Renault Mégane R.S. Trophy-R sets 7min40.1s Nürburgring record

Renault Sport was not about to let Honda have the last laugh: on 5 April 2019, the new Renault Mégane R.S. Trophy-R set a time of 7min40.1s over the Nordschleife’s 20.6 km. That beat the Honda Civic Type R’s benchmark by more than three seconds; as a reminder, it stood at 7min43.8s.

To take the crown from the Civic Type R, Renault Sport did not extract any extra horsepower from the 1.8 TCe engine - output remains at 300 hp, exactly as in the Mégane R.S. Trophy we have already tested. Instead, the vital seconds came from reduced weight, improved aerodynamics and a revised chassis.

For now, Renault Sport has unfortunately not explained precisely what it changed or removed from the R.S. Trophy to create the R.S. Trophy-R. It has only confirmed a 130 kg difference between the two models, which is a substantial figure.

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Renault Sport has also named its “partners in crime”: the exhaust system comes from Akrapovič, the brakes are supplied by Brembo, the tyres by Bridgestone, the dampers by Öhlins and the bucket seats by Sabelt.

Naturally, the key ingredient behind the record also deserves mention: driver Laurent Hurgon, who extracted everything the hot hatch had to offer to secure the lap record.

The Renault Mégane R.S. Trophy-R’s other time

Renault Sport has announced a second Renault Mégane R.S. Trophy-R lap time of 7min45.389s. Why two times? It is entirely due to new Nürburgring rules governing how these lap times are recorded.

The 7min40.1s result is the reference time that can be compared directly with the Civic Type R’s, as both covered the 20.6 km distance measured from the end of the start line to its beginning at T13.

The 7min45.389s figure, meanwhile, was recorded under rules introduced this year. The stopwatch starts and stops at the same point on the start/finish line at T13, covering 20.832 km - an additional 232 m compared with the previous distance. Under the new regulations, the Mégane R.S. Trophy-R falls into the compact car class, for type-approved production vehicles without modifications.

And now, Civic Type R?

This contest is not over yet. While Renault Sport was at the “Green Hell” chasing the lost record, several partially camouflaged Honda Civic Type R test prototypes were spotted, suggesting that some form of update may be on the way for what has been the segment’s benchmark. New developments should surely follow soon.

Special and limited

The Renault Mégane R.S. Trophy-R will reach the market at the end of 2019, although production will be restricted to a few hundred units. A precise number has not yet been announced.

Its first public appearance, however, will take place on 24 May at the Monaco Grand Prix, during another round of the Formula 1 World Championship, with drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hülkenberg at the wheel.