While many may now bemoan the lack of 'proper' homologation cars for competition, machines as dramatic as this new Megane World Rallycross car do make it hard to be too upset that it doesn't share much with the road car. Well, apart from the roof and driver's door. Look at it!
You may remember that the Prodrive-built Megane R.S. RX was previewed last year, but here it is in full race spec, ready to go for the 2018 WRX season. The headline number is 600hp (there or thereabouts) from a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo, with power reaching all four wheels via an Xtrac five-speed sequential. However, there's way more to this Megane than just power...
Look at the wheels. They're just 17-inch in diameter, with a new design possible because the brakes are no longer housed in them. The RX features what Prodrive calls 'inboard' brakes, where the front calipers are fixed to the gearbox and the rears are attached to the differential. Clever. It means that the upright assembly can be far lighter - as well as the wheels - which means that Prodrive claims an unsprung mass for each corner of less than 30kg.
That's not all. Prodrive has collaborated with Ohlins for the Megane's suspension, a bespoke four-way adjustable damper the result. Double wishbones at each corner further reduce unsprung mass. Both front and rear diffs come from Xtrac, and the carbon plate clutch is from Alcon. A serious spec for a very serious looking car.
"The design team have thought about every aspect and introduced ideas never before seen in motorsport. I truly believe this is a game-changer in RX", said Prodrive's Motorsport MD John Gaw. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was used for designed "safety and performance critical items", with CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics, in case you weren't sure) for aero and engine cooling development.
The Megane R.S. RX will be driven by Guerlain Chicherit this year, who said he "can't help but be excited!" about the prospect. It's easy to see why. Should be one heck of a season. Will the new Megane give Chicherit an advantage? Not long before we find out, as the first race is next weekend...
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