Porsche Cayman GT4 v Renault Megane RS Trophy R review | Which is fastest? | Autocar

Today, we review the Porsche Cayman GT4 and the Renault Megane RS Trophy R. Matt Prior and James Disdale take both cars to Anglesey race circuit for a track test to find out which is quicker: the Porsche pure sports car or the Renault hot hatchback.
The 2019 Cayman GT4 picks up where the old GT4 left-off, with a 4.0-litre naturally aspirated flat six engine rather than the four-cylinder turbo of standard Caymans.
The 2019 Megane Trophy R also does what its predecessors did: it's a front-wheel drive master, with a powerful 2.0-litre four cylinder engine, no back seats and is so fast that it's the front-wheel drive Nurburgring lap record holder.
Join us, then, as we find out whether the Cayman GT4 or Megane Trophy R is quicker.
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[@crystallised88]

you give the price for a trophy R specced with carbon wheels and brakes, and compare it to the GT4 entry price, which doesn't even come with cruise control and certainly not carbon ceramic brakes as tested. Now everybody in the comments losing their mind thinking they're both the same price ^^ trophy R starts at £51,140 and not a single GT4 will be sold only £75,348.

[@JeepCherokeeful]

crystallised88 true!

[@The94PaceCar]

EXACTLY. Also, in France for example the R is at 75K EURO, the GT4 ... 98K EURO ! without options as you said, and a Porsche without options isn't great to re-sale

[@fragu123]

...in reality the GT4 is around 70% more expensive. 75KEUR vs. 130KEUR. That’s the difference of an add. nice MX5 for open top drive, a Harley for Route66 and some spare money. Don’t say the Trophy R is cheap as I did pick Trophy 300 but that Autocar gave the impression of two cars being almost similarly priced is ridiculous from a journalistic POV.

[@FEGTTTSDH]

Exactly the carbón brakes are mandatory if you want blast it in trackdays

[@the911collection]

The price is justified, ur comparing a front engine 1.8 inline 4 hatchback to a mid engine sportscar with a 4.0 na flat 6 which is basically a slightly detuned porsche 911 gt3 engine, also the cayman will always be a porsche which means great german quality and persission and amazing reliablity.

[@SmashGhost]

James Disdale: the incarnation of Clarkson's 'nerdy adenoid man' voice

[@pjay3028]

The other guy's just as bad!

[@dewayne51]

Love Renaultsport but Who in world is paying £72k for a hot Megane?🤔

[@henkstols9326]

I'm a big renault fan and the price actually destroyed the possibilities of this vehicle, the Porsche is in another league.

[@AR-zr1om]

They could get an alpine and a megane rs for the same price

[@cthis4786]

They are all accounted for, which means you can't even get one if you had the money for one.

[@aircommandslipperz]

That Carbon rims are not cheap

[@thisnthat4318]

I’d rather a 997 turbo or a 991 carrera

[@v_alexiadis]

3 seconds isn’t just a little bit faster 😄

[@gorandoncic3448]

But 1.8 cm3 byrenault Megan rs vs.4.0 cm3 by thisporche isn't a little bit more :)

[@vladiosipescu6700]

I like when dumb people just talk and they know nothing . The Renaul has a lot less hp and its a hatchback . That Porche is a hardcore sports car . And a hatchback being able to keep up to a Porche is a bit remarkable.

[@the911collection]

@@gorandoncic3448 renault has a turbo tho, engine size doesnt say much

[@the911collection]

@@vladiosipescu6700 but the porsche is also 100kg heavier which is a lot

[@ratanc1807]

No it's not nothing 3 seconds! ^^"

[@DonLee1980]

Mid engined naturally aspirated involving Porsche sports car, vs similar priced fwd 4pot turbo charged Renault hatch... why would there even be a second thought for the hatch?

[@GIN.356.A]

Because they are similarly priced

[@cthis4786]

The Renault is more exclusive and much more limited, can't even get one in North America. In some ways the Renault might be more engaging and useable than the GT4.

[@GIN.356.A]

@@cthis4786 that's why there is no point in buying the Renault, if you really want a track car, you can build a stripped out track weapon for 20 grand less. At the end of the day, no matter how special, it's still a Renault.

[@cthis4786]

@@GIN.356.A The problem is spending all that money goes to waste when you try to sell your track day weapon. A GT4 or Trophy R will maintain or appreciate in value over time because they buyers know they are buying something legit rather some random person's own interpretation of what a track day weapon is.

[@GIN.356.A]

@@cthis4786 sure, that's why you get the gt4 and not the Renault. But if it was up to me I can build a track FD for half the cost, and put the other 35k as down payment for something nice.

[@phantom2k10]

if i had almost 80k to spend on a car and these two were the only options,i'd be insane to choose the megane over the gt4

[@1061shrink1061]

Well except it was far easier to get on the list for a megane than it was to get on the list for a GT4... meaning many people, budget allowing, simply weren't allowed to buy a new GT4. The second hand market is where the prices will creep. The Porsche will hold most of its value and I bet the Renault like every other hot Renault, will plummet in second hand values.

[@AntJoseph_]

@@1061shrink1061 the Clio Williams is has got a high price!

[@arekb5951]

@@1061shrink1061 So there's even less than 500 GT4s? There's only 500 Trophy-Rs and by the time the internet knew about its existence they were all already sold.

[@jamboSAFC]

If i had 80k i wouldn't buy either

[@rowanlewisuk]

The original megane trophy are worth more now than they cost new so I wouldn’t say all Renault depreciate.

[@g00dfeeling]

That Renault is so cool 😎

[@Dome79nico]

I love those honest and fair reviews. Nice video!

[@sal-khafaji3114]

I'm curious why this video isn't including the alpine a110

[@JeepCherokeeful]

S Al-Khafaji a110 s actually

[@SupercarsinGreece]

Fell in love with the Cayman GT4!😍 So insane Renault too!

[@JBOsurf]

In Australia, the renault is $75000 AUD, while the GT4 is $218,000 AUD. Work that one out!!!

[@nyc863]

the Australian Porsche importer has a license to print money and a captive market. The extra taxes in Australia never justify imported Porsche prices.

[@user-vk4vd7vr5t]

JBOsurf the carbon-braked and carbon wheel’s Megane cannot be bought in Australia, only the stock trophy R.

[@user-vk4vd7vr5t]

Malcolm They make some of the best hot hatches in the world, absolutely

[@user-vk4vd7vr5t]

@Malcolm R Monaghan begs the question, why are you here then?

[@JBOsurf]

I had my Renaultsport Clio from new for 13 years. Had a crank position sensor problem at 140,000kms (easy fix) and a cracked engine mount (my fault) at 220,000kms. Replaced one alternator at 245,000kms. That's it. No other mechanical issues.

[@ronwilliams9691]

That Cayman DOES NOT cost £75k now does it... £100k as tested? Yes.

[@the911collection]

It does base price in some countries

[@jep1912]

Put the key in your pocket, that's what they are for.

[@all-flat-engines]

lesson: GT4 can make an inexperienced driver look like a pro.

[@garybrown5769]

So the Megan’s it still has rear steer it’s just now a passive system not an active one??

[@MrSlash00r]

Odd pairing right?

[@pieterkatje]

If you take a look at the prices.. Just a little price difference

[@jameswillard1]

Wow, that new 4.0L in the 718 GT4 really doesn’t sound very good.... I read that the sound was disappointing but damn it really is. Thanks government regulations for killing the sound 😕

[@graphitedak04]

jameswillard1. I’m sure the aftermarket could sort that out.

[@jameswillard1]

E. P. Yeah I’m sure they will, an exhaust upgrade will be a popular modification

[@akingturtle]

2.9sec gap between the 2 after 1 lap! How's that close? 🤔

[@suricateenerve165]

i think the ceramic will make a difference after 10 laps on both cars. but, for 500e you can manage to get 50hp on the megane and close the gap on straight. i love both of them but, thats a 2 seat car vs a 'familly' car at the end even if they remove rear seats, it was on megane 4 classic base. so thats not too bad vs a car who is designed to track at the start.

[@user-vk4vd7vr5t]

Autocar the video description is wrong, the Megane is 1.8 not 2.0

[@calvinshaw777]

GT4 vs Audi TT-RS. Megane RS vs Civic Type-R.

[@AntoniusTyas]

RS Trophy? Maybe. Trophy R? CTR would struggle. Also, TT RS would not see which way GT4 goes.

[@KXP70]

@@AntoniusTyas put 5k into the civic and it would beat the Trophy-R while still being 30k cheaper.

[@JAnx01]

MQB Audis = terminal understeer GTFO

[@Peanutdenver]

@@AntoniusTyas A 718 Cayman S already beat up on a TT RS in Jethro Bodine vid months ago. So the GT4 would bloody it even more so.

[@KXP70]

@@Peanutdenver is that on this channel?

[@gunsandcommissions]

I like that Renault - don’t get to see them here in the US unfortunately - that said, gimme the cayman

[@tifthetif6567]

Last time I rented and drove cayman S on a f1 race track,.... it was very fast, but it did not rip my face of. I will rent a Ferrari next week to check v12 out. On the other hand, KTM x-bow did reap my face off, and in my opinon is a death trap. But I never drove a hot hach. How do they feel? Are they any good? I only drove KIA CEED GT, but other then the sound, it felt really slow (it had 200hp). How much horse power should I look in the hot hach so it would actulay feel fast? Anyone?

[@MarMPB]

Hey, here is an idea for the next comparision: how about a Porsche GT2 RS vs the new Mini Cooper GP3? 🤣🤣

[@tahag2107]

Bloody sad how crap the gt4 sounds compared to the old gen. Damn opf filters

[@yulunbao7051]

How is 2.9s on a 1:40 track just "a little bit" faster?

[@bryantpck8]

How do u compare a 4.0L VS 1.8L when obviously the smaller displacement car cannot keep up on long straights despite maybe cornering faster than the bigger displacement ride?

[@the911collection]

Well one has no turbo and the renault does

[@PlanetegtTV]

It would have been really nice to get some gopros filming you, the, wheel, and the road. An automotive video gets way better when you can see, feel and understand what the driver is talking about.

[@tomec5980]

Tu peux traduire ton com stp 😉

[@alanjoiner5195]

The Porsche won't be £75k. It'll be reserved for the very few and hit the second hand market with a significant premium attached (like the old gt4 although prices have levelled on that now) Beautiful thing though. And the Renault is brilliant - just because they can!! Although again they'll all end up in collections too! Great video for sure. Keep them coming.

[@jmartprjmartpr9944]

James would sweat a bit less (and probably be faster and more confident) if he had left the ESC/TC On (you can see the light ON on the center tach)....doubt he is more talented that Walter Rohrl and he did the same time with ESC/TC On and Off on the 718 GT4. Porsche ESC/TC, specially on GT car is highly refined and a good track tool for us mere mortals.

[@yangguan4070]

Some camera trickery here, those close up shots of the steering wheel are taken in a different take

[@mattb4353]

Nice video, but 70 grand for a Renault. Are they serious?

[@NeedMoarRage]

Just get a normal Trophy for half the price. You don't buy the Trophy R for value for money when there's only 20 made.

[@SergeantMoetz]

Insane amount of money for a hot hatch, be it 50.000 or 70.000 with all the options. Key things for a hot hatch are performance, practicality and being somewhat affordable imo and the Trophy R misses out on the affordable part completely. Not worth almost double the money of a standard Megane RS or other hot hatches in it's class.

[@chrisanderson2204]

The sound of the GT4👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

[@campkira]

need longer pipe to made it better it just too small a car...

[@WeirdBrick]

Sound? It sounded pretty poor tbh. Expected more but maybe I’m just comparing it to the gt3...

[@marcnobel3938]

Entertaining and Interesting Video, even when the result was clear from the beginning how it will turn out. If you have the choice and the money, you will go for the Porsche. No need to make a Hatchback as quick as a Sportscar, when you can buy the Sportscar directly like that.

[@arthurtr]

You are really unfair to the renault. Yes it's expensive but with carbon ceramic brakes and carbon wheels !!! the base price of the trophy r is 50k or so... Also very clever from autocar to show base price for the porsche ! I'm sure the model they had in the video is at least 90k as it also has carbon brakes ! I wonder why you do that comparison. To show that the porsche is the better car for the same money ? It's clearly not the same money. The megane in this specification is a much rarer car tha that porsche !

[@matthewp9015]

detaart Your idea of a ‘joke’ is Top Gear’s Performance Car of The Year. Just grow up and realise people’s passion for cars runs deeper than the type of rear suspension it has.

[@stu4181]

Agreed, base price on porsche's and what they actually cost with any 'normal' options is very different a reasonably spec'd gt4 will be mid 80's pushing 90 for sure!

[@detaart]

@@matthewp9015 Passion is irrelevant. 70K for a car with the suspension of a mid-range trailer in the rear. You need to stop drinking the kool-aid.

[@johnwh1039]

If the Renault was half the price of the Porsche I still wouldn't consider it. Porsche or glorified family hatchback? Ha ha ha!

[@lensoprezole5322]

Any American or Canadian wanting to buy a Megane RS or Alpine A110S here ? 😀

[@ThaDutchDK1989]

Why no laptime comparison by the same person? The Guy in the megane didnt even use the full width of the track

[@oussamadje4744]

The racer in the Megane you have a have a serioua problème with change gears on the manual gearbox

[@8000audiolab]

who the hell would pay 72k for any renault??!! bloody crazy

[@SandeepSingh-tp8xh]

Where was the battle?

[@jareknowak8712]

👍

[@gaycha6589]

Anglesey

[@jareknowak8712]

@@gaycha6589 this was just a joke:) There was no battle, bc there is no comparsion bt those cars.

[@nicolaumb7494]

1,9" is a little bit faster...?

[@minek77]

2,9" In a whole race GT4 would be about 2 laps faster.

[@-igg1-912]

The Renault needs more power for that price, around 350hp ...The rest is perfect.

[@DrKampfpudding]

How come the little sportscar Porsche weighs that much ?

[@SpeedFreak0122]

does anyone actually like watching these two guys?

[@ritchtan]

From these comments, I can only say much people had driven a Megane RS Trophy before. A Megane RS Cup would have blown you away, let alone a RS Trophy R. You need to drive one in person to understand what you’ve been missing. On a side note, the optional carbon wheels and brakes have little to do with the thrill a Megane RS can deliver 😉. Arriving in a Porsche might give one more status or bragging rights but the Renault will deliver comparative driving satisfaction if not more. That’s what real drivers care about instead of what badge is slapped on the hood.

[@MASNSEN10]

I Fall in love with the Renault Megane R26R in the past ..But the last version of the new Megane Rs Trophy-R in my opinion is the best and the most popular hatchback track day car in the world :)

[@WillowGTI]

Literally nobody thought the Renault was going to best the GT4. 3 seconds a lap quicker is like a Merc vs Williams in F1.

[@JasonMilner]

Well, I can see the appeal of the Renault, & Renaultsport have a very respectable racing pedigree, but still, I'd have the Porsche in a heartbeat. Heart over head, probably, but there it is.

[@tomasz899]

What a surprise...

[@BurtSampson]

2:09 TFW a fast one gives you the heebie jeebies.

[@carscoffeeandcannabis-634]

I haven't watched the video yet, but if the Renault beats the GT4, I will be VERY surprised

[@SmallBlogV8]

I can't see why anyone wouldn't pick an A110-S over a fully spec'd Trophy-R. That version doesn't even have any more seats than an Alpine!!

[@Freshmakers1]

Megane has a 1,8 Liter Engine!!!

[@operamatthew]

if porsche made a limited run of special GT4’s in the number that these MEGAN RS NÜR Editions the price would be astronomical. base price vs base price is what’s fair

[@the911collection]

Not always, they are just seeing how good a hatchback can be compare to a real sportscar

[@pr0jectSkyneT]

People complaining about the engine sound of the Porsche should know that it's because of the emissions regulations requiring OPF filters that dampen the sound. You could just buy a turbo-back exhaust system with a sport cat or straight pipe for a downpipe and problem solved.

[@KemuelValdes]

A key without a place to put it. Lol. Does he not have pant pockets?

[@e.s.3904]

No question which car...

[@BurnDuration]

The Renault should be flattered to even be compared to the GT4. A base model boxster might be a more fair fight as MR will always have a natural advantage over FF.

[@miket570]

These are both overpriced. The GT4 in that spec is never 75k. Add ceramic brakes and those seats puts it closer to 85k alone. Then there's the headlights, interior design extras and electronics that should come with the car but Porsche charge you because they can such as climate control and folding mirrors. This car costs OVER £90,000!. That's very low mileage Mclaren 570S money.

[@collyersam]

Good old Matt Prior Porsche bias again I see. Why not give the 'as tested' price for the Porsche GT4 which is easily £90,000+ from what I can see. Still wouldn't pay £70,000 for a Megane mind you, but a little honesty goes a long way in the car review world.

[@jskim8418]

Seriously...a 100,000 dollar Renault...a Christmas joke or something? The only thing that match near a Porsche is that price tag but...again...what a yoke!

[@campkira]

with current waiting list.. it only car can go to dealership and get...

[@SovietBall5]

Actually at the Nurburgring the Megane was faster in 2 secs !! So I leave you to comment on that !!

[@reddragonzen5150]

Alpine A110s vs Porsche Catman Gt4

[@damienhowell3727]

Good as the renault my be personally 'd still take the fk8 type r in performance purposeful its probably only a second or so off that over priced renault even without carbon ceramics brakes not to mention 4 doors and a top speed of a true 170mph plus its got a PROPER comfort mode for the long journeys not to mention the 30 GRAND less in price... I know what I'd buy that's for sure no question just makes more sense

[@jep1912]

Hardly any R's in Australia, only friggin' 12 in fact ($75,500)... pffffff. Typical.

[@mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm420]

I wish journalists would wake up to the fact that conventional brake discs are made out of cast iron, not steel.

[@DreamCarGarage1]

Why don't you guys just use 'hands-free' mobile phones?

[@MonteiroM]

You got to give credit to Renault.

[@detaart]

About 70K worth of credit. For a hot hatch. With a torsion beam rear end. Mental.

[@gw7624]

There's no way a FWD hatch is going to out-corner a Cayman. Not sure why he thinks that.

[@richardrampley4980]

Renault make awesome performance cars. 12 F1 engine constructors championships speaks volumes. How many do Porsche have. 0.

[@d33pNacho]

Peugeot 308 GTI: 1205 Kg. 'Nough said.

[@baddbbug]

How can we even compare a Renault to a Porsche?!!!!

[@-DC-]

70k for a Renault Megane 🤔🤔

[@jaz9340]

Not question Porsche GT4 all the way!!!

[@gordonmccartney5648]

The Megane is in limited numbers as there is limited buyers.

[@TheMaurob1979]

should i be crazy for take the renault.. if i had enought money...

[@eSysmanSuperYachts]

There’s only one question: would anyone pay £72k for a Megane?

[@mindforclarity524]

yes. me

[@BastarD]

Call me crazy, but I would choose megane.

[@davidalexandreg]

Not crazy. Just ignorant

[@davidebonati4582]

Certo se quello sul gt4 non ci da dentro per tutto il giro di pista è possibile 😂😂😂 mah ....

[@993mike]

Why oh why didn't Porsche give the new GT4 450hp and either a close ratio manual or pdk?? I really wanted them to create a car to replace my 981 GT4, but considering the cost to do so, it just isn't it. The tempting thing now with prices coming down is to find a pristine 991.1 GT3 for very close money to this new GT4, and get the real motorsport engine and transmission

[@Maximumrandom69]

993mike lol you’re commenting the same thing under every video which features the 718 GT4

[@testdirver]

2 AMAzing cars and yet they did a really booooring vid

[@pachokardana6192]

Megane has 4 seats and big boot.

[@AR-zr1om]

Why would anybody buy that Renault when you could get a regular megane rs AND an alpine for the same cost

[@MrJdp1968]

Could you imagine paying 72K for a Renault 😳🤷🏻‍♂️

[@thatcopenguy]

And seeing your mate pulling out in a Porsche he bought for the same price 💀

[@zaheerkader7426]

Friends don't let friends buy French cars

[@MrJdp1968]

Steve Edward exactly! 😂

[@SM-sc2zl]

@@zaheerkader7426 I'll hand back my Bugatti now then!

[@Nicoztrike]

Julian ypu cant. They Are sold Are. Way better investment than the porsche :) but for driving everyday. None of them. I believe the price is around 50 grand without the carbon wheels and brakes.

[@jareknowak8712]

This Renault was build only for museums.

[@onursisman8774]

As spect that porsche is like 100grand soo dont lie to your viewers!!

[@rdrg7362]

Gearing on the Porsche is awful.

[@markrhoden68]

I drove a Renault Regane trophy it had everything going for it but that gearbox felt terrible, it was like an old Ford really notchy that you wanted to almost break it to force it into gear

[@petercavellini3232]

Three seconds faster!, and Matt says the Caymans a little faster?, and , sorry, but £72K for a Renault?, no matter how good it is, is way to much.

[@pheasantpluckersson2138]

Who in their right mind would pay 72k for a Renault? Especially as you can buy far better cars with far more power for 30k less 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@NeedMoarRage]

"more power" there's a lot more to cars than just power. No point having tons of power if can't put it down. Just a get a normal Trophy which with eat a lot of cars with far more power. Case it point: an Alpine A110 with 250hp is as fast as a BMW M2 competition with 400bhp. But the Alpine is 500kg lighter and hence it would feel amazing to drive coupled with a superb chassis.

[@jareknowak8712]

Im dreaming about meeting a person who will buy this Renault, somewhere in my life. This will be the most interesting person in the whole world.

[@NeedMoarRage]

No one would buy this as their only car, you would buy the normal Trophy. This is aimed at enthusiasts who already have a lot of high-end cars. People like to pay for the exclusivity, especially when there's only 20 being made. This will also hold it's value like previous Renault Trophy's.

[@MrElnuno]

72k for a FWD hatchback... Good luck Renault

[@gumpy4960]

Why would you buy either? For a little more you could buy something like a brand new Nissan GT-R.

[@detaart]

Ah yes, the rocket powered bulldozer.

[@boblast5582]

am I the only one that thinks the GT4 sounds like crap in this vid?

[@mircotogni2520]

Megane RS il top.

[@gpajic1987]

The sound of the GT4 🍆

[@thisnthat4318]

70k for a Megan is a liberty

[@MrSyriaMoon]

Both are almost the same price, even if Renault wins no way to get it over the Porsche.

[@Kskdoru]

Not realy a compare

[@johnwh1039]

Let me think. Porsche Cayman GT4 or a Renault saloon for the same money? Give me a nanosecond. Put 2 decent drivers in those cars and the Porsche would have trounced it. No competition whatsoever for any petrolhead.

[@sergiosantos9418]

I gave to this video a thumbs down because the price of the Megane that was shown is not the base price. While the price shown for the Porsche is the base price. The problem is that the Porsche they tested in the video is not a base model. Be real instead of deceiving those who watch the videos. And for information in Portugal the Megane price starts at 81.500,00€ comes with carbon brakes as standard and is limited to 10 units. The Porsche price without extras starts at 138.452,00€

[@yeatmc]

Cayman makes fairly unpleasant noise.