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2018 Renault Megane RS Chases Nurburgring FWD Record, Out For Civic Type R Blood

Renault may have dropped the 2018 Megane RS at last month's Frankfurt Motor Show, but a key ingredient of this hot hatch mix is still missing. We are, of course, talking about the Nurburgring lap time of the French machine.
2018 Renault Megane RS Chases Nurburgring FWD Record 9 photos
Photo: statesidesupercars/YouTube
2018 Renault Megane RS Chases Nurburgring FWD Record2018 Renault Megane RS Chases Nurburgring FWD Record2018 Renault Megane RS Chases Nurburgring FWD Record2018 Renault Megane RS Chases Nurburgring FWD Record2018 Renault Megane RS Chases Nurburgring FWD Record2018 Renault Megane RS Chases Nurburgring FWD Record2018 Renault Megane RS Chases Nurburgring FWD Record2018 Renault Megane RS Chases Nurburgring FWD Record
And since the Megane has been involved in the battle for the Nurburgring front-wheel-drive lap record for quite some years now, the newcomer won't be an exception.

In fact, multiple examples of the 2018 Megane RS have been spotted lapping the Nordschleife at full pace earlier this week, with the piece of footage at the bottom of the page allowing us to check out a pair of prototypes being driven to the limit.

We'll remind you that the spicy compact is animated by a downsized 1.8-liter engine, but the turbo-four delivers 300 hp and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of twist. More importantly, the newcomer packs 4Control four-wheel steering, a key piece of the Ring-conquering puzzle.

As for the target of the Renault, this is the new Civic Type R, with its 7:38 record-setting lap - the record previosuly beloned to the Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S, which delivered a lap time of 7:47 (keep in mind that we're talking about a stripped-out track special here).

Front-wheel-drive hot hatches can deliver otherworldy performance these days

To get an idea of how far technology has gone since the beginning of this decade, we'll mention the names of two supercars that need 7:38 to go round the Green Hell. We're talking about the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera and the Lexus LFA.

Of course, an important part of the credit for the amazing chronograph performance jump we're talking about comes from the advances in tire technology.

And, to illustrate this, we'll remind you of a recent track test that saw the BMW M4 CS failing to beat the M4 Competition Package because the first wasn't fitted with the proper rubber.

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About the author: Andrei Tutu
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In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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