The Nürburgring has become the proving ground where just about every new performance car is tested. Auto manufacturers spend thousands of miles pushing their latest models to the limit on this challenging circuit in the hope that they will be able to outshine their rivals. Renault has long been the front-wheel-drive segment benchmark but in recent years the Honda Civic Type R and Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S have stolen its thunder, and the last time a Renault Sport model sat atop the timing sheets was in 2014.
Now that has all changed, as the latest Mégane R.S. Trophy-R has set a new front-wheel-drive record around the circuit with a time of 7:40.1, which is 3.7-seconds quicker than the Civic Type R and eclipses the times of some powerful rear-wheel-drive sports cars too. While the R.S. Trophy-R makes the same 300hp from its 1.8-liter turbocharged motor as the R.S. Trophy model, in true RenaultSport tradition its superior on-track abilities come down to numerous detail changes to the suspension and aerodynamics as well as a massive 286-pound reduction in weight.
This tried-and-tested formula was what put the Mégane R.S. R26.R at the head of the FWD pack back in 2008 when it set the very first lap record for the segment with a time of 8:17. The competition has grown fiercer with each passing year and there is no doubt that rivals will be gunning for the Trophy-R’s crown before long. The record-breaking Mégane R.S. Trophy-R will make its public debut on 24th May before the Monaco Formula 1 Grand Prix with Renault F1 Team drivers, Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hülkenberg behind the wheel. It will be put into production before the end of the year but will be limited to a few hundred units.
Images courtesy of Renault
