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#Under8 has been a resounding success for team Renault Sport, as the RS275 Trophy-R has beaten the 8 minute barrier and beaten Seat to reclaim the title of the fastest front-wheel driven car around the Nurburgring Nordschleife. This after a massive social media campaign leading up to the event and involvement from the likes of Ohlins, Recaro, Akrapovic, and Michelin, as well as Renault Sport to create the ultimate FWD track machine.
Seat, earlier this year, dethroned the Renault Megane RS265 Trophy by setting the 1st sub-8 minute time of 7:58. Renault has gone 4 seconds better in posting a time of 7m54.36s, making the Megane once again the fastest FWD vehicle around the ‘Ring.
The vehicle used to do it was a specially engineered version of the Megane RS275 Trophy, built on the foundation of the Cup chassis with limited slip differential. The 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-pot engine has been uprated to 205kW (275Hp), whilst torque remains the same at 360Nm, driving the front wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission. The Megane RS, already renowned for its incredible handling abilities received the addition of Ohlins adjustable dampers and composite springs for further improved handling, and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres, specifically adapted to the Megane RS275 Trophy-R, ensure that the hot-hatch remained glued to the tarmac for the duration of it’s lap.
Further enhancements to the Megane include the addition of an Akrapovic titanium exhaust system with carbon fibre tip, not only increasing noise and throttle response, but reducing the weight of the RS275.
The RS275 Trophy-R used to set the lap is a dedicated track machine, so much so that the order of the day was to remove as much weight as possible. Above and beyond the lightweight exhaust system, the Trophy-R tossed out the rear seats, and substituted the front seats with Recaro Pole Position polycarbonate monocoque seats, yielding a total weight saving of 42Kg. The solitary front seats are equipped with three-point seat belts, but a 6-point harness with aviation-style buckle is available as an accessory.
Reducing the weight further, Renault opted to use a lithium-ion battery, trimming the weight by a further 16Kg. High performance steel and aluminium brake discs, measuring 350mm diameter at the front and 328mm at the rear, reduce weight by a further 3Kg in addition to improving braking performance. Overall kerb weight on the Trophy R is down by 79Kg, at 1297Kg from the already lightweight Trophy which weighs a mere 1376Kg. But the weight-loss is not in vain, as the Trophy-R is capable of a 0-100km/h sprint time of 5.8s, 0.2 ahead of the standard RS275 Trophy.
The Megane RS275 Trophy-R sports a striking new two-tone colour scheme with an Etoilé Black roof mated with a Pearlescent White finish (optional). Vif Red detailing on the front blade, chequered flag graphic, and side graphics are all unique to the Trophy-R, whilst the 19-inch alloys are available in red or black. Internally, the Alcantara-trimmed steering wheel and handbrake bellow, leather gearshift knob and red seatbelts set the Trophy-R apart; but don’t expect much luxury, as the Trophy-R takes weight saving to the extreme by tossing out the air-conditioning and radio.
The Megane RS275 Trophy R will join the RS275 Trophy in being sold around the world, but will be limited to only 250 units globally. Whilst it is not confirmed whether or not South Africa will receive the ultra-limited edition model, we’ve got high hopes as we are going to receive the RS275 Trophy and we have previously received limited edition models such as the RB8.
See the video below of the Renault’s record-setting lap, and read the full road review of the Megane RS265 RB8 HERE.
Your move Seat.
