THE Megane R.S. Trophy-R, the most powerful high performance production car Renault has ever put on the market, has set the lap record of 2:14.316 at The Bend Motorsport Park, in the front wheel drive production car category.
In a run against the clock at the Tailem Bend circuit, which was crowned the 2019 International Motorsport Facility of the Year, the new mark was the first record for the Megane R.S. Trophy-R in Australia and signals its official launch in this country.
The Megane R.S. Trophy-R was driven by the Renault backed Garry Rogers Motorsport TCR Australia driver James Moffat, who set the record with a one lap flyer around The Bend circuit.
With global numbers extremely limited (500 worldwide) Australia secured only 12 Megane R.S. Trophy-R vehicles, which were all sold online at record pace, following the car’s global release in July.
Renault Australia has also secured one Megane R.S. Trophy-R Record (breaking) version (one of only 30 worldwide), which will go on sale in 2020 via a public auction. Australia will also receive 100 examples of the limited edition 2020 Megane R.S. Trophy.
The Megane R.S. Trophy-R is forged by Renault’s immense history in motor sport, and perpetuates the legend of the record-breaking Megane R.S. – Once more bringing to the road the technologies and know how Renault Sport has developed on the racetrack.
For this car, Renault Sport engineers have pushed their expertise further than ever before. The outcome was validated by a new FWD record on the Nürburgring in the Megane R.S. Trophy-R Record breaking car.
The Megane R.S. Trophy (due late 2019) and Megane R.S. Trophy-R (due early 2020) will complete the Megane Renault Sport family in Australia, which will also include Megane R.S. Sport and Megane R.S. Cup Chassis.
The new Megane R.S. Trophy-R has the same exceptionally efficient 1.8 L 223kW engine as the Trophy version. The Renault Sport wizards did not focus on power to enhance performance, they looked elsewhere in three main spheres of development.
These included a drastic reductions in mass. The quest to reduce weight looked at every detail, from the absence of a rear seat to the adoption of carbon wheel rims (Megane R.S. Trophy-R Record breaking version only), and the Akrapovič titanium exhaust line.
The verdict on the scales was 130kg lighter than the Megane R.S. Trophy, without options. Along the way they completely redesigned the suspension, increasing negative camber on the front axle and adding a lighter rear-H axle.
Specific adjustable Öhlins shock-absorbers, Bridgestone Potenza S007 tyres exclusive to Renault Sport, and high performance braking with optional Brembo carbon-ceramic discs (Megane R.S. Trophy-R Record Breaking version only) were also added.
Aerodynamics were improved even further for better support and better circulation of flows (specific under body fairings and carbon diffuser) and additionally optimised thermal control (NACA air intake, brake scoops, etc.).
This expert work has been validated by the stopwatch, with the absolute record for a front wheel drive production car achieved on 5 April 2019 on the 20.6km Nordschleife at the Nürburgring in a time of 07:40.100.
It also clocked up a reference time of 07:45.389 on the official full lap of the circuit. This is an extreme performance, bearing in mind the margin of progress is increasingly narrow at such a level.
The Renault Megane Trophy-R Record (breaking) version includes exclusive features such as carbon wheels, developed by Carbon Revolution here in Australia, and 390mm carbon-ceramic front brakes, taking up all the available space behind the 19-inch wheels.
