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