Renaultsport, Renault’s motorsport division, has taken back the front-wheel-drive Nurburgring lap record with a new model called the Megane 275 Trophy-R. It recorded a time of 7 minutes, 54.36 seconds to beat the previous record which was set in March by the SEAT Leon Cupra – by 4.04 seconds. It was also quicker than the old Megane 265 Trophy by around 14 seconds.
The new car is based on the recently revealed Megane 275 Trophy, but is 100kg lighter. Renaultsport has saved this weight by removing everything from the car including back seats, the radio, the air-con and the removal of sound deadening. The new Megane 275 Trophy weight loss is similar to that seen on the last-generation Megane R26.R. The Megane R26.R did hold the Nurburgring front-wheel-drive lap record in 2008, when it put in a time of 8 minutes 17 seconds.
Due to extreme lost in weight and 271bhp, the Megane Trophy-R will be able to hit 62mph in 5.8 seconds. It will give 37.7mpg which is the same as its predecessor. The new car comes with Ohlins adjustable dampers and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres as standard. There’s also a titanium Akrapovic exhaust.
The car that broke the record also had lithium-ion battery as well as bigger brakes, which saved 16kg. Buyers can also choose between two-tone paintjob. The alloys are usually black, but can be finished in red as an option. The Trophy-R starts from £36,430 when the deliveries start in October.
The Mégane Renaultsport 275 Trophy-R will make its global debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on 27 June, being driven up the hill by Laurent Hurgon.
