Renault’s motorsport division, Renaultsport, has snatched back the front-wheel-drive Nurburgring lap record with a new design called the Megane 275 Trophy-R.
It published a time of 7 minutes, 54.36 seconds to beat the previous record – set in March by the SEAT Leon Cupra – by 4.04 seconds. It likewise beat the old Megane 265 Trophy by around 14 seconds.
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The new design is based on the just recently revealed Megane 275 Trophy, however is 100kg lighter. Weight is saved with the utilize of lighter front seats, plus the removal of noise deadening, the back seats, the air-con as well as the radio. You can add the latter two features as no-cost options. Composite springs knock a additionally 2kg from the kerbweight.
This extreme weight loss is similar to that seen on the last-generation Megane R26.R, which likewise featured a strut brace in location of the rear seats. As keeping that vehicle you can get appropriate racing container seats with six-point harnesses. 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.
Thanks to the accident diet, Renault is stating that the 271bhp Megane Trophy-R will be able to hit 62mph in 5.8 seconds. fuel usage stays the exact same as in the basic Trophy, though, standing at 37.7mpg.
The new design includes Ohlins adjustable dampers as well as Michelin Pilot sport cup 2 tyres as standard; both are choices on the Trophy. The dampers can be changed utilizing a knob on the instrument cluster, with 20 positions for the front as well as 30 for the rear. There’s likewise a titanium Akrapovic exhaust.
The record-breaking Renault that really completed the lap was fitted with bigger brakes as well as a lithium-ion battery, saving 16kg. purchasers can in shape these to their car, too.
To mark their Trophy-R out, purchasers can select the two-tone paintjob in our pictures. The alloys are normally black, however can be completed in red as an option.
The Trophy-R starts at £36,430, with very first deliveries in October.
Find out a lot more about the fastest Nurburgring lap times here. Or checked out our interview with the guy who drove the Megane Renaultsport Trophy-R to its record lap.