renault megane trophy r iii
John Mahoney22 May 2019
NEWS

Renault Megane RS Trophy-R nabs Nurburgring record

Lighter, more extreme limited-run Renault Megane RS Trophy-R clocked as the fastest ever FWD car to lap the Green Hell -- and it's coming to Oz

The recently leaked Renault Megane RS Trophy-R has smashed the record for the fastest front-wheel drive production car to lap the Nurburgring.

Setting a timed lap of 7:40.10 around the old Nordschleife track back on April 5, the Renault Megane RS Trophy-R slashed a considerable 3.7 seconds off the previous time set by the Honda Civic Type R back in in 2017.

Renault has still not released full details of the Renault Megane RS Trophy-R other than the fact it's powered by the same 220kW/400Nm 1.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine as the Megane RS Trophy.

renault megane trophy r iv

The record-setting Trophy-R is also claimed to tip the scales at a substantial 130kg lighter than the regular Megane RS Trophy – although its creator, Renaultsport, hasn't revealed how this has been achieved either.

What is evident is the record attempt was assisted by the car-maker's technical partners Akrapovic, Brembo, Bridgestone and Ohlins – hinting at an ultra-lightweight exhaust, bigger and more powerful brakes, a stickier set of road-legal tyres and trick suspension that can manage the Nurburgring's notoriously bumpy road surface.

renault megane trophy r i

Carving all that mass from the kerb weight is likely to have a transformative effect on performance and the Trophy-R is set to feature even more agile handling compared to rest of the Megane RS range.

We expect the Trophy-R set to slash as much as 0.3sec off the 5.7 seconds it takes the standard Megane RS Trophy to hit 100km/h. Top speed, meanwhile, should be closer to 270km/h.

Claimed to have been developed with help from Renault F1 Team's Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg, the record-setting Trophy-R was driven by Renaultsport development driver, Laurent Hurgon.

renault megane trophy r ii

Despite lacking an F1 drive, Hurgon has real pedigree at the Nurburgring. Back in 2011 he set the front-drive record with the second-generation Megane RS Trophy.

Renault says it will use the Megane RS Trophy-R's official unveiling this weekend at the Monaco GP to reveal pricing for the "few hundred" it will make.

Renault Australia has confirmed to carsales.com.au that it will release a "limited number" of the fastest, most extreme Megane RS model ever in the fourth quarter of this year.

Share this article
Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Stay up to dateBecome a carsales member and get the latest news, reviews and advice straight to your inbox.
Download the carsales app
    AppStoreDownloadGooglePlayDownload
    App Store and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.
    © CAR Group Ltd 1999-2024
    In the spirit of reconciliation we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.