As clever and modern as the all-new Megane GT TCe 205 may be, having to outrun a car that’s lighter on its feet by roughly 400 kg (881 lbs)seems very difficult, right?
The Abarth 695 Biposto features a 1.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, good for 189 PS (186 HP) and 250 Nm (184 lb-ft) of torque. It’s enough to send it towards 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.9 seconds, before maxing out at 230 km/h (142 mph). The driver however also needs to do all of the shifting
via a 5-speed manual gearbox.
Such is not the case for the GT, the current flagship of the new Megane range. It’s got a dual-clutch gearbox (EDC: Efficient Dual Clutch) and its turbo four delivers 205 PS (202 HP) and 280 Nm (206 lb-ft) of torque. It needs an extra 1.1 seconds to hit 100 km/h, which is not something you could have been able to tell if this video was all you had to go by.
The Megane can also use its Launch Control system to get off to a great start, whereas the 695 needs to do it the old fashioned way, which in 2016 tends to help you lose more races than you’d win.