VIDEO: Renault Megane RS Trophy’s Record Run at the ‘Ring

Last week, Renault upped the ante for front-wheel drive models by setting a new lap record at the Nurburgring Nordschleife with its more powerful Mégane Renaultsport Trophy.

The 265-horsepower strong special edition posted a lap time of 8 minutes and 7.97 seconds in the hands of Renault test driver Laurent Hurgon, smashing the previous record for a front-wheel drive model held by the older generation Mégane RS R26.R by nine seconds. Buckle up, sit tight and enjoy the record run in the video after the break.

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Renault Sets New Nürburgring Lap Record for a Front-Wheel Drive Car with Megane RS Trophy

Renault has slashed its own longstanding lap record for a front-wheel drive production car at the Nordschleife, which the company held since June 23, 2008, with its new Megane RenaultSport (RS) Trophy special.

The 265-horsepower version of the Megane RS completed a full lap around the Nürburgring racetrack in 8 minutes and 7.97 seconds beating the time of the previous generation Mégane Renaultsport R26.R by 9 seconds. In comparison, the now obsolete 305HP Ford Focus RS posted a lap time of 8 minutes and 26 seconds in the summer of 2009.

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Renault Unleashes Super Hot Mégane RS Trophy with 265-Horses

With the Italians still trying to find their way and the Japanese being limited for now to the Mazda3 MPS, it’s up to the French to question the German leadership in the upper range of the hot hatchback segment. Now, Renault is raising the stakes with the presentation of a hotter version of its RenaultSport Mégane boasting more power under its hood.

The Mégane RS Trophy is a special edition version of the standard model with a limited production run of 500 cars. Renault is quick to note that the Trophy is not a successor to the hardcore R26R, which leaves the door open to a more extreme variant in the near future.

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Renault Teases More Potent version of Megane RS

One of Europe’s finest hot hatches is about to get better as Renault is readying a new edition of the Megane RS that will be unveiled to the world on June 17, 2011. The French carmaker released a teaser video of the car from the test runs at the Nurburgring racetrack in Germany.

However, that’s about all Renault is willing to reveal for now so we’ll have to wait and see what kind of upgrades the car will feature and if a power boost and / or a weight reduction and chassis enhancements are part of the package.

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Geneva Show: Renaultsport Megane RS 250

Aimed squarely towards the VW Golf GTI and the Ford Focus ST, the new Megane Renaultsport 250 made its world premiere in Geneva. The hottest version of the Megane comes with a new-generation two-liter 16-valve turbocharged petrol engine producing 250hp at 5,500rpm and peak torque of 340Nm from 3,000rpm. That's an increase of 25hp and 40Nm over the outgoing Megane R26. Power is transferred to the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.

Under the skin, the new Megane Renaultsport 250 has inherited the same suspension arrangement as the current version. Like the Renaultsport variants of the Clio and Twingo ranges, the Megane is available with a choice of two chassis, the standard sport chassis or the Cup chassis, which comes with a limited slip differential for even greater traction. Equally importantly, the hot Megane is equipped with an ESP (electronic stability control) that is fully disconnectable.

Based on the attractive three-door variant of the Megane, the RS 250 comes with an aggressive bodykit which includes a new front bumper incorporating LED daytime running lights and a splitter, extended wheel arches and sills, 18-inch alloy wheels, central exhaust tailpipe and rear diffuser

Inside, there are sport seats, an analogue rev-counter with visual and audible gearshift indicator, aluminium pedals and the Renaultsport steering wheel complete with thumb grips.

2009 Renault Megane Sport Tourer (SW) Scooped Undisguised in Portugal!

The next-generation Renault Megane Sport Tourer - you can simply call it an estate or a station wagon- has been scooped without a single trace of camouflage ahead of its world premiere at the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show. Caught by our friends over at the Auto Hoje forums, the 2009 Megane Sport Tourer was discovered in the city of Lisbon in Portugal during a filming for an advertising campaign.

While sharing the same front-end styling with the new Megane hatchback models, the station wagon variant features a distinct rear-end design with split tail lights. Compared to the outgoing Megane estate, the new Sport Tourer features a 'swoopier' and lower roofline that offers the car a more dynamic appearance than its predecessor, but this could also mean that it is less practical.

Don't expect any surprises under the hood as the Sport Tourer will be offered with same gasoline and diesel unit as the hatchback. The petrol engine range will include 100HP and 110HP 1.6-liter units, a 140HP 2.0-liter and the turbocharged 130HP 1.4TCe and 180HP 2.0TCe. Diesel options will include 1.5 dCi 85HP, 90 HP, 105 HP and 110 HP units along with more powerful 130 HP, 150HP and 160 HP variants.

Via: Autohoje , 'Muito Obrigado' for the tip Jose!

New Renault Megane RS Spied without Camo

Along with the facelifted 2009 Renault Clio RS, the folks over at Forum Auto also seem to have captured a prototype version of the new Megane RS undergoing testing at an unnamed race track. Like the cosmetically updated Clio RS, the hottest Megane III is distinguished in these 'fuzzy' photos by the more aggressively styled front bumper with the black detailing that appears to be a new trademark of the RenaultSport (RS) cars.

The new Megane RS which is set to make its world premiere in Geneva next week, will feature a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing an output of 250-horsepower. Power will be channeled to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox.

Source: Forum Auto , Via: es.Autoblog.com

Renault Launches Teaser Site for 2009 Megane RS 250HP

Renault is offering us our first glimpse of the forthcoming Megane RS that is set to make its world premiere at the Geneva Show by launching a new dedicated microsite. As we first told you here at Carscoop, Renault's Ford Focus ST and VW Golf GTI adversary will come with a tweaked version of the current Megane R26's 2.0-liter turbocharged four-pot delivering an output of 250-horsepower. Power will be transmitted to the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. For more info on Renault's hot Megane, click here.

Geneva Debut for New Renault Scenic, Grand Scenic and Megane Grandtour

Along with the new 250HP Megane Coupe RS, Renault will also stage the world debut of three more Megane-based models at the Geneva Show, the Scenic and Grand Scenic MPVs and the Megane Grandtour station-wagon. The French firm's new people carrier will be available once again in two styles, the five-seater Scenic and the extended-wheelbase Grand Scenic that can accommodate seven passengers in three rows of seats.

As you can see in the images that come from a patent application made by Renault with the EU trademark office, the Scenic III's styling draws on the latest Megane as well as the Laguna - at least in what concerns the front-end design.

Renault's Opel Zafira and Volkswagen Touran rival will share the same engine line-up with the rest of the Megane range. This means that the petrol engine range will consist of 100 and 110HP 1.6-liter units, a 140HP 2.0-liter and the turbocharged 130HP 1.4TCe and 180HP 2.0TCe. Diesel options will include 1.5 dCi 85HP, 90 HP, 105 HP and 110 HP units along with more powerful 130 HP, 150HP and 160 HP variants.

As for the Megane Grandtour, Renault's C-Segment station-wagon is expected to feature a longer wheelbase than the hatchback model. The engine range variations will of course be on par with the Megane hatchback.

2009 Renault Scenic III

2009 Renault Grand Scenic III

Insider: 2009 Renault Megane Coupe RS with 250HP to bow in Geneva

Renault's super-hot performance version of the new Megane Coupe that was unleashed at last year's Paris Show will break cover in Geneva on March 3. The Megane Coupe RenaultSport (RS), will be equipped with the same 2.0-liter turbocharged engine as the most powerful version of the current Megane RS, the limited edition R26, but according to Carscoop's sources, the French firm's engineers have performed several upgrades boosting output from 230HP to 250HP. That's 40HP more than the new VW Golf GTI, 25HP more than the Ford Focus ST and 10HP more than the Opel Astra OPC which are the RS's chief rivals.

Power will be transmitted to the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox, while the Megane Coupe's chassis and suspension will be enhanced. A limited-slip differential will also be offered as an option on the standard version. Why, will Renault introduce more than one variants of the Megane RS, you ask? The answer is yes, as our insiders said that the French carmaker will reveal more hardcore versions of the RS, just like it did with the current-generation model.

These hardcore variants will focus on weight reduction and improved handling through a series of measures like the addition of a limited-slip differential and the re-calibrating of the suspension settings, instead of increasing the turbocharged engine's output.

Visually, the 2009 Megane Coupe RS will stand out from the crowd thanks to a bodykit that is said to include new front and rear bumpers, spoilers and flared wheel arches. While the RS might not be as dramatic as the race-prepped Megane Trophy seen in the pictures, RenaultSport's people claim that the hot Megane Coupe will definitely capture our attention with its looks.