French automaker Renault has taken the wraps off its fastest model ever, the new Renault Megane Renaultsport 265 Trophy, which is set to make its official world debut at the World Series by Renault motorsports event at the Nurburgring circuit in Germany next weekend.
The new car is based on the Megane Coupe first revealed back in 2008, but thanks to the hard work of the automaker’s motorsport division, Renaultsport, the car now sports a 195 kW output and a chassis built with technology derived from the Megane Trophy race car (pictured below). With 195 kW, complemented by a healthy 360 N.m of torque, the Renault Megane Renaultsport 265 Trophy will now sprint to 100 km/h from rest in 6.0 seconds flat and reach a top speed of 253 km/h.
The extra performance is courtesy of additional boost pressure from the car’s turbocharged 2.0-litre engine, which remains matched to a six-speed manual gearbox and driving the front wheels. Also intact is Renault’s ‘Cup’ chassis, which features a limited-slip differential as well as separate steering and suspension axes for improved handling and resistance to torque and bump steer. Also standard are a set of Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tyres, which are wrapped around 19-inch glossy black wheels, Brembo brakes, Recaro seats, LED daytime running lights, a display screen for performance tracking and an individually numbered plaque – just 500 will be built.
