You can easily tell just how much traction the Nurburgring has gained by zooming in the on the headlines that feature the infamous German circuit. For instance, yesterday was the day of the 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. A muscle car that beat the yet-unreplaced Porsche 911 GT3 RS on the Green Hell? That's unheard of. Nevertheless, a new day means that the slab of America must move over to make room for a pair of Renaults.
Actually, these aren't your usual Renaults. For one thing, the first isn't even branded as one, since we're talking about the 2017 Alpine A110. As for the second, this is the new Megane RS, a hot hatch that's expected to set a new FWD Ring record.
Both have been spotted lapping the Nordschleife in camouflaged trim and we're here to bring you a pair of videos that show the French toys in action. So we might as well go ahead and compare them.
The rumor mill talks about the two sharing the turbocharged 1.8-liter engine that has already debuted on the Alpine revival. Nevertheless, while the unit delivers 252 hp on the rear-wheel-drive sportscar, it is expected to jump to at least 300 ponies for the hot hatch.
One the handling front, while the A110 mixes its RWD chassis with a scale footprint of just 1,080 kg, it'w worth noting that the sportscar doesn't pack a limited slip diff - we're curious to see how the electronics manage to split the power between the rear wheels via the brakes.
As for the Megane RS, a sharper version of the 4Control four-wheel-steer system present on the Megane GT has already been confirmed. Following what has become a familiar recipe for RS Meganes, Renaultsport is set to offer two chassis configurations. Those looking for a daily driving-biased experience should enjoy the standard Sport chassis, while adrenaline junkies will have their needs catered to by the Cup chassis.
Apparently, Renault plans to please the save the manuals camp, with the new Megane RS set to offer both stick shift and a dual-clutch EDS tranny.
And while the Alpine has already seen customer placing orders, the uber-Megane is expected to make its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September (we could lay our eyes on it this summer, though).
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. Full profile
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