Renault has finally taken the wraps off its new Mégane RS Trophy flagship, which gains increased power and what the French brand describes as a variety of “additional performance-focused” features.
In the RS Trophy, the 1,8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine has been tweaked to provide the front wheels with 220 kW (up from the 205 kW in the Sport and Cup models). Combined with a six-speed manual gearbox, peak torque sits at 400 N.m, while specifying the six-speed EDC dual-clutch transmission sees this figure rise to 420 N.m. Renault has yet to provide performance claims for the new Trophy model.
Based on the Cup chassis, which boasts stiffer suspension and a Torsen mechanical limited-slip differential, the Mégane RS Trophy furthermore gains bi-material 355 mm front brake discs, specific 19-inch ‘Jerez’ alloys (19-inch ‘Fuji’ light alloys that reducr weight by 2 kg per wheel will be available later) and high-performance 245/35 Bridgestone Potenza S001 tyres.
Optional new Recaro front seats, trimmed in Alcantara and sited 20 mm lower than standard, are also optionally available on this model, which features “Trophy” stripes on its front spoiler.
In addition, the new flagship has been fitted with a mechanical valve in its rear silencer that enables the engine note to be adjusted. The position of the valve, automatically controlled according to the drive mode selected, the engine speed and load, provides two tones: one that Renault says is “sporty” but “easy on the ears” and a second that unleashes the “full potential” of the soundtrack.
The new Mégane RS is due to launch in South Africa late in August 2018 (in the meantime, read our first impressions of the Sport variant from the international launch). It’s not yet clear whether the Trophy model will be offered at launch or whether it will arrive a little later, after the Sport and Cup derivatives.
