Renault Mégane RS 275 Trophy-R design

Until terribly recently, introducing a Dieppe-fettled Renault was like asserting a Beatles album within the late 1960s: you only knew that no matter they’d done, it absolutely was virtually definitely attending to be good.

Consequently, the last Renaultsport model that we have a tendency to tested, the Clio two hundred Turbo, was a jolt; unwanted proof that the firm’s genius-grade engineers might knock out lukewarm acceptableness if they were created to figure with one hand tied behind their back.

This time spherical, there's no excuse. restricted to a run of simply thirty examples within the kingdom, the Trophy-R is Associate in Nursing example of what Renault is ready to try to to to a hot hatchback so as to eke out further performance. abundant has been removed therein engineering pilgrim's journey, Associate in Nursingd most of what has been side is meant to hone an already razor-sharp chassis.

We already understand that the Trophy-R is that the fastest front-wheel-drive production automobile ever to lap the Nürburgring. however has its new go-faster colour taken it on the far side the already completely good 275 Trophy within the driver reward stakes? Strap yourself sure the solution.

The quick Mégane is, by now, consequently a well-known machine. just like the 265 and also the 275 Trophy, the R gets an equivalent two.0-litre turbocharged fuel engine, within the same 271bhp colour, because the 275 Trophy.

The extra power over the quality automobile is delivered by a revised eu remap and is once more labelled to the car’s Sport and Race modes. It conjointly shares the Trophy’s upgraded Akrapovic atomic number 22 exhaust and also the Cup chassis pack, that adds stiffer springs, a larger-diameter anti-roll bar, a lower ride height and – most significant – a GKN mechanical limited-slip differential.

The pack ordinarily adds dampers, too, except for the R, these ar swapped out for a collection of adjustable Öhlins that feature hydraulic compression stops that Renault has dubbed Progressive Damping System. It’s all fine paying the premium for a automobile with automatically adjustable dampers, however obtaining the simplest from them will be a fiddly and long method.

Fortunately, to assist get the simplest out of the Öhlins’ constitutional amplitude of twenty point clicks at the front and thirty clicks to the rear (‘0’ being the firmest), Renault has provided a guide supported the recommendations of Laurent Hurgon — the driver to blame for the Mégane’s best time round the Nürburgring.

Out of the box, the Mégane comes on what the manufacturer describes as its customary road set-up, which, with the dampers set to ‘5’ at the nose and ‘10’ at the rear, provides the spectacular compromise that we have a tendency to describe on top of. To fine-tune this more, you’ll ought to jack the automobile up and whip the wheels off, then it’s simply a matter of twisting the lower portion of the damper to regulate.

Ground clearance may additionally be down by the maximum amount as 8mm at the front, though you’ll in all probability be desirous to modify use of your high speed at somewhere just like the Nürburgring to create it worthwhile. Otherwise, simply one click on every damper — to ‘4’ and ‘9’ — can give you with what Hurgon considers to be the best ‘quick dry track’ setting, to not mention the one that saw him into the record books.

Moreover, in what Renault claims as a primary for a production automobile, the model gets Allevard composite front springs. These alone save 4kg from the car’s curbing weight and it’s the weight-saving theme that – once more – defines the fastest Mégane. abundant has been jettisoned to deliver the 80kg decrease that the engineers were once. regarding 18kg of soundproofing has been shed, aboard 20kg of rear seating, whose place is taken by a strut brace and a awfully giant, spare-tyre-accommodating boot.

The kit list has been cut even a lot of sharply than that of the R26.R, with the loss of air-con, stereo, transmission, rear wiper and automatic headlights. this protects 10kg and there’s apparently a 5kg saving within the 19-inch Speedline Turini wheels, that go with high-end Michelin Pilot Sport Cup two tyres.

As customary, the diet stops there. However, if you’re the type of client World Health Organization feels they may be trying to hassle the car’s lap record potential, you'll description the Nürburgring Record Pack, a £1995 nonobligatory further that features a light-weight Li particle battery, driver’s six-point harness, upgraded brakes (with wider 350mm discs at the front) and – tellingly – four spare wheel covers. Our check automobile came thus equipped.