N ot too long ago, hot hatches were much more readily available and accessible. This availability had to do with the fact that there were more to choose from in a variety of price and size categories — think the Toyota Conquest RSi and Opel Kadett Superboss from the 1980s; the Fiat Uno Turbo, VW Golf VR6 and Opel Astra TS from the 1990s. Accessibility was influenced by the price and relative affordability of hot hatches.
That has all changed, and as pricing and demand have gone in opposite directions, our access to hot hatches has, sadly, diminished. Most are priced over the R1 million mark — the ones below that can be counted on one hand. Continuing on that sad note, this review of the Renault RS 300 Trophy will be the last we ever do of a car bearing that name, specifically with the RS acronym.
The RS has officially been laid to rest after Renault’s decision to move its sports-car business under the Alpine umbrella. A sub-brand that was born in 1976 has come to an end, as has one of the great hot hatch names, the Megane RS. A quick history lesson? Renault Sport was created by merging two companies, Alpine and Gordini Racing, as a division within Renault to manage and build on its motorsport exploits.
Initially it focused on racing cars for various disciplines including rallying, Le Mans, Touring Cars and, of course, Formula 1. A few legendary road car names have popped up over the decades. The Renault 5 Turbo is perhaps the most famous but it wasn’t until 1996 that .
