Another day, another Nurburgring lap record
Thursday, 23 May 2019
The battle for ever-faster lap times around the Nurburgring Nordschleife continues, with Renault reclaiming the front-wheel drive record with a new Trophy-R version of the Megane R.S. turning in an impressive 7:40.1 time around the legendary track.
The Megane comprehensively trumped the previous record holder - the Honda Civic Type R - by shaving 3.7 seconds off the Honda's 7:43.8 lap time, putting it just one tenth of a second shy of also knocking off some utter legends like the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren and the Bugatti Veyron.
The Trophy-R version of the Megane R.S. packs the same 220kW engine as the R.S. Trophy (the standard R.S. packs 205kW), but weighs a staggering 130kg less, thanks to some serious weigh savings by Renault.
The company says the Megane R.S. Trophy-R was 'honed for the track by a small, dedicated team' that focussed on three aspects - maximum weight reduction, reworked aerodynamics and a more radical development of its drive axles.
**READ MORE:
* Renault shows off new Megane RS in Monaco
* Honda Civic Type R claims Nurburgring front wheel drive lap record**
The development also included work from Renault's suppliers, including Akrapovič for the exhaust system, Brembo for the brakes, Bridgestone for the tyres, Öhlins for the shock absorbers and Sabelt for the bucket seats.
The story of the Megane R.S. and the 'ring has been going on for more than a decade, starting in 2008 with the very first lap record in the front-wheel-drive production car category being set by the Megane R.S. R26.R, with a time of 8:17.
That record was broken three years later in 2011 by the second generation Megane R.S. Trophy, in the hands of the car's driver/builder, Laurent Hurgon who set a time of 8:07.97. In 2014, it dropped under the eight-minute mark (7:54.36) for the first time with the Trophy-R version of the Megane III R.S. The Honda Civic Type R then beat the Megane in 2017 with its 7:43.8.
While the Trophy-R's 7:40.1 was recorded using the old, slightly shorter lap metric (the same as the Civic and the other cars mentioned here), its actual official full lap time was 7 minutes 45.39 seconds.
The Megane R.S. Trophy-R will have its public debut as part of the build up to the Formula One Grand Prix in Monaco and will be on sale before the end of 2019.
And, yes, it will be coming here, but you will have to get in fast if you want one, as only a 'few hundred' will be produced globally.
'Our die-hard Megane R.S. customers have expressed interest and we have a couple of orders already,' said a local Renault spokesperson.
'Due to the specialised nature of this vehicle we'll be indent ordering for individual requirements.'