Friday 5th April 2013

Renault Megane 265 at Targa Tasmania

No, not ours... but Renault is taking a pair of factory Meganes over to Oz to take part

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Renault has announced that it’ll be entering a factory team in this year’s Targa Tasmania.

For the first time, the company will enter two works Megane 265s in the 2013 event, which starts on April 16. Both cars will enter the 2WD Showroom class, which permits only light modifications including a roll cage and a sports exhaust, and will be driven by a combination of Australian rally drivers and celebrities, including television personality and V8 supercar racer Grant Denyer.

Yes, we'd like to drive one on the Targa too

The move marks a significant push by Renault to increase awareness of its brand, as well as to boost its motorsport credentials, down under. It follows a promising debut for the Megane 250 last year in the hands of long-time Targa competitors Gavin James and Tim Kulhanek, which saw the Megane running well before an accident forced its retirement.

The competition Meganes will be engineered by Renault in conjunction with Walkinshaw Performance. In addition, both companies will offer support to privateers running Meganes in the event.

The Targa Tasmania is a five-day event that concludes a four-round series of tarmac rallies held across Australia in the mould of classic European events like the Targa Florio and Mille Miglia. First established in 1992, it’s since been dominated by privateers, though in recent years some manufacturers have fielded works teams in the ‘Showroom’ classes. Vehicular variety is a Targa Tasmania hallmark, though, with entrants as wide-ranging as Australianmuscle cars, classic Alfa Romeos*, brand new Lamborghinis and even classic Volvos all taking to the course’s twists, turns and undulations. The video below gives you a flavour but the combination of heroic cars, driving and terrain is one that ticks all our boxes. And, yes, if we could we'd be shipping our Megane long-termer out there right now and joining the fun...

[Sources: lead pic: Motor List, video: Australian Targa Championship]

*Lovers of classic Alfa Romeos might not want to watch the video through to its conclusion...

 

[lindrup119]

Cool vid. Shame about the crunched Alfa though

[Fantuzzi]

Awsome stuff, love targas, thanks for the vid.

[SystemParanoia]

need more of this uk side

[vrooom]

I love those event... but megane in this? how dull.

[Baryonyx]

vrooom said:

I love those event... but megane in this? how dull.

Don't be stupid, they will be great to watch. Fantastic cars!

[Roma101]

Brilliant! If only they still did proper road racing in Europe. So much better than sanitised purpose built tracks.

[anonymous-user]

This is definitely on the to do list whilst living in Australia.

Some of the roads look amazing.

[loose cannon]

It's ok there's a Hyundai i20 in the line up ;0)

[MissChief]

Eric Bana's film/documentary which i think is called 'the beast' (please correct me if im wrong!) Is well worth a watch. Includes when he took his car and took part in this.

[vz-r_dave]

Baryonyx said:

vrooom said:

I love those event... but megane in this? how dull.

Don't be stupid, they will be great to watch. Fantastic cars!

Compared with the rest of the field of participants it is rather dull. But at least an opportunity to watch a realistic purchase in action for the majority of us PH'rs.

[Baryonyx]

vz-r_dave said:

Compared with the rest of the field of participants it is rather dull. But at least an opportunity to watch a realistic purchase in action for the majority of us PH'rs.

Still a chance to see one of the world's best hot hatches in action. It could be worse, it could be some dull diesel BMW running!

[EDLT]

Somebody entered a diesel i30 once, so this isn't THAT dull.
http://youtu.be/SbFvSAVGe6o?t=1m44s

[redbackracingau]

With just under 1 week to go until Targa. One thing I can definitely tell you is the Megane RS250/265 is far from booring to drive around the stages which make up the worlds longest Tarmac Rally

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYQ2kmHFSBw

redbackracing.com.au