SEE MORE IMAGES FROM THE PHOTO SHOOT WITH DEON
THEY SAY THE onset of madness is often accompanied by the sound of bells ringing in one’s ears. Ergo the raspy drone of a flat-four Subaru engine, offbeat yet sonorous, must be warning my brain of impending full-blown insanity. That whacky boot attachment ain’t helping either. The Scooby’s got an almost electronic strain to its noise, synthesized and filling the cabin all the way from idle to red line – in stark contrast to the traditional ‘turbo two-litre’ thrum emanating from the Megane RS Cup, audibly defined by a clean swoosh of induction punctuated with the occasional chirrup of two Continental tyres slipping on dry tar.
There’s not a lot in common between these track stars other than that they embody the performance ethos of their respective brands, and despite their conflicting bodyshells they’re perfect rivals on and off the track. Both are massively appealing to a more hardcore buyer. Four wheels and as many cylinders are their only common denominators, with the Japanese whip a signature boxer and the Frenchie a traditional in-liner. Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drivetrain now features a 41:59 front to rear power split, whereas the Renault is a typical front-driver. Both feature mechanical limited-slip differentials, so both grip tenaciously, but that essentially is where similarities end. Now let me tell you the tale of the hammer and the scythe. But first, meet the weapon master we summoned to wield them.
The troll than lives beneath the bridge
Enter Deon Joubert, a grizzled ex-racer (think NASCAR, touring and production cars, karts, or insert any number of racing disciplines here) with a penchant for stunt driving who, when tasked with lapping Cape Town’s Killarney Circuit, boasts an unprecedented home ground advantage.
‘My old man used to run the place,’ he jokes as he convinces the track’s maintenance crew to chill in the shade while we conclude our hot laps. ‘These okes must think he still does, I get away with murder here,’ he opines, with a mischievous smile that morphs a second later into the laugh of a madman.
Dressed to kill in his Enviro racing overalls, an old glint resurfaces in eyes that have seen the entry and exit of, literally, millions of racing apexes. Giggles from the peanut gallery accompany Deon’s attempts to sheath copious facial fur with his JIMCO racing helmet. We’re not sure why Deon traded his Top Gun aesthetic for the Deer Hunter look, but each time we ask him he mutters something about 2012 and the end of the world. Scary stuff – we’ve since stopped asking. Still, you can’t ignore the pearls of wisdom thrown out mid-lap from a master hand like Mr Joubert. Sometimes it’s humble: ‘I’m more accustomed to rear-wheel drive, but can do the good times in FWD and AWD I suppose …’ Other times a bit too honest: ‘This thing would go quicker without that big f**king wing!’ But all of his feedback is invaluable in confirming our suspicions and predictions, giving insight into what each corner of the car is doing. Importantly, even with two occupants on board, Deon is able to produce eerily consistent lap times and from this we can glean the pedigree of a champion. Now, let’s get back to the track weaponry.
It takes all kinds
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Do you know that graco
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Sti/RS
I still think these tests based on a race track give unfair bias to the FWD car. Smooth, great surface. So the real advantage of the AWD STi - which is being able to use all it's power in varying conditions is nullified. I owned a 207 GTi. Great little car with a lot of punch for its size but in the wet or as soon as the surface becomes uneven it's traction was lost. That why I still maintain in the real world the STi would kill the RS in an A to B dash on B roads. After that factor in the safety net given by the AWD and yes it's easily worth the 100k more.
there is no discussion guys,
there is no discussion guys, nearly everyone is comparing power!!! plz check it out the RS has only 250hp and is abt 1 sec behind the KING (300hp, 2.5l) and much cheaper, eco & less noisy&&&& 43g/km c02 less. how about RS300???? i like subaru but i love renault specially for its brakes,Comfort, security, precision, for a FWD.
look guys first try both as i did & ignore the sound & think abt. 50hp diff & your wallet . you have z anSwer.
STi v RS
Most of you guys are so passionate about your choice of car it's scary. All the people who have tested the Renault RS in almost all the media outlets world agree that the RS punches above it's weight. It gave the Focus RS a bloody nose in some of the tests it underwent. That it can run the Subaru STI close is no surprise. So stop being denialist and accept that the car is good enough for the French to smile about. Ohh I drive neither of these cars, I'm a sheep who drives a VW.
no need
there is no need to compare a subaru to a reno, its tarnishing the supreme powerhouse and elegance status of the subaru, plz show some respect, the costellation of 7 stars!!
Sti
I think the biggest problem here is that they are comparing these cars on a track. That is not a real world comparison. The traction on a track is amazing and it is perfectly smooth. Plus it was dry. In the real world we have to deal with uneven road surfaces, poor traction conditions and rain. I would definitely say in a real world situation the megane would be lost looking for grip in the corners and traction. If it was wet or the road was not ideal the megane would be absolutely lost. As good as the megane may be it still a fwd French hatch witch u can't compare to a dedicated performance awd sti.
LOL GUYS
Any real racer knows,that its not whats on paper that conts rather then the demon behind the wheel.
Please do not compare oversea's specs with our kurupt country specs as altitudes,tracks etc,etc are very different
Any 1 who does not have the cash follow do buy a good car,will always be a hater.
I reckon Furgengruven baby - I'd By the Golf-R
I agree with most of your
I agree with most of your comments.
And thanx for the V-box results. @Truth - Can you see the Renault does not do 0-100 in 6.1s but 6.68s?
Just want to mention again to Truth, have you compared the RS build quality to any new Audi out there? I assume you didn't drove the RS hard enough not to experience any torque steer...
And to all - Everybody has their own opinions and preferences in cars - and all of your opinions I find interesting. Thanx for your personal views... :)
Please don't bite my head off about MY personal opinions people. :)
STi
I hope this shuts up the whole hot hatch saga - i know this one is not the hatch but hatch or sedan who cares. The Sti is the hottest. Yes expensive and noisy and thirsty, but this is not going to matter everytime you pull up next to anything else at the robots. If you want a big boot or less fuel consumption dont try and compare your family sedan to the king. Yes I have one and yes R100k is a lot to have that satisfaction.
Most roads are straight
@Biased?... Where in the world do you live? Beside a mountain pass. Or maybe you take Kyalami racetrack to work and back. In the real world most roads are highways. So more straight roads than hairpin bends Einstein. And besides you not allowed to drive on a public road as if you driving on a Racing circuit. However, as good as the Renault is. You got to admit the Subaru is just better, it’s a proven fact.
FWD vs AWD
And even if it was a mountain pass the FWD will understeer into the mountain when driven at the limit. Whereas a RWD or AWD car will have much more balanced characteristics going through the bend. In capable hands the RWD or AWD is going to be quicker every single time!!!
Renault vs Subaru
Bought a Peugeot 307 GTI a year ago. Loads of fun but it is time to move on from front wheel drive, cart holding cornering to a real super car. Me think Subaru is will be the better option than the Renault
I really couldn't care if the
I really couldn't care if the Renault was ten seconds faster than the scooby its still fugly and its still french, time to move along
Renault/Subaru
BLAH,BLAH,BLAH!YOURE LIKE A PAIR OF 12 YEAROLDS!
Responsible journalism
No... We deserve repsonsible jornalism instead of a one sided advertisement for a certain brand. Really these two cars aren't in the same league. You can't compare apples and oranges can you?
I'm not a Subaru fanboy either... This should be a shootout between a Evo X and the Scoobie. It would be a fair comparison and if the Evo won I would be happy with the result. But to try and dress up the Renault as being in the same league as these WRC proven machines is rather blasphemous, sensationalist and irresponsible journalism.
The fianl decision
You do know that Deon Joubert chose the Renault over the Subaru right? He's a racing driver and i haven't seen your name on any race results recently to sway my opinion towards yours. The Renault punches way above its weight, drive the 2 back to back - the Subaru is far from a rally car.
Deon Joubert
Deon Joubert? Does he even drive stick shift...? Mebbe we should get him to beat Tomi Makinen's 7m55 around Nurburgring?
He would set a new FWD record if he gets even slightly close... As the FWD record is over 20seconds slower than that.
Tomi Makinen 2011 STi
Tomi Makinen 2011 STi Nubrugring 7m55
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEXADeLH_H4
special
you realise that's a very special Subaru right? it's as fast as a Porsche GT3 and Ferrari F430...just no
test results
those of you looking for v-box figures on the same day i'll put them above. For added info Deon works for both brands so it wouldn't be in his best interest to choose one brand over another.
@ Anonymous - I agree with
@ Anonymous - I agree with you wondering how much Renault have paid them for this.
What I don't understan about this article, is why they haven't mentioned some more technical information. Its only technical info was about the AWD and FWD comparison.
And I would find it interesting to see actual tests done on the same day with a V-Box on getting accurate accelleration figures etc.
What I can say is that the Renault is a bit expensive, if you look at build quality. The clutch is also heavy (and if I am not mistaken it is a cable clutch). Its freakin heavy on the foot. Compared to other hot hatches, the Renault RS is quick out of the block, but that is that. Where is all the other features you would expect a R400k car should have (in hot hatch class)?
I really can't imagine paying that much for a Renault RS with the cheap interior, and Slip diff (which doesn't really seem to do much). Upon pull-away you must guess to what side it will pull, and even upon hard braking. Left or right - its a guessing game.
And comparing to other hot hatches with way less power - the other hot hatches seem to stay with it, and pulling out on higher speeds. 184kw...??? I don't think so.
I can carry on about this car, but personally (and its only personal opinion) I can't like this car. Overrated, and overpriced. Any Ford RS or R20 Golf is better value for money (a bit more expensive) but way better built quility and better overall package.
PS: Please don't shoot me for my opinion! :)
Your opinion
Your opinion is a very uneducated one. The Megane RS build quality is excellent and there IS NO TORQUE STEER! Focus RS & Scirocco R lost against this (chec Fifth Gear shootout). Furthermore the Golf R released here is only 188 KW so it stands no chance either.
Biased
How much did Renault pay you for this advertisement?
Over a second on the quarter mile means a lot more acceleration out of the bends. And there is no ways a FWD can compete with an AWD on the track...
@anonymous
Take an RS for a drive and you'll see what FWD can do. I actually think his report was quite fair and considering he's a race driver which you are not gives your statement no substance. Looks like you paid too much for your scooby
In fact I don't drive a
In fact I don't drive a scooby first of all.
Secondly, did driving and testing on the Renault RS. Yes, it is quick (from pul away), but that is that.
I can't really care if Deon is a race driver. What I think most people will agree (with a bit of car knowledge) is that you sometimes need to look beyond the quick accelleration and speed, and look at (like a mentioned quite a lot) build quality, safety, reliability, etc.
As I did tested a Renault RS, there is no comparison to the German cars' build quality, and even ride comforts, and not to mention advanced technologies all round.
The RS is not a bad performing car, but coming back to the article, and like some users said in their comments, compare apples with apples, and not apples with oranges. Would you think an article would be interesting if they compared an Audi A1 with a BMW 135? Basicly comes down to the same point.
Biased?
Most roads are not straight so quarter mile means nothing. Furthermore, the RS 1-100 is actaully 6.1s. And even furthermore, the Megane RS beat the Ford RS in the top gear shootout. Yes, I am surprised the Subaru did not win by a larger margin as it is a bigger motor & 4wd. I'd take the RS over the scooby anyday though 'specially that it is 100k cheaper and gives more thrill
Biased
The Subaru STi is over a second quicker than the RS over the quarter mile. That is a lot!!!
So it makes it really hard to believe that a FWD Renault is just slightly short on the AWD Subaru on the track... Maybe you took the STi worst time and the RS best time for your comparison?;)
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