Renault won’t rest on its laurels as it attempts to take back its title as producing the world’s fastest front-wheel drive car around the Nurburgring, but such a record-breaking model won’t arrive for a few years.
Volkswagen’s brand new Golf GTI Clubsport S recently set a blistering 7 min 49.21 second lap around ‘Green Hell’, some five seconds faster than the best lap achieved by the Megane RS 275 Trophy. However, as production of that generation of Megane has ceased, its track-tuned successor will be based around the latest five-door Megane.
For the next Megane RS, Renault’s vice president of design Anthony Lo told Autocar that the new car will pump out over 300 hp, giving it a real chance against the likes of the Honda Civic Type R and GTI Clubsport S. That power will inevitably be drawn from a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-pot driving the front-wheels through a modified transmission, likely a six-speed manual.
Beyond its mechanical modifications over the standard Megane GT, the new RS will adopt some custom exterior elements to improve its appearance and aerodynamics. These should include new splitters, a pronounced rear diffuser, custom alloy wheels and extended side skirts. An abundance of weight-saving measures could also be employed.
Once the car arrives in 2018, a number of even more hardcore variants should follow, the fastest of which should return to the ‘Ring within the next three years.
Note: Renault Megane GT pictured
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