Renault Launches Facelifted Megane Coupe-Cabriolet with New Gallery and Videos

Announced in December last year, the cosmetically refreshed Megane Coupe-Cabriolet is now beginning to arrive in dealerships across Europe, with Renault sharing a new batch of photos and a pair of videos of its hardtop convertible with which it completes the light redesign of the Megane family of compact models.

1984 Renault 5 Turbo 2 Is a Boy’s Dream Come True

Rally fans will never forget the 1980s, the era of the fearsome and spine-tingling Group B cars. For kids growing up in those days, cars like the Audi Sport Quattro S1, Ford RS200, Peugeot 205 T16, Lancia Delta S4 and Renault 5 Turbo were absolute monsters.

German Frank Hachmann met one of those cars at a rally in France when he was a child and remained forever fascinated by the looks and sounds of the car. The mid-engined Renault 5 Turbo captured his imagination so much that when he turned 30, he bought himself a 1984 Renault 5 Turbo 2.

The production version of the rally car featured a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine producing 160 PS (158hp) and 221 Nm (163 lb-ft) of torque in standard form.

Although it was far from the R5 Maxi Turbo competition car’s 350 PS (345hp), the rear-wheel drive production version was capable of sprinting from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.6 seconds and could reach 200 km/h (124 mph). But most of all, the perfect balance of the car made it (and still makes it) a real joy to drive.

Hachmann has owned the car for 20 years now and, understandably, has no intention to ever sell it. Scroll down to watch the video, courtesy of Caroholics, it's in German, but the sights and sounds of the Renault 5 Turbo need no translation.

By Dan Mihalascu

Thanks to Caroholics for the heads up!

VIDEO

Chris Harris Puts Ford’s Focus ST Against Opel Astra OPC and Renault Megane RS

Hot hatches are the Swiss Army knives of the automotive world in that they can do almost everything. Their humble underpinnings mean that they are as practical as any hatchback in everyday use, their tuned chassis and powerful engines can scare a sports car or two on twisty roads and they are, comparatively affordable.
There was a time, not so long ago, that putting anything more than 200-horses on the road through the front wheels was considered a recipe for terminal power understeer. Things have certainly changed and, as Chris Harris points out in the video that follows, front-wheel drive hot hatches have really become very competent.

New Opel Astra OPC / Vauxhall VXR Vs. Renault Megane RS 265 Cup

The new Opel Astra OPC, otherwise known as the Vauxhall Astra VXR, is the latest arrival in the European hot hatch segment. If there's one model it has to beat - aside from the ever-popular VW Golf GTI, it is the highly regarded Renault Megane RS 265 Cup.
In terms of specs, the two models are similar with the Astra OPC / VXR sporting a 2.0-liter turbocharged four that produces 276hp (280PS) and 400Nm (295 lbft) of peak torque channeled to the front wheels via six-speed manual and a limited slip differential.

Renault Alpine A110-50 Concept Shows its Metal at the Goodwood Hillclimb

For reasons that do not need to be explained to an auto enthusiast, the Renault Alpine A110-50 concept study is one of those vehicles that you can never really get enough of, which is why we're bringing you another video of the French sports car.
This film was shot during the Alpine A110-50's speedy drive up the famous hillclimb course at last month's Goodwood Festival of Speed.

VIDEO: Renault Megane RS Trophy’s Record Run at the ‘Ring

Last week, Renault upped the ante for front-wheel drive models by setting a new lap record at the Nurburgring Nordschleife with its more powerful Mégane Renaultsport Trophy.
The 265-horsepower strong special edition posted a lap time of 8 minutes and 7.97 seconds in the hands of Renault test driver Laurent Hurgon, smashing the previous record for a front-wheel drive model held by the older generation Mégane RS R26.R by nine seconds. Buckle up, sit tight and enjoy the record run in the video after the break.

Renault Teases More Potent version of Megane RS

One of Europe’s finest hot hatches is about to get better as Renault is readying a new edition of the Megane RS that will be unveiled to the world on June 17, 2011. The French carmaker released a teaser video of the car from the test runs at the Nurburgring racetrack in Germany.
However, that’s about all Renault is willing to reveal for now so we’ll have to wait and see what kind of upgrades the car will feature and if a power boost and / or a weight reduction and chassis enhancements are part of the package.

Renault Wind Roadster and Lexus CT200h

Selling a car through advertising isn’t as easy as you might think. What good is it showing your product nimbly taking on Alpine twists and turns when your competitors are doing the same thing? Here are two ads that don’t really break the mould, but try something a little different.

Bruno Senna Drivers An F1 Car...One Handed!

Race car drivers are a funny bunch. In this video, we see Brazilian Formula 1 driver and the nephew of the late three-time Formula One world champ Ayrton Senna, Bruno Senna, behind the wheel of the new Renault R30 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. “Oh,” you say in your most jaded tone, “How interesting.” Well it is interesting, as Senna is driving this 2,400 cc (146.5 cu in) single-handed while filming the action with a camera phone.

VIDEO: Lotus Renault F1 Driver Vitaly Petrov’s Yee-Haw! Moment at the Malaysian Grand Prix

It was only a matter of time before someone edited a video of Vitaly Petrov’s spectacular exit from last week’s Malaysian Grand Prix. The Russian pilot of the Lotus Renault F1 team ran too wide at a turn near the end of the race and as he tried to get inside the track again, he hit a bump on the grass that launched the race car high into the air.
The maker of the video thought the scene with the F1 car going airborne looked a lot like something you’d see in The Dukes of Hazzard, hence the audio background. For Petrov, the incident wasn’t as funny as the impact resulted in a broken steering column mount that forced him to retire from the race. Enjoy the clip after the break.

Spy Video: Renault R-Space Concept for a Compact MPV Filmed Undisguised!

Evidently, the new Captur small crossover with the removable hardtop we told you about last week won't be the only concept model from Renault to hit the showroom floors of the Geneva Salon in less than two weeks time. A Youtube user managed to scoop a completely undisguised Renault study for a rather sporty looking compact MPV in Lisbon, Portugal. Judging by the black SUV with the camera hooked above the car, it was probably there for a photo shoot. 

Raunchy Lesbian Ad for Renault Twingo Banned in Italy

What woman wouldn’t falsely seduce another to steal her shirt? No, this isn’t another one of my sexist rants: it’s a (legitimate?) question posed by a Renault ad that has been banned in Italy.
The ad features two women – who I’ll refer to as the blonde and the brunette – who sneak off together for some hanky-panky bedroom fun. The brunette undresses; the blonde blindfolds her and steals her pink top, later comparing it to the color of her Renault Twingo Miss Sixty.

Automotive Flops: Renault’s Quirky 2001 Avantime Coupe-MPV

The automotive industry has seen many flops during its century-long existence, most of them due to poor thinking and execution. Every once in a while, though, some truly innovative vehicles receive the axe simply because they were ahead of their time.
Renault’s Avantime is one such an example. Built in cooperation with Matra, the coupe-MPV was unlike anything else on the road when it was launched in 2001. Unfortunately, buyers weren’t ready to embrace such a radical vehicle. Ironically, a decade later, oddities like the BMW X6 and Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet are on the verge of becoming trendsetters.

Retour vers le futur: Renault's Amazing 800HP Espace F1 MPV Prototype

I don’t have children, but I bet school runs can become pretty boring. However, if parents could get their hands on a Renault Espace F1, I’m sure they'd sing to a different tune when they'd return back from school... Unveiled in 1995, this über-Espace was not your typical soccer-mom transporter. Created to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the French MPV and Renault’s decade-long involvement in Formula 1, the concept was literally an F1 racer in disguise.

VIDEO: Vladimir Putin Drives a Renault Formula 1 Car

Former Russian President and now Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is doing his best to remain in the spotlight. After his country decided to back the Renault F1 team, by branding it with Lada advertisements, Mr. Putin was invited to drive the R30 Formula One racer at a special event held in St. Petersburg. Video after the break.