Renault reveals fastest, most expensive Megane RS ever

[Wretched]

Renault has lived up to its promise and reclaimed the Nurburgring lap record for a front-wheel drive car with its new Megane RS275 Trophy-R - a $65,000-odd hot hatch with optional air-conditioning and no sound system.

Renault Sport test driver Laurent Hurgon lapped the 21km circuit in 7 minutes 54 seconds to successfully take the record back to France.

But to do so Renault has built its most extreme Megane ever – the Trophy-R comes standard with a roll-bar but a radio and air-conditioning are optional.

The French brand has been working on this project since 2012 but only began releasing details of its #UNDER8 plan two months ago.

The original idea was to lower the benchmark set by the Megane RS265 Trophy, a 8m 07sec lap in 2011, but it turn into a mission to reclaim the lap record for the German circuit from Volkswagen’s Spanish brand Seat. Its Leon Cupra R set a new benchmark of 7m 58sec in March 2014.

Renault unveiled the Trophy-R at the Nurburgring circuit overnight and played down suggestions it was focused on beating Seat’s time.

“It’s got nothing to with that,” claimed Renault Sport sales director, Regis Fricotte. “We started this project a year and a half ago… The fact they did it three months ago didn’t change our plans.”

At the same time it announced only 250 examples of the Trophy-R will be built but Renault Australia has already secured 50 examples; the second-largest order in the world.

Renault Australia is yet to confirm pricing but spokeswoman Emily Fadeyev admitted it will be “in the mid sixties” making it the most expensive car the French brand has ever offered locally.

Renault Sport calls it an “uncompromising” take on the already revealed RS275 Limited Edition that features a more powerful 205kW version of 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine.

Renault Sport focused on weight saving for the Trophy-R claiming the car weighs almost 100kg less than the RS275.

The rear seats have been removed and the front seats have been replaced with racing-style buckets, which saves 42kg.

Other changes include a titanium exhaust system from Slovenian specialists Akraprovic, Ohlins adjustable dampers with a unique composite spring (that saves even more weight over a traditional steel sprint) and sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres.

Customers can even option a lithium-ion battery that saves an additional 16kg, a six-point racing harness and tyre blankets to keep the interior clean when you take it to a track day with spare rubber.

The Trophy-R will be available in just two colour combinations in Australia – all black and pearlescent white with a black roof; split approximately 20/30 respectively.

All will come with red 19-inch Speedline alloy wheels and other red highlights – stickers and the front "blade" on the bumper - to help the Trophy-R stand out from the rest of the range.

Fadeyev confirmed that despite the extreme nature of the car Renault Australia is likely to offer a radio, air-conditioning and navigation on the majority of cars it brings it. But, she confirmed if an owner was serious about wanting to save the weight those items could be deleted.

The Trophy-R arrives in Australia in December, 2014 and final pricing and specification will be announced then.

http://www.drive.com.au/motor-news/r...616-zs9gu.html

Not bad for a shopping trolley

[DJM83]

Fadeyev confirmed that despite the extreme nature of the car Renault Australia is likely to offer a radio, air-conditioning and navigation on the majority of cars it brings it. But, she confirmed if an owner was serious about wanting to save the weight those items could be deleted.

Thats awesome. Good to see Renault, good to see.

That is bloody quick for a front wheeler

[Maka]

Ok Ford theres your new NUR benchmark to chase! What a little grunter, i wonder how much it weighs.

cheers, Maka

[Fordman1]

Hi Renault.

Please make mine black.

Ship it to me in July please

Thanks.

[Gadgetman]

Originally Posted by Barraxr8

Hi Renault.

Please make mine black.

Ship it to me in July please

Thanks.

Yup Me too. White with red wheels is just fine by me.

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by Barraxr8

Hi Renault.

Please make mine black.

Ship it to me in July please

Thanks.

Either black or Blue (the same as the RedBull edition without the decals) and hold the ghastly color on the wheels.

[DJM83]

I'll have as per pic but with the red bits black thanks.

[Xauterus]

Why is it considered a shopping trolley?

[chrisandsharon]

No good to us..........the kids won't fit! This could be a good thing comrades

Great little screamer for track work!

[Motorbreath310]

Originally Posted by Xauterus

Why is it considered a shopping trolley?

There was someone in another thread that dismissed all FWD cars as such. Personally, I quite like FWD handling on twisty roads. They feel better-sorted in most cases than a lot of RWD cars out there.

[mik]

Originally Posted by Xauterus

Why is it considered a shopping trolley?

Because its front wheel drive.

no doubt its fast and probably fun on track days, but I suspect it would awful as a daily driver, if I had to have a wheel barrow I think a less track focused st would be much preferable.

[MercurySilver]

one of the ugliest shapes ever made those things

[Fordman1]

Originally Posted by MercurySilver

one of the ugliest shapes ever made those things

Yeah I had a Frankenstein XH ute too - once.

But I've moved on and got a nice car since then

[XR6Runner]

But aren't shopping trollies and wheel barrows powered from the rear?

[zilo]

Originally Posted by mik

Because its front wheel drive.

no doubt its fast and probably fun on track days, but I suspect it would awful as a daily driver, if I had to have a wheel barrow I think a less track focused st would be much preferable.

There are fwd cars out there that will surprise you.

[MercurySilver]

Originally Posted by Barraxr8

Yeah I had a Frankenstein XH ute too - once.

But I've moved on and got a nice car since then

im trying to figure out what youre saying here
either you think it kinda looks like an xh ute
or
?

coz it looks nothing like an xh ute

[DFB FGXR6]

Whilst I can see the appeal in this car, and I like hot hatches in general, isn't the point of a car like the RS Megane, Focus ST ect that they are fast, practical, liveable jack of all trades?

So this Megane is a car that can go real fast around a race track in Germany but is absolutely useless everywhere else because of no aircon or radio, back seat......

[Maka]

With thanks to Motoring.com.au -

"Tipping the scales at 1280kg, it's 101kg lighter than the Megane RS 265's 1381kg, with other weight savings made from lighter brakes, dashboard materials, springs, and exhaust. The stereo and air-conditioning have been turfed as part of the slimming.

Throw in adjustable Ohlins dampers (20 front and 30 rear settings), world-first Allevard composite epoxy front springs, a titanium Akrapovic exhaust system along with bigger 350mm diameter aluminium alloy front brake rotors (up from 340mm) chomped by Brembo calipers, and you're looking at the most powerful and fastest Renault production car yet."

Light & loaded with the proper goodies!

cheers, Maka

[Maka]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Whilst I can see the appeal in this car, and I like hot hatches in general, isn't the point of a car like the RS Megane, Focus ST ect that they are fast, practical, liveable jack of all trades?

So this Megane is a car that can go real fast around a race track in Germany but is absolutely useless everywhere else because of no aircon or radio, back seat......

Its paintwork announces its single focus - class wins! RS version is for the missus

cheers, Maka

[mik]

Originally Posted by XR6Runner

But aren't shopping trollies and wheel barrows powered from the rear?

yes but when loaded up both can exhibit terrible torque steer at the front.

[barnz_xr8]

coff queer coff

[mik]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Whilst I can see the appeal in this car, and I like hot hatches in general, isn't the point of a car like the RS Megane, Focus ST ect that they are fast, practical, liveable jack of all trades?

So this Megane is a car that can go real fast around a race track in Germany but is absolutely useless everywhere else because of no aircon or radio, back seat......

daily duties it is hard to see it with raceish suspension on our crappy roads.
borrowing my brothers car on occasion that is set up like race track spec, around the burbs I hate driving the bloody thing, in a different venue it would be a fun machine, but going over speed humps at 000000000.1 mph because its low and visiting the dentist for new back teeth after hitting a rough patch of Melbourne road......... which is quite a lot of it, the novelty wears off pretty quick.

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by barnz_xr8

coff queer coff

Today's society is far more accommodating of that lifestyle, so congratulations on your coming out and announcing it to us all.

[Fordman1]

Originally Posted by MercurySilver

im trying to figure out what youre saying here
either you think it kinda looks like an xh ute
or
?

coz it looks nothing like an xh ute

My bad ...

I thought you were referring to your XH daily driver.

Now that I mention it, that really was Frankenstein, and soooo ugly - even in its day !

[XR6Runner]

Originally Posted by mik

yes but when loaded up both can exhibit terrible torque steer at the front.

All up to how the driver drives it mate. I love my xr6t, but I also love small fwd's in the twisties. Took my mates fwd mazda 3 mps around the cotter road and had more fun in that than I did in my car. Sure my car ate it on the long straights and slightly curved roads, but the mps kept coming back in the tight corners wanting more

[barnz_xr8]

Originally Posted by Wretched

Today's society is far more accommodating of that lifestyle, so congratulations on your coming out and announcing it to us all.

I did it for u baby

[mik]

Originally Posted by XR6Runner

All up to how the driver drives it mate. I love my xr6t, but I also love small fwd's in the twisties. Took my mates fwd mazda 3 mps around the cotter road and had more fun in that than I did in my car. Sure my car ate it on the long straights and slightly curved roads, but the mps kept coming back in the tight corners wanting more

I have no doubt it would be a bit of fun old mate, not crapping on fwd per say, you did see the smiley face? although we can have a bit of fun at times with the pet names for them ,
I had a warm mini as a young buck(flying brick), and it was bit of fun for a couple of days a week or a run through mountains, but always happy to jump back into the v8 cruiser for the rest of the time, just saying track oriented cars as the one mentioned, and described as extremely focused , imo would be good in small doses, happy to be proven wrong though, to me a good compromise would be the focus st............ I`ll shut up now .

[barnz_xr8]

my mrs had a golf gti was 5 speed manual, I think it was a 02 model not a bad car pretty zippy but what I loved most about it was that feeling that u can push the front tyres hard in a corner, like I mean really tear the tyres of the rims feel and this little unit must handle like a real gem.

[Danny]

Just some of the cars that the Megane 275r has beaten around the Gring as a rough comparison..

Ferrari F430 F1 - 7:55
BMW M5 (F10) - 7:55
Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale - 7:56
Chevrolet Corvette C5 Z06 - 7:56
Porsche 911 Turbo (996) - 7:56
Porsche 911 GT3 (996) - 7:56
Mercedes-Benz CLK-DTM AMG - 7:56.60
Lamborghini Gallardo SE - 7:56.65
Audi R8 4.2 FSI - 7:58
Porsche 911 Carrera S (997) - 7:59
Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe - 8:01
Aston Martin DBS - 8:02
Audi RS5 - 8:02
Jaguar XKR-S - 8:03
Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG Performance Package - 8:03
BMW M3 (E92) - 8:05
Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG - 8:05
Porsche Cayman R - 8:06

Some pics. DIAL UP WARNING!























It basically is the Megane equivalent of the 911 GT3 RS, and it's practicality and day to day driveability would be quite comparable. It's an impressive little car. But I'll stick to my lux version that does the Gring in 8.08

[ronnas07]

Can we have those photos a little bigger?
$65k + and air con is an option? No sound system? I love a hot hatch as much as the next person (i own a FoST) but i dont think id be handing over that sort of coin for what is essentially a track day car.