New Renault Megane RS Trophy With 296HP Is The Most Potent And Extreme Version Yet

Having presented the new generation Megane RS last fall in Frankfurt, Renault has now dropped the veil off the Trophy version.

Essentially a more track-focused (and extreme) derivative of the hot hatch, the new Renault Megane RS Trophy is based on the Cup chassis, which gets a Torsen mechanical limited-slip differential and a stiffer suspension among other upgrades.

In particular, it also adds improved brakes, lightweight 19-inch wheels shod in high-performance Bridgestone tires, and a bump in power from the turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine. The unit now makes 300PS (296hp / 221kW) and 400Nm (295lb-ft) of torque when paired with the six-speed manual gearbox, or 420Nm (310lb-ft) when selected with the dual-clutch six-speed automatic transmission.

The additional 20PS (20hp / 15kW) and up to 30Nm (22lb-ft) of torque over the regular Megane RS, achieved by upgrading the turbocharger and exhaust system, allows the Trophy to sprint from 0 to 100km/h (0-62mph) in 5.7sec, an 0.1sec improvement.

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Identifying the Renault Megane RS Trophy will be easy thanks to the Liquid Yellow paint, available in the color palette, and F1-style front splitter. At the same time, clients will get to order the optional Recaro bucket seats inside, wrapped in Alcantara, which sit 20mm (0.8in) lower for improved driving experience.

Elsewhere, the car comes with the 4Control four-wheel steering system, for improved grip. At low speeds, the technology turns the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the front ones, whereas at high speeds, the front and rear wheels turn in the same direction.

For the development of the new Renault Megane RS Trophy, the French automaker worked together with their F1 driver and Renaultsport ambassador, Nico Hulkenberg.

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“I have been involved in the Megane RS development process since last year and I’m very pleased to see an even sportier version added to the family”, said Hulkenberg. “Each of the new features on new Renault Megane RS Trophy offers greater sports performance and feel. It’s obviously positive to have more power and better grip through the tires and to benefit from improved braking endurance. I also enjoyed the feeling offered by the new seats: the support they provide for sports driving is excellent.”

Renault will start taking orders for the Megane RS Trophy this fall, and the first units will be shipped in winter.

In the coming months, it’s very likely that the new hot Trophy will attack the Nurburgring, trying to set a new lap record for front-wheel drive production cars. For that, it needs to go around the famous track faster than the Honda Civic Type R, which did it in 7 minutes and 43.8 seconds.