front blade, rear diffuser and side protection mouldings. It will set you back £350.
The updated Renaultsport Megane is available to order now, with deliveries beginning in April.
