As mentioned a few weeks back, Renault is working on a faster and improved Megane RS to try recapture the record for the fastest front-wheel drive vehicle around the Nurburgring circuit.
Clearly Renault’s nose was put out of joint by the Seat Leon Cupra which beat the old Megane RS’ time by a considerable amount. The old Renault Nurburgring time was 8:07:97 and was accomplished in a road-going Megane Rs265 Trophy – a vehicle you can readily buy in South Africa off the showroom floor.
The article from a few weeks back mentioned that Renault will make a fuss if the brand is going after the Seat Cupra’s time, and that’s exactly what’s happening. Theracing division RenaultSport has posted a Renault Nurburgring video, showing the preparation for the time attack.
This red Renault Nurburgring has gained a performance exhaust from specialists Akrapovic, who also supply pipes for BMW’s M products. This specialist exhaust will provide more power and torque, while the system is considerably lighter than the factory-supplied system. Rumours are doing the rounds that the car will be called the Renault Megane RS270R and could have as much as 200 kW and 400 Nm on tap. Pirelli will also be supplying specialist tyres for the vehicle. The French guys at RenaultSport are so excited for the project there’s even a social media hashtag called #under8.
Let’s hope for two things. Firstly that Renault’s Nurburgring Hunter can beat the Seat Leon Cupra’s time and secondly, a production model of this car makes its way to South Africa.