According to Renault, the most potent version of the previous generation Megane RS, the 169 kW R26.R that went on sale in October 2008 for a limited run of 450 examples, 230 of which are destined for Britain, has set new benchmark lap times at four UK tracks. The French carmaker announced that at Silverstone, Drivers-Republic recorded a lap time of 1 minute and 19.4 sec, almost three seconds faster than the more powerful Ford Focus RS that is equipped with a 220 kW 2,5-litre turbocharged five pot while at the West Circuit at Bedford Autodrome, Evo magazine timed the R26.R at 1m 29 sec beating the RS by almost two seconds.

Renault Megane R26.R – CarscoopAt Bruntingthorpe, Performance Car said that it timed the R26.R faster than the Focus RS, the Subaru Impreza STi Type UK and found it even faster than a 264 kW Revo-tuned Seat Leon Cupra. Finally, at Millbrook, Autocar magazine recorded a time of 1min and 15.6 seconds, a second faster than the Focus RS.

The French carmaker said that the R26.R, which boasts the same 2,0-litre turbocharged engine with 169 kW as the normal R26 but weighs 123 kg less than its standard counterpart, has now set benchmark times for a front-wheel drive production car at Silverstone, Bedford Autodrome, Millbrook and Bruntingthorpe.

Last year, the Megane R26.R established a new lap record for a front-wheel drive production car at the 13-mile Nurburgring circuit in Germany recording a time of 8 minutes 17 seconds.

We say b’Ring’ on the new Megane RS250.

Adapted from CarScoop

The hot-hatch market has been very busy of late. There’s been an onslaught of affordable firecrackers in 2009 so far, and one of the modern-day greats is about to be reborn.

Meet the Renaultsport Mégane 250. It’s the first RS version of the third-generation Focus-rival, and unlike the outgoing car it is solely based around the Mégane Coupe, with no five-door version on the cards.

It uses the 2-litre turbocharged petrol engine from the previous hot Mégane (and, indeed, the Mégane R26.R) with power and torque hiked to 184kW and 349Nm, aiming the Renault directly at the Volkswagen Scirocco R as well as the SEAT Leon Cupra, Audi S3 and, inevitably, the headline-grabbing Ford Focus RS.

While the latter is over 37kW better off, it is a chunkier piece of kit, with the latest Mégane set to weigh broadly the same as its 1345kg predecessor.

There’ll be two versions from launch, the Sport and Cup. The latter is more up our street, with the mechanical limited-slip diff from the Mégane R26, stiffer springs and dampers and grooved brake discs. As yet, there are no plans for a diesel version.

The overwhelming press acclaim for the hardcore Mégane R26.R means there will be another extreme hot hatch from Dieppe, though. “There will be some evolution, with work on the engine, chassis, torque or weight. Every time we launch a sporty car we have a special edition”, said a source at Renault.

Good news indeed. We’ve become big fans of the R26.R and Renault is trying to etch its name further into the record books with another crack at the quickest front-wheel-drive lap time of the Nürburgring. While the car currently holds the record at 8m17s, the Focus RS is flexing its muscles in an attempt to snatch that claim away. Apparently the Mégane managed an 8m12s before official times were taken, though.

Adapted from Evo