In one lane, you have the Hyundai i30N with a 2.0-liter, force-fed, four-banger that’s good for 271 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. In the other lane, you have the Renault Megane RS with a 1.8-liter, force-fed, four-banger that’s good for 276 horsepower and 288 pound-feet of torque. The Megane RS manages to hit 62.1 mph in 5.8 seconds while the i30 N will make the same sprint in 6.1 seconds. Both cars are driven at the front wheels and both have a six-speed manual transmission. On paper, the two cars are very similar, but the Megane RS and it’s five extra ponies are also able to benefit from a slightly lower curb weight.

With all of this in mind, putting these two cars nose-to-nose on a drag strip will undoubtedly give us one hell of a close race, and that it did. Naturally, the lighter and more powerful Megane RS gets quite the jump on the baby Hyundai, but the i30 manages to make up a lot of ground over a short piece of asphalt. So, does the i30 N have enough oomph to get the lead by the time the flag drops? Well, one finishes the quarter-mile in 14.44 seconds and the other does it in 14.89 seconds – watch the video to see who manages to take home the win!

Hyundai i30 N vs. Renault Megane RS280 Cup Drag Race

Hyundai i30 N vs Penault Megane RS

Engine:

turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder

1.8-liter 4-cylinder turbo direct injection

Transmission:

six-speed manual

Dual-clutch EDC automatic gearbox

Horsepower:

271 HP @ 6,000 RPM

280 HP @ 6,000 RPM

Torque:

260 LB-FT @ 1,450 RPM

287 LB-FT @ 2,400 RPM

0-to-62 mph:

6.1 seconds

5.8 seconds

Top speed:

155 mph

158.5 mph

Curb weight:

3,307 pounds

3,152 pounds

Power-to-weight ratio

12.7lbs/HP

12.3 lbs /HP