V.I.S.I.T. – 1996 Renault Mégane Coupé

Antti Kautonen

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megane_coupe_2

Chiquita, the banana company, advertise their products as “The Bright Spot in Every Day”. The same can be said of this very yellow Renault Mégane Coupé, that is one of the cars using yellow as a signature colour. When the Mégane lineup was launched in the mid-1990s, a handsome amount of the cars were eye-searingly yellow. The colour suits the car nicely, and it is one of my ’90s design favourites.

All front overhang and the rear wheels in the rear corners, it’s a funny-looking car. Take a look.

megane_coupe_3

This fruit is a little past its sell-by date, as the corners have browned a bit. You shouldn’t salt fruit, you know. The fat wheels have corroded badly, too, and lost their lacquer.

The B-pillar-incorporating door design is a design centrepiece just as much as the pert rear is.

megane_coupe_1

Even if it’s obscured by snow, an interesting thing about the rear is that the car’s not a hatchback. The rear screen doesn’t lift with the trunklid, but the trunk is instead accessed via the tiniest openings after the original Mini.

The Mégane’s platform was little more than a direct continuation of the preceding R19, and the line-up matched the R19 with the availability of a convertible, a four-door saloon and a 5-door hatch as well, confusingly also called the “Coupé”. The 19 never got a wagon, though, unlike the Mégane.

megane_coupe

The 99-horsepower 1.6-litre Mégane never set anyone’s pants on fire, but it’s a nice little trinket amongst non-yellow cars. Since they generally have kept their value just like all the other mid-to-late 1990s French cars, they are affordable beaters.

[Images: Copyright 2013 Hooniverse/Antti Kautonen]

About

Antti Kautonen

Antti Kautonen

The resident Finn of Hooniverse. Owns old Peugeots and whatnot, writes long thinkpieces on unloved cars. These two facts might be related.

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13 responses to “V.I.S.I.T. – 1996 Renault Mégane Coupé”

  1. Jay_Ramey Avatar
    Jay_Ramey

    What car are the doors from? : ) Looks great in this color though, wish we had these over here as I always liked this generation of the the Megane. (I say that about every french car)

    Reply
  2. quijoteMike Avatar
    quijoteMike

    The newest version is an amazing driver's car. I drive one and leave the Porsche in the garage.
    Again available in yellow
    <img src="http://www.le-cahier-auto.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/2010-renault-megane-rs-renaultsport_71.jpg&quot; width="700">
    .

    Reply
    1. k1llallh1pp1es Avatar
      k1llallh1pp1es

      Properly filled out as the RSs are, they are perfect, but the lesser models let everything down. I think they look ungainly. Personal opinion.

      Reply
    2. Tsuku Avatar
      Tsuku

      Agreed, I love mine too (even though it isn't yellow), but I think you got the wrong Porsche if that's the case. 🙂

      Reply
  3. MAC Avatar
    MAC

    [img ]http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/7919/dscn2010t.jpg[img/]
    Love mine

    Reply
    1. Tomsk Avatar
      Tomsk

      <img src="http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/7919/dscn2010t.jpg&quot; width="500">
      That's better.

      Reply
      1. MAC Avatar
        MAC

        Thanks

        Reply
        1. k1llallh1pp1es Avatar
          k1llallh1pp1es

          Classic wheels, nice!

          Reply
  4. Tomsk Avatar
    Tomsk

    Can't say I'm totally sold on the styling, but I do like the Kit Car version used in the WRC's junior class (and various national and regional series).
    <img src="http://cdn.wemotor.my/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/renault-megane-maxi-rac-rally-1996-full-graphics-kit-e1338969473564.jpg"&gt;

    Reply
  5. Savant_Idiot Avatar
    Savant_Idiot

    Funny-looking Renault is redundant.

    Reply
  6. Rust-MyEnemy Avatar
    Rust-MyEnemy

    I think almost every one of these I've seen has been yellow, though it could be that in other colours they're so nondescript I've not noticed them. Still, I think they've aged well.

    Reply
  7. Vavon Avatar
    Vavon

    The opening to the trunk was really small indeed, as was the space in it apparanty…
    <img src="http://tooteetof.free.fr/forumauto/coffre.jpg"&gt;

    Reply
  8. RobbyDeGraff Avatar
    RobbyDeGraff

    The newest version looks like French Hyundai Veloster!

    Reply