Last month we got to see a prototype of the upcoming
Renault Megane RS Trophy-R testing on the Nürburgring. That car featured light
camouflage on the doors and bonnet, as well as a red-painted wing integrated
into the front bumper. As with its predecessors, it seemed to lack rear seats
so it wasn’t that hard to identify it as the Megane RS Trophy-R.
Our assumptions have been confirmed by a new clip
that shows the hardcore Megane RS version in all its glory — i.e. with no camouflage
whatsoever. Uploaded by Talea Media, the footage shows the Megane RS Trophy-R
driving on the Nürburgring as a camera car follows it, presumably shooting the
official launch video. We then get to see the car in full attack mode on the
Green Hell,”accompanied by a lot of tire squeal and an enticing engine sound.
The video reveals all the missing pieces of the
puzzle, including a black hood scoop and “Trophy-R” lettering and graphics on
the doors. Other unique features to this model are the black alloys shod with
low-profile tires, an F1-inspired red wing in the front bumper, as well as the
upgated brakes with perforated front discs.
The Megane RS Trophy-R models have always been about
saving weight and improving performance, and the latest one is no exception.
Besides ditching the rear seats and adopting a roll cage instead, the
track-focused hot hatch also drops the multi-reflector LED lights in the bumper
to allow the turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine to suck in
more air.
Speaking of the engine, we don’t know if Renault
will tweak it to produce more power. In the Megane RS Trophy, the power plant
makes 300 PS and 400 Nm of torque and is coupled to a
six-speed manual gearbox. This allows it to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds and reach a top speed 260 km/h. Rest assured, that even if the Megane RS Trophy-R doesn’t get more power, it will
definitely be faster given the lower weight and the rest of the mods.
