Renault lost its Nürburgring
front-wheel-drive lap record to SEAT recently, but immediately reclaimed it
with the Mégane 275 Trophy-R. We try its more practical sibling, the 275
Trophy, on the Green Hell
You can’t fault Renault’s dedication to a
cause. Or its timing. Whatever you think about Nürburgring lap records and the
disputes that inevitably ensue, the French carmaker’s decision to use the
front-wheel-drive production car category as a hook on which to hang the
reputation of its hottest RS Méganes over the years has never wavered, even if
the object of the ongoing exercise – to beat its own existing record – had become
a tad narcissistic.
Well, all that was true until a few months
ago. With Renault in the final stages of its two-year preparation to break the
8:07.97 record held by its own Mégane 265 since 2011, SEAT’s new Leon Cupra 280
DSG didn’t so much wobble the apple cart as drive through it, relieving the
Mégane of its record and Renault of its intention to be the first manufacturer
with a front-driver capable of ‘sub-eight minutes’. The car that reset the
clock at 7:58.4 may not have been ‘exactly standard’, but Renault’s Gallic
shrug suggested that it wasn’t overly concerned.
The
Renault Mégane RS 275 Trophy is a proper driver's hot hatch; it feels very
mature
And now we know why. It’s called the Mégane
RS 275 Trophy-R, the lightest, most stripped-down and tricked-out Mégane since
the R26.R. Production is limited to 250, only 30 of which will come to the UK
at a ‘can’t afford a 911 GT3?’ price of $62,180. A bit of a ‘Ring special’,
then. Don’t pretend you’re surprised. Renault’s 7:54.36 record run in the cool
early-morning air of May 15, while not intended as revenge, must have seemed
all the sweeter, not least because Renault test driver Laurent Hurgon nailed it
in one lap, despite a very obvious ‘moment’ (check out the video) when track
conditions suddenly changed. ‘There’s more to come,’ he says, and he’s probably
right.
The
standard five-seat interior is borrowed from the current Mégane 265
A predictably miffed SEAT has vowed to
snatch back the record with a stripped-out Leon 280, sans rear seats like the
Mégane. And, at the time of writing, Honda is at the Ring with its circa-300bhp
Civic Type-R, no doubt confident it can post a time that trumps its rivals
before it goes on sale next year. So it’s probably little wonder Renaultsport
gave the Mégane its best hardcore treatment to service and prolong Ring
bragging rights, rather than nominate the incrementally tamer, fully seated and
more affordable ($49,380) Mégane RS 275 Trophy, the new model that might
reasonably have been expected to fulfill a sub-eight-minute ambition, if only
just.
Steering
wheel rim is covered with grippy Alcantara
The clever bit, of course, is Renault’s
certain knowledge that most customers will be more than happy with a car that
shares the Trophy-R’s engine and root DNA. It can be optioned, most notably
with the R’s Öhlins adjustable dampers and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres on
one-inch-larger 19-inch alloys, for a stronger flavour of the record-busting
right stuff while retaining the full round of kit and creature comforts expected
of a modern hot hatch at a competitive price. Those who want a little less
accommodation and a little more action know where to sign – if they’re quick.
The Mégane 275 Trophy, as its name
suggests, is an uprated version of our favourite hot hatch, the recently
facelifted Mégane 265 Cup. An engine remap, with a small contribution by the
lightweight part-titanium Akrapovic exhaust system lifted from the Trophy-R,
raises peak power by a modest-looking 10bhp to 271bhp (275 PS) at 5,500rpm.
Peak torque remains the same at 265lb ft between 3,000 and 5,000rpm.
There’s
no twin-clutch ’box here, just a good old-fashioned six-speed manual
A slightly fancier version of the regular
265’s five-seat interior gets contrasting stitching on the seats, an
Alcantara-trimmed steering wheel and a numbered sill plate, while somewhat less
subtle are the sash-style stripes running sill-to-roof over the car’s haunches.
More importantly, the 265’sCup chassis, with its highly effective mechanical
limited-slip differential, is carried over. In the 275, however, it can be
regarded as a starting point that, beyond the larger wheels and stickier Cup 2
tyres, can be further upgraded with the optional Öhlins adjustable dampers
standard on the R. And it’s some upgrade, as it ought to be at $855 a corner.
Their chief benefit is that they behave the same way under compression as they
do in rebound thanks to Dual Flow Valve technology, so the damping rate remains
consistent instead of suddenly stiffening when presented with a sharp,
large-amplitude input, an obvious boon when riding racetrack kerbs. There are
20 adjustment clicks at the front and 30 at the rear. The package also has
hydraulic bump stops like the RS Clio 200’s. On the R, the dampers are dialled
to the settings used for the Ring record, but although the 275 Trophy gets a
softer set-up on delivery, Renaultsport’s website has advice on alternative
settings for road and track work.
