Megane Trophy-R Suzuka record lap | Time for Tea
Onboard video of Laurent Hurgon's 2:25 lap is out, illustrating the agility of Renault's £72k hatch
If you’re bored of the constant stream of production car lap records please may we refer you to today’s video, which features Renault Sport racer Laurent Hurgon oversteering into Suzuka’s first turn with one hand on the wheel. The Frenchman’s enthusiasm (read: insanity) in the 300hp Megane Trophy-R paid off, because he’s officially clocked the fastest lap time for a road car at the Japanese GP circuit at 2 minutes 25.454 seconds – and now we have the highly entertaining onboard as evidence.
Hurgon’s lap - which is 2.6 seconds faster than the time he managed in the Trophy-R’s 275hp two-seat predecessor - emphasises just how agile Renault’s stripped-back hot hatch is. We spot almost no signs of understeer the whole way around; in fact, the car looks extremely pointy and has no trouble being flung at the legendary 130R after the back straight of the 3.6-mile circuit. Just look at how Hurgon can commit to the following chicane with those carbon brakes and Cup 2 boots. The Renault’s made for this stuff.
Of course, you might argue that this should be a given for a car that costs £72k with its carbon parts (even if this one actually set the time with its regular Fuji rims rather than carbon wheels). You might even argue that this means there’s no relevant comparative hot hatch out there, so this Suzuka time and the preceding ‘Ring record are somewhat isolated in ranking. But we still bloody love Renault’s machine for all of its extremeness. Not that we needed more evidence after our recent versus with the Golf Clubsport S, but today’s video hammers home that nothing with numberplates drives its front wheels faster. Over to you, Hurgon…
t. The Civic Type-R is better.
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