Renault Megane RS Mule 008 k2cs
John Mahoney3 Oct 2016
NEWS

Renault Megane RS will get manual and four-wheel steer

French car-maker's performance flagship to come with option of third-pedal, rev-match and 4Control

Renault's next Megane RS will go on sale next year with a manual transmission and four-wheel steering, it has been revealed.

Originally, enthusiasts were concerned the next-generation RS flagship based on the all-new Megane would follow in the tyre tracks of the current RenaultSport Clio and come equipped only with a dual-clutch automatic. Now, motoring.com.au can exclusively reveal, the Megane RS is destined to be offered with the option of a six-speed manual as well as the dual-clutch 'box.

motoring.com.au quizzed a senior source working closely with the French car-maker during an RS event in France over the weekend. There, on the basis of anonymity, the insider told us that the performance division had already made the decision to offer a manual transmission on the fast fourth-generation Megane. This is despite claims, from RenaultSport’s own boss Patrice Ratti, that both transmissions were "being investigated, but not confirmed".

"For the new Megane RS it's crucial to offer both transmissions, especially for some markets where enthusiast buyers were put off buying the Clio because it lacks a manual gearbox," said our source.

According to the insider, RenaultSport engineers have already found the manual Megane RS to be far quicker than the dual-clutch version, recording significantly faster 0-100km/h times, with all engineers beating the more advanced auto's launch control.

The gains, say those who've driven it, come from the large weight saving over the heavier dual-clutch transmission.

That said, around a race circuit, the dual-clutch transmission is thought to have the upper hand when it comes to setting fast lap times.

To help improve down changes, the six-speed will be matched with a new rev-match system that's automatically blips the throttle for perfect downshift. The technology has been lifted from Renault’s alliance partner, Nissan, which developed a similar driver's aid for its 370Z coupe.

Controversially, the French performance division has also green lit the next Megane RS to come with the firm's 4Control four-wheel steering.

"The Megane RS will come with four-wheel steering, it's important for it to have maximum agility".

According to the insider, engineers decided the added weight (approx 40kg) introduced was offset by the handling benefits. The 4Control system could give the Renault hatch added showroom appeal and offset the fact the Megane misses out on the Focus RS' all-wheel drive and tail-out antics in drift mode.

For purist though, not all models will come equipped with the heavier rear-steer because even within RenaultSport not everyone's a fan.

"Where the four-wheel steering system does work is for people who use their RS differently, perhaps to the last typical buyer of the Megane RS. Personally, for example, I think it will be great for those who have a family and drive in town, they will love the steering response and extra agility but for those who drive on the Nurburgring? No, it is not needed. We will offer it as an option in all markets, I think," our source stated.

Like the current model, the new Megane is likely to be offered with Sport, Cup and Trophy suspension tunes. It is possible that the Sport model will come with four-wheel steering and be a more luxurious and comfortable version of the Megane RS that, historically, has always been at the more extreme end of the hot hatch scale. That said, it's unlikely the Megane RS will be as comfortable (soft) as a Golf GTI. That's because RenaultSport claims the cheaper Megane GT is more of a direct rival for the Volkswagen hot hatch.

All versions will come with different engine modes and stability control that offers sport, track and fully off settings. Adaptive dampers will be available on the Sport chassis, although the Cup and Trophy will come with fixed-rate dampers.

Instead of aiming for headline power figures, RenaultSport says it will focus on actual performance of the next Megane RS -- especially power-to-weight ratios and the torque delivered by the engine.

Since the current car's F4R 2.0-litre turbo is at the very end of its life (it can trace its heritage back to 1993), the Megane RS will get an all-new engine, thought to also shares a 2.0-litre swept capacity.

The current 1.6-litre turbo engine, that powers the Clio RS200 and RS220 could do the job - says an insider, with some variants in development already running around 230kW - but the cost of developing the high-output small petrol for the durability needed for a production car is prohibitive, for now at least.

Weight remains the biggest hurdle engineers are struggling with for the next RS version of the Megane. The BFB Megane is both wider and longer than the old version and comes with five doors only. Factor in new safety equipment like emergency autonomous braking and lane keep assist, plus more airbags and Renaultsport engineers are reportedly having difficulties keeping weight down.

It's thought that new lightweight materials could prove the solution, although Renaultsport claims it will not necessarily rely on carbon-fibre composites as, in RS director Patrice Ratti's words: "There are other materials that offer a better cost-to-weight benefit."

Expect to see the production version of the Megane RS to be unveiled at the September 2017 Frankfurt motor show where the new flagship RenaultSport hatch will be launched with a new Nurburgring lap record for a front-wheel drive production car.

"We started the whole thing with the previous Megane, so now we need to continue. I'm originally from racing so I like to have challenges on a circuit. I find it very good for the engineers to have a goal and it's a good way to motivate our engineers," our RenaultSport source stated.

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