Thursday 9th May

Renault Megane R.S. 300 Trophy-R | Spotted

There'll never be a R.S. hot hatch like it again. Good job it went out on a high

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We’ve been busy testing the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N on home soil this week and (spoiler alert) it’s really rather good. Needless to say, there’s a fair amount of trepidation around what the rise of the electric car means for the hot hatch, but the Ioniq 5 N proves that with a great team of engineers and the right mindset, EVs can deliver some of the feel and emotion that a conventional piston-powered car can. And it needs to because the hot hatch is in danger of being thrown out with the combustion engine. 

Take the Renault Megane, for instance. For the best part of two decades, the humdrum family car has served as the basis for some of the all-time great hot hatches and a fair share of Nurburgring record holders to boot. But the arrival of the all-electric Megane E-Tech back in 2022 saw the combustion model assigned to the history books, and with it any hopes of another entry in the R.S. lineage. It’s long been rumoured that Alpine may have a crack at Megane E-Tech platform, and it’s already working on Renault 5-based hot hatch, the A290_β, but whether it’ll be as scintillating as R.S. of old remains to be seen.

Frankly that was always going to be a high bar in any format, although the R.S. 300 Trophy-R like the one we have here raised it to stratospheric heights. Arriving in 2019, the final edition of the Trophy-R took everything that made previous track-special Meganes so rapid and dialled them up to 11. Like the R26.R and 275 Trophy-R, the 300 ditched the rear bench, thinner glass and the rear-wheel steering (standard on non-R models), which required a redesign of the axle. So extreme were the weight-saving measures that Renault even installed a smaller infotainment screen, shaving off just 250g.

Alongside the drastic diet, Renault Sport raided the top draw of its motorsport teams for the very best - and expensive - hardware. Fully adjustable Ohlins dampers were standard fit, lowering the right height by up to 16mm, as were lighter springs and an uprated Brembo braking system with four-pot callipers up front. Special attention was also paid to the aerodynamics, with tweaks made to the underfloor to help channel more air towards the 30 per cent larger rear diffuser. Power from the 1.8-litre turbo four was left unchanged at 300hp, but that was enough for Renault to clinch a third front-wheel drive ‘Ring record at seven minutes and 45.389 seconds. 

To no surprise, the record car was even more extreme with carbon fibre wheels, saving 16kg over the already 8kg-lighter stock wheels, and carbon ceramic brakes. These were available as optional extras, with the brakes costing £9,000 and the wheels a staggering £12,000. That meant that, when factoring in the already punchy price tag of £51,140, those after a record-spec Trophy-R would need to fork out north of £72,000. Crazy money even now - and remember this was back before car prices went really mad.

Accordingly, of the 32 cars earmarked for the UK, just two were kitted out in full record spec while 13 were upgraded with carbon wheels.

This has neither, which means that kerbs and potholes won’t be quite as terrifying, nor will the bill when it comes to replacing the brakes. It has, however, had its wheels painted black to mimic the look of the carbon rims. Despite its rarity, this comes with a pretty big discount at £37,995. Mileage is relatively low at 8,200, it is completely stock and has a full main dealer service history. That’s a lot of boxes ticked, especially when you consider that this modified 275 Trophy-R is just £2,000 cheaper. Old or new, which are you taking?

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SPECIFICATION | RENAULT MEGANE R.S. TROPHY-R

Engine: 1,798cc four-cylinder, turbocharged
Transmission: six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 300@6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 295@2,400rpm
MPG: 35.8
CO2: 180g/km
Year registered: 2020
Recorded mileage: 8,200
Price new: £51,140 (plus £12,000 carbon wheel option)
Yours for: £37,995

See the original advert here

[asci.white]

Sounds crazy but i've always found the lack of design / care to the engine bay's design left me wanting.

Fab car though, just don't lift the bonnet for wow factor.