Hardcore 2019 Renault Megane RS Trophy

[cawimmer430]

This thing is sweet. Love the color and it's without a doubt one of the best driving and most fun FWD cars out there. 


Hardcore 2019 Renault Megane RS Trophy

Renault recently organized an international drive event for the 2019 Megane RS Trophy in Portugal.

A number of journalists were able to get behind the wheel of the top dog Megane on the Estoril racetrack in Portugal and on the scenic roads in the surrounding countryside.



Until the reviews start coming, we invite you to check out the hot hatch's exterior from every angle and discover its more hardcore cabin in 60 new photos from the event.

Following in the footsteps of its Trophy-badged predecessors, the 2019 Megane RS Trophy is the most hardcore iteration of the current Megane RS. Designed to shine on the track and twisty roads, the Trophy version features the Cup chassis as standard. That means it benefits from a Torsen mechanical limited-slip differential and a stiffer suspension.



Renault Sport engineers also added bi-material front brake discs and exclusive 19-inch alloys wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza S001 high-performance tires. The icing on the cake is obviously the souped-up 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine.

It produces 300 PS (296 hp) and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque in combination with the standard six-speed manual gearbox. If the optional six-speed EDC transmission is selected, the peak torque goes up to 420 Nm (310 lb-ft).

The power and torque boost over the standard Megane RS have been achieved thanks to upgrades to the turbocharger and exhaust system. As a result, the 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time drops by 0.1 seconds, to 5.7 seconds, while top speed reaches 260 km/h (161 mph).



Renault will start taking orders for the Megane RS Trophy at the end of this year. Prices for the French market have already been announced: €44,100 ($50,300) for the manual version and €45,900 ($52,350) for the dual-clutch model.






Link: https://www.carscoops.com/2018/11/hardcore-2019-renault-megane-rs-trophy-detailed-60-new-photos

[Speed_Racer]

Very cool, really liking those fog lights though! Maybe one day we'll get French cars back on this side of the pond again.

[cawimmer430]

Very cool, really liking those fog lights though! Maybe one day we'll get French cars back on this side of the pond again.

I believe Citroen and Peugeot are planning a comeback to the US. Those brands aren't really known for fun hot hatches like Renault is (Peugeot did build the legendary 205 GTI 1.6 / 1.9).

The fog light design is reminiscent of a checkered racing flag. Very cheeky and creative!

[12,000 RPM]

Very cool, really liking those fog lights though! Maybe one day we'll get French cars back on this side of the pond again.

It's too bad Nissan and Renault seem to be going splitsville because I'd love one of these for me and their small minivan for wifey. These cars look gorgeous in person. The Clio is prob the most beautiful compact car of all time IMO.

[MrH]

$50k?!?

[FoMoJo]

Lovely, almost.

[Xer0]

But, will it be faster than the Type R?

[FoMoJo]

Will it be more fun to drive?

[Xer0]

I feel like at this level faster is more important than fun to drive, otherwise you'd just buy a Miata club car and call it a day.

[FoMoJo]

I feel like at this level faster is more important than fun to drive, otherwise you'd just buy a Miata club car and call it a day.

It would, at least, be competitive, if not faster.  I'd take it over the Type R on looks alone though.  Of course, I'd take a Focus ST over both of them.  Fast, fun and raucous. 

Not really a Miata fan though.  Too mild for a fun car.

[cawimmer430]

$50k?!?

My A250 was so much cheaper.

[cawimmer430]

Will it be more fun to drive?

It will. Renault has a history of engineering some really fun and tossable hot hatches.

I used to do event photography for a performance driving school. I'd say 90% of the guys participating were BMW drivers (higher end 1er/3er performance models and ///M models), and the hardcore ones for whom ,,front wheel drive" is a vulgarity. One time we had a dedicated performance club participate and they were the ,,RWD or bust" kind of guys.

During a lunch break several of their group spoke about how the Renault Megane RS (in the video below), was one of the few FWD cars (available in Europe) that literally drove like a RWD car and offered gobs of fun. Some members had driven the Megane RS on the Nürburgring and said it was very impressive.


This is the predecessor to the car in this thread. Listen to what Chris Harris has to say. 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsPS3cVcRiI



Harry Metcalfe speaks passionately about his Renault Clio 182 Trophy Sport, which ,,could loose a Lamborghini Gallardo on bendy roads".

www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTTI-aMKn60&t=1s