Photo: Carpix
Deceiving as they may be, Nurburgring lap times are more important than ever these days. Heck, in a bit of an Old Continent twist, we could say they're the new 0 to 100. Renault is well aware of the model range marketing benefits brought by such figures and is targeting for no less than the FWD lap record with the new Megane RS.
The prototypes for the nearly-out-of-the-oven hot hatch have now hit the Green Hell, as you can see in these spy photos.
The 7:43.8 time mentioned in the title above, which is the French automaker's target, has been set by the 2017 (that's 2018MY in the US) Honda Civic Type R.
And the Megane RS' main asset in the fight against its Japanese rival has to be the rear steering system, a class first that we've already met on the Megane GT.
Of course, the system will be further tweaked by Renaultsport engineers for the newcomer, while adjustable dampers and a mechanical LSD will also be part of the menu.
And while many dismiss the front-paw nature of these manic compacts, there are at least two arguments in favor of the layout.
It all starts with the affordability - who wouldn't want to jump aboard a Porsche 911 GT3 RS and hoon the hell out of the track special? Speaking of which, the new Megane RS should beat the 996-generation Rennsport Neunelfer, which went round the Ring in 7:43 back in 2003.
Then there's the handling polish of such FWD animals. The Megane RS has always been known for its playful chassis, so anybody who felt like dancing could easily achieve remarkable slip angles in the retired model.
In the powertrain department, the rumor mill talks about the French automaker dropping the 2.0-liter turbo of the now-old Megane RS in favor of a 1.8-liter turbo-four (think of this as the 1.8-liter mill of the new Alpine A110 on steroids).
Regardless, the fresh RS should pack at least 300 horses, while Renault will gladly allow you to choose between a heel-and-toe frenzy six-speed manual and a dual-clutch setup for chronograph junkies.
We're expecting to lay our eyes on the new Renault Megane RS before its theoretical 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show debut and we'll bring you the images of the non-camouflaged hatchback hero as soon as we get our hands on them.
The 7:43.8 time mentioned in the title above, which is the French automaker's target, has been set by the 2017 (that's 2018MY in the US) Honda Civic Type R.
And the Megane RS' main asset in the fight against its Japanese rival has to be the rear steering system, a class first that we've already met on the Megane GT.
Of course, the system will be further tweaked by Renaultsport engineers for the newcomer, while adjustable dampers and a mechanical LSD will also be part of the menu.
And while many dismiss the front-paw nature of these manic compacts, there are at least two arguments in favor of the layout.
It all starts with the affordability - who wouldn't want to jump aboard a Porsche 911 GT3 RS and hoon the hell out of the track special? Speaking of which, the new Megane RS should beat the 996-generation Rennsport Neunelfer, which went round the Ring in 7:43 back in 2003.
Then there's the handling polish of such FWD animals. The Megane RS has always been known for its playful chassis, so anybody who felt like dancing could easily achieve remarkable slip angles in the retired model.
In the powertrain department, the rumor mill talks about the French automaker dropping the 2.0-liter turbo of the now-old Megane RS in favor of a 1.8-liter turbo-four (think of this as the 1.8-liter mill of the new Alpine A110 on steroids).
Regardless, the fresh RS should pack at least 300 horses, while Renault will gladly allow you to choose between a heel-and-toe frenzy six-speed manual and a dual-clutch setup for chronograph junkies.
We're expecting to lay our eyes on the new Renault Megane RS before its theoretical 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show debut and we'll bring you the images of the non-camouflaged hatchback hero as soon as we get our hands on them.
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