A front-wheel drive or an all-wheel drive hot hatch? This is a question that Evo tried answering by putting two compact hot hatches against each other, on track.
The first weapon of choice was the Renault Megane 275 Trophy-R, which is based on the previous-gen Megane
However, that doesn’t make it any less exciting, as it uses a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine, pushing 275 PS (271 HP) and 360 Nm (266 lb-ft) of torque, to the front wheels. Going from rest to 100 km/h (62 mph) takes just 5.8 seconds, with a top speed of 255 km/h (158 mph).
At the other end, we have the Volkswagen Golf R, in its pre-facelifted version. It’s powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder lump, producing 300 PS (296 HP) and 380 Nm (280 lb-ft) of torque, and pushed to the 4Motion all-wheel drive system. VW’s hot hatch needs 4.9 seconds to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph), and will keep going up to an electronically capped top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).
On paper, the German car is obviously better equipped than its French rival, but is this a decisive factor? This would be a good time to place your bets.