Renault Megane RS 275 Trophy-R arrives

RENAULT'S Nurburgring-destroying Megane RS 275 Trophy-R will be priced at $61,990, before on-road costs, when the strictly limited run of hot hatches hits Australian shores in January.

Based on the recently released $52,990 Megane RS 275 Trophy, the front-wheel-drive record-holding Trophy-R retains the same blistering 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine as before, making 201kW of power and 360Nm of torque.

This makes the fiery Megane good for a 0-100km/h acceleration time of only 5.8 seconds before hitting a top speed of 255km/h.

Other goodies carrying over from the Megane RS 275 Trophy include the Cup chassis, complete with a tricked-out limited-slip differential, titanium Akrapovic-branded exhaust with carbon tail-pipes, Ohlins Road & Track adjustable dampers with lowered springs, super-sticky Michelin sport tyres, Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel, leather shift knob and red seatbelts and stitching throughout the cabin.

However, what makes the Megane RS 275 Trophy-R so special is not what Renault has added, but rather what has been subtracted.

Putting the Megane RS 275 Trophy-R on a strict diet, Renault was able to shed a little over 100kgs by deleting the rear seats (supplanting them with a rear strut brace and cargo netting), replacing the front seats with Recaro Pole Position polycarbonate monocoque seats (complete with six-point racing harnesses), swapping the traditional battery for a 15kg-lighter lithium-ion battery and fitting special high-performance 350/28-diameter steel and aluminium disc brakes.

Kerb weight now sits at 1284kg.

From the outside, the Megane RS 275 Trophy-R is easily distinguishable by its red chequered flag decals, a lower front-splitter and 19-inch Speedline Turini wheels available in red as standard or black as an option, and for the first time, a two-tone colour option with a Diamond Black roof sitting on a Pearl White body.

All of this culminated in a record-setting lap time of 7m54.36s – 14 seconds faster than the 8m08s time set in 2011 by a Renault Megane RS Trophy – around the Green Hell.

Renault has confirmed that Australia has been allocated 50 units out of the worldwide build of 250.

Renault Australia managing director Justin Hovecar noted that Australia is a thriving market for the Renault Sport brand, saying, “Renault Australia is the second highest selling country in the world for Renault Sport in 2014.

“It is an exciting opportunity for us to introduce this exclusive limited edition in Australia and it is a fantastic demonstration of the support for Renault Sport in Australia,” Mr Hocevar said.

Sales for the Megane RS variants have remained strong this year, with 444 units moved to the end of November, a 10.5 per cent decrease from the 496 Renault sold over the same period last year.