I like to think it was sex appeal - just a pity it was the car's, not mine. It was at a red traffic light outside a high school when I was approached by a gaggle of giggling schoolgirls who implored "please, just let us touch it!"
I nonchalantly nodded and they stroked it while one exuberant girl leaned over and hugged the bonnet of the topless Renault Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet I was driving. Some last giggles and they were gone but nearby drivers applauded.
That about sums up the appeal of Renault's delectable Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet - or CC, as it's called.
Over the past few years automakers have been quite creative in developing niche markets and identifying needs of which motorists weren't aware and that led to the CC concept that combines the sporty looks of the classic two-door Coupé with the wind-in-the-hair appeal of an open-top car.
The Mégane comes in 1.6 and two-litre petrol Privilege versions as well as a 19 turbo-diesel Dynamique.
This was the top-of-the range two-litre, quad-valve Privilege that comes with a competitive R270 000 price tag that significantly undercuts its nearest contender, the Peugeot 307 CC, which weighs in at R299 900.
The beauty of the Mégane CC is that there has been no compromise in looks in either Coupé or cabriolet mode - both are striking.
And, while its styling is distinctive, it shares little in the looks department with its Mégane hatchback sibling: only the grille, headlights and bonnet have been carried over.
The lack of door pillars and side trim strips give the CC smooth lines and the specially shaped front wings extend the body sides into a slightly muscular look.
The interior is the same as that of the Mégane although, in typical Coupé tradition, rear legroom is not conducive to passengers.
Nevertheless, there is ample headroom as the front seats have been lowered by 24mm below those of the hatch and that helps to diffuse the claustrophobic effect of the low roof.
Access to the rear seats is made easier by the position-memory of the front-seat slides and seat backs. A perennial bugbear of Coupés - also the case in the Mégane CC - is that the driver and passenger can only reach their seat belt with great difficulty as it's mounted way back.
Luggage space is surprisingly big at 490 litres with the roof up but only 190 litres with the roof down.
As with other Renaults, there is ample stowage space with a six-litre centre armrest locker, bins with bottle holders in the doors and a cooled 17-litre glove box that locks with the doors.
Its piece de resistance is a powered folding glass roof developed for Renault by German coachbuilder Karmann.
And it's easy to use - my seven-year-old daughter enjoyed opening and closing the roof at the press of a button and the electro-hydraulic mechanism does the job either way in only 22 seconds.
"Awesome!" she said.
One would think the glass roof would make the cabin uncomfortably warm on a hot summer's day but the 3.15mm glass has a sliding screen that helps keep the glare at bay while eliminating common cabriolet ailments such as poor or non-existent rear-window heating and deterioration of the hood fabric.
Ergonomics? Just excellent!
The CC has padded roll hoops with a removable wind deflector net that can be erected in a jiffy to ensure occupants look cool without getting their hair too messy.
Ergonomics, as with the standard Mégane, are excellent with the height and reach-adjustable steering wheel and seats providing a comfortable position with controls clearly visible and user-friendly.
The audio controls on a stalk behind the steering wheel are conveniently close to hand and are perhaps easier to use than some of its rivals that have them mounted directly on the steering wheel.
The front-loading CD player is easily accessible in the console although a six-disc CD changer can be installed as an optional extra.
Standard equipment includes the full range of goodies: leather seats, power exterior mirrors and front and rear power windows.
Six crash bags - including two anti-submarining items beneath the front-seat cushions - take care of passive safety while anti-lock brakes with electronic pressure control bring the CC to a standstill from 100km/h in 2.8 seconds.
Top end is 200km/h
The Mégane might be a Camps Bay poser of note but the two-litre, 98.5kW engine is unlikely to get pulses racing. It's very smooth and has a six-speed shifter but it took a fairly ordinary 11.7 seconds to cover the 0-100km/h sprint and 17.6 to dispatch the quarter-mile sprint.
Top end is 200km/h and good mid-range torque makes overtaking hassle free. The Mégane soaked up most ripples on bumpy roads although there was some scuttle shake thanks to the absence of a steel roof.
The car proved sure-footed - almost now under or oversteer - on the Gerotek handling track but we found the variable-assistance electric power-steering lifeless. None of the "point and shoot" directness of a BMW 1-series or a Golf 5.
The CC remains aloof when driven to the edge and the driver doesn't feel plugged in to its DNA.
SUMMARY
It's a cool ride. Renault has successfully married the best of Coupé and cabriolet and, best of all, it comes in a price bracket below that of its main rival. - Star Motoring