Renault South Africa has confirmed that the new Mégane Renaultsport (RS) will arrive on our shores towards the middle of 2010. An official date, or price, has not yet been confirmed but expect to see a price tag around R320 000 – on par with the likes of VW’s new GTI and Scirocco.
To refresh your memory, power comes from a 2,0-litre turbo-charged engine that produces 184 kW at 5 500 rpm and 340 N.m of peak torque at 3 000 rpm. A 6-speed manual gearbox provides the link to the front wheels and if you opt for the Cup chassis you’ll have a limited slip differential at your disposal, which helps the new Mégane RS to reach 100 km/h from a standing start in 6.1 seconds.
Yes, Renault SA has confirmed that both versions of the new Mégane RS will be available. The Sport chassis, for everyday driving pleasure and the Cup chassis, for even more exhilarating track-focused performance.
Changes on the Cup chassis over that of the Sport are: anti-roll stiffness that has been increased by 13 per cent thanks to a bigger-diameter anti-roll bar (24.2 mm). Anti-roll stiffness at the rear has been increased by 7 per cent compared with the Sport chassis and overall the stiffness of the Cup chassis marks an improvement of 15 per cent over the Sport chassis. Equipped with a limited slip differential (LSD), the Mégane RS Cup chassis is less prone to the effects of torque steer, benefits from improved turn-in performance, and provides better traction for driving out of corners sooner and harder. The Mégane RS Cup is also fitted with stickier Michelin Pilot Sport 2 18-inch tyres in size 235/40.
The Mégane Renaultsport features a styling package that sets it apart from the rest of the new Mégane range including features such as a rear diffuser, LED daytime running lights, flared wheel arches and centrally mounted rear trapezoid exhaust.
We really liked the new Mégane Coupe when we drove it earlier this year, but the one thing we found lacking was power from the 1,6-litre petrol. Transforming the new coupe into a 184 kW focussed (no pun intended) hot-hatch gets our pulses racing and we look forward to bringing you details of the driving experience when the car arrives next year. In the meantime take a look at the gallery below to gather your own impressions of the latest generation Renault Mégane RS.
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