Project CARS 3: Etincelle de Renault

If there's one French carmaker that knows about motorsport more than anyone, it's going to be Renault. From the Formula 1 track to the Rallycross, this French carmaker's known to have some serious motorsport resume, and in Project CARS 3, the two stars of Groupe Renault, the Renaultsport Megane, and the Alpine A110 are here to shine on the track.

We begin with the Renaultsport Megane IV, the latest itineration of Renaultsport's flagship hot hatch designed to take on the likes of the Honda Civic Type R. Powered by a 1.8L turbo engine producing 280PS of power and 390Nm of torque, it's the most powerful Renaultsport vehicle ever made, and it can be mated to either a manual or an EDC gearbox. It features a reworked chassis that takes advantage of its efficiency, agility, stability, and comfort as well as its 4CONTROL four-wheel steering system and four bump-stop shock absorbers. Legend has it that its stripped-off version claimed the Nurburgring front-wheel drive crown at the time of 7:40.1, faster than the Honda Civic Type R FK8.

And finally, the Alpine A110, the rebirth of the best of the French sports cars that time forgot. With looks inspired by the original rally-winning classic, the modern-day A110 delivers serious sportscar performance enthusiasts are clamoring for thanks to its lightweight materials, rigid aluminum chassis, and unique suspension setup. However, the A110 you saw in Project CARS 3 wasn't just an ordinary A110 because this is the A110S, a more powerful version with the tuned 1.8L turbocharged engine producing 292ps of power and mated to a 7-speed Getrag DCT. Apart from the engine upgrade, it features improved dynamics to make it more potent on the road and track.

These two stars of Groupe Renault really do shine on the track because of their unique dynamics that proved their worth. The Renaultsport Megane, in its Trophy chassis, did upset even the most beefed up hot hatches in town because of its nimble dynamics fit for a front-wheel drive hot hatch while the A110S values its improved dynamics more than its improved power output from its turbocharged 1.8L engine because the way it handles is just how the A110 rolls.

Having been satisfied with both of these French stars, I took them both to the streets of Monaco for a little stretching and then a quick lap around the venue of the Monaco Grand Prix to see who shines brighter.

Two French stars, one battleground. Which of these two is the quickest round the Monaco track? Let's roll the tape.

After a quick power play around the streets of Monaco, here are the results;

Megane -  2:01.031

A110S - 1:54.550

It's quite surprising because the gap between these two French stars at the rate of around six and a half seconds shows that the A110S, thanks to its lightweight bodywork, better dynamics, and the improved 1.8L turbocharged engine, managed to get away from the Megane by a long shot. Impressive.

In the end, the Renaultsport Megane and the Alpine A110 fully demonstrated their French brilliance in a middle of a track day around the south of France and regardless of that matter, they've done their purpose very well.

Looks like French cars of today need to be more fun and engaging like these two and they can learn a lot from them if they had the chance.