Renault Sport wouldn't let Honda laugh: on April 5, 2019 the new Renault Mégane R.S. Trophy-R has reached a time of 7min40.1s on the 20.6 km long Nordschleife. It beat for more than three seconds the time achieved by the Honda Civic Type R, which, we remember, was 7min43.8s.
To dethrone the Civic Type R, Renault Sport didn't add more horses to the 1.8 TCe — power remains at 300 hp, just like the Mégane R.S. Trophy we've already tested. Instead, the precious second gains were achieved through the loss of mass, optimized aerodynamics and revised chassis.
Unfortunately, at the moment, Renault Sport still hasn't detailed what it has changed and taken from the R.S. Trophy to transform it into an R.S. Trophy-R — it has only been pointed out that there is 130 kg of difference between the two models, a substantial amount.
Subscribe to our Youtube channel.
Renault Sport also indicated its partners “in crime”: the exhaust system is from Akrapovič, the brakes come from Brembo, the tires from Bridgestone, the shock absorbers from Öhlins and the baquets from Sabelt.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Of course, it remains to mention the essential ingredient to get the record, the pilot Laurent Hurgon who extracted everything there was to extract from the hot hatch to get the record.
The other time of the Mégane R.S. Trophy-R
There is a second time announced by Renault Sport for the Mégane R.S. Trophy-R de 7min45,389s . Why the second half? It has everything to do with the new rules imposed at the Nürburgring on how these times are achieved.
The time of 7min40.1s is the reference time that can be directly compared to that of the Civic Type R, as both completed the 20.6 km length measured between the end of the starting line and its beginning located at T13.
The 7min45.389s are measured according to the new rules imposed this year, with the stopwatch starting and ending the count at the same point on the start/finish line at T13, totaling 20.832 km, extending the distance by more 232 m than previously. According to the new rules, the Mégane R.S. Trophy-R is included in the class of compact cars (homologated production vehicles without modifications).
And now, Civic Type R?
This duel is not over yet. Just as Renault Sport was in “green hell” looking for the lost record, several partially-cloaked Honda Civic Type R test prototypes were spotted, suggesting that we can expect some sort of update to what has been. the reference in this thread. New developments coming soon, certainly.
special and limited
The Renault Mégane R.S. Trophy-R will hit the market at the end of 2019, but will be limited to a few hundred units, with a concrete number not yet being advanced.
However, its first public appearance will take place on the 24th of May, on the occasion of the Monaco Grand Prix in yet another stage of the Formula 1 World Championship, with drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hülkenberg at the wheel.