Renault has offered a sneak peek of the new Megane R.S. at the Monaco GP circuit, giving us a first chance to see the new hot hatch in action.
With Renault F1 pilot Nico Hülkenberg sitting behind the wheel, the new Megane R.S. completed a couple of laps in front of the audience, sporting a special black and yellow livery as a nod to the 40th anniversary of the company’s involvement in F1.
Renault didn’t reveal any technical details at this point, apart from offering for the first time customers the choice between a manual or dual-clutch EDC transmission.
“I don’t think we could have chosen a more appropriate or more impactful moment than the 40th anniversary of Renault’s involvement in F1 to launch a new model,” said Renault Sport Cars’ Managing Director Patrice Ratti.
“I got an opportunity to test New Mégane R.S. during its development and I was hooked first time out by the excellence of its chassis,” said Nico Hülkenberg. “Renault Sport has done a tremendous job on its performance credentials. It was a huge pleasure to drive it around the legendary street track at Monaco today!”
Under the bonnet we expect to see a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine with around 300hp, which the chassis is expected to feature a bespoke version of the company’s rear-wheel steering system, a limited-slip differential, an advanced aero agenda and of course a sport suspension.
Renault Sport also said that their engineers have used F1-derived technologies to make the 2018 Megane R.S. the new benchmark in its class. Renault is planning to reveal it in full at the Frankfurt Motor Show on September 12, with sales to start on the first quarter of 2018.
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