The Renaultsport Megane R26.R is a tough act to follow. Arguably one of the finest hot hatches ever made, this lightweight special won accolades throughout the motoring press when it was launched in 2008. It may have been down on power against its closest competitor, the Ford Focus RS, but its superior handling made it quicker in most track tests and on twisting back roads.
Since then we’ve had an all new Megane and a Renaultsport model to go with it – the Megane 250. Not one to rest on their laurels, the Renaultsport team have been busy working on a new Megane model and it’s expected to be a spiritual successor to the R26.R.
The biggest aspect of the original R26.R’s marketing was its lap time around the Nordschleife. The stripped out Megane managed an awesome time of 8:17, which was proudly displayed on a sticker in the lightweight rear windows. It would appear that Renault are out to beat that time as a test mule has been lapping the Nurburgring at full throttle. Watch the sneak peek below and you’ll see that test driver Lurent Hurgon is pushing the car hard.
Renault are set for a big reveal on the 17th June. The expectation is that they will show us the new car, but will they be attempting a new lap record on that day or will they have already made the attempt? For now we have to wait, but you can rest assured that the new Renaultsport Megane will be better and quicker – the question is by how much.