New Renault Megane RS Trophy-R Breaks Cover And Nordschleife’s FWD Lap Record With A 7:40.10

Back in April, we got wind of a Renault Megane RS Trophy-R prototype undergoing testing at the Nurburgring, and it now appears that it was there to set a lap record for front-wheel drive production cars.

The man tasked with beating his own record was Laurent Hurgon, who posted a time of 7:54.36 on his last go-around in 2014, behind the wheel of the Megane III RS Trophy-R. Now, he took the latest generation model and lapped the track in 7:40.10.

We should note that this reference time is for the old 20.6 km (12.8 mile) Nordschleife course, whereas the reference time for the official whole lap of 20.83 km (12.9 miles) was 7:45.38, by new 2019 standards.

Coming to the F1 Monaco Grand Prix

The all-new Megane RS Trophy-R will be in attendance at this year’s Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix on May 24 (this Friday), when Renault F1 drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg will get behind the wheel of the ultra-hot French hatchback.

Like the regular Trophy version, the Trophy-R also comes with the same 300 PS (296 HP) engine. However, it weighs less by up to 130 kg (286 lbs), and it’s more aerodynamic. Renault engineers also worked on the chassis in order to ensure that the ‘R’ turns out quicker than the Trophy once it’s unleashed on a race track.

Also read: Just How Quick Is The New 296 HP Renault Megane RS Trophy?

Renault will sell the new Megane RS Trophy-R as an exclusive limited edition model and only a few hundred units will be made available to the public before the end of the year.