Renault Megane is faster than a TTRS, RS3 or 1M Coupe!!!!!!

[Joker]

Renault Megane 265 claims 'Ring record

French flier takes Nurbugring lap record, beating previous holder, the last-generation Megane R26.R, by almost ten seconds.




If you want to prove your performance credentials, there's only one track that cuts the mustard. The notoriously tricky Nurburgring in Germany is where fast car test their metal, and the Renault Megane has booked its place among the greats.The Renaultsport Megane 265 Trophy, revealed here just last week, has shattered the record for a front-wheel drive car, previously held by its own Megane R26.R. The 8m 7.97s lap slashed almost 10 seconds from the R26.R's 8m 17s time set in 2008.
What makes Renault test driver Laurent Hurgon's achievement all the more impressive is that the R26.R was a stripped-out special with perspex windows, a roll cage and no rear seats, the 265 Trophy is nothing but a lightly modified version of the standard car with a little extra power and stickier tyres.
Auto Express contributor John Barker was there to witness the record fall. He told us: "The conditions were ideal this morning for a turbocharged engine, and Laurent told me that the cold track didn't actually make much difference as the car's basically on road tyres."

Read more: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/au...#ixzz1PuA0pKMo

[Joker]

Admittedly this time was achieved by their test driver and hasn't been repeated independently but then again BMW have openly admitted that their 1M Coupe only lapped the ring in 8:12 in their own hands and without Audi stating their times for either the RS3 or TTRS we can't confirm or deny whether either was quicker.

What this shows more than anything is that if you get the chassis right, then where the drive goes to bares no real importance.

[Erik]

@Benman - guess who has one


You can compare the lap time to a few year's old GT3 as well and see what you find

It's about 7:45 BTG...wow!

[Ruergard]

Very impressive.

[Joker]

Hats off to Renault for not abandoning their roots of the hot-hatch when they entered F1, it would have been so easy to have built a true sportscar to capitalize on this but instead they continue to thurn out blindingly fast hatchbacks that are as quick as true motorsport legends. I wouldn't be betting against them being the first manufacturer to break the 8 minute barrier with a fwd hot-hatch.

[Joker]

• A time of 8 minutes 08 seconds has seen the new limited edition Mégane Renaultsport 265 Trophy set a new benchmark time for a production-specification front-wheel drive car at the Nürburgring’s infamous Nordschleife circuit. This performance beats the attempts of several far more powerful, rear-wheel drive cars

• Renault Sport – Renault’s performance division – illustrates its passion and expertise yet again. Today’s achievement provides further evidence of the technological excellence that goes into the design of Renault models and of how motorsport-proven technical solutions are carried over to its production cars

A feat that has ‘shortened’ the Nordschleife…

Renault Sport established its first lap record for a front-wheel drive production car at the Nordschleife on 23 June 2008. The time of 8 minutes 17 seconds posted that day by the Mégane Renaultsport R26.R demonstrated that a showroom-specification front-wheel drive car could beat high-performance models from some elite specialist brands and tuners. Today, it was the turn of Mégane Renaultsport 265 Trophy to beat the time by a full 9 seconds, a lap record that has stood for three years.
Today’s impressive lap time is the result of the newcomer’s extra 15hp, at 265hp, along with careful set-up work and an optimised tyre choice by Renault Sport engineers.
The latest achievement speaks volumes for Renault’s ability to incorporate its motorsport expertise and experience – including Formula 1 – into its production cars. Indeed, Mégane Renaultsport 265 Trophy has benefited directly from all the areas in which Renault Sport excels, from design quality and exacting reliability, to painstakingly tuned engines, chassis and brakes.
Supercar performance… for a much wider audience of enthusiasts

The time posted at the Nürburgring puts Mégane Renaultsport 265 Trophy on a par with an extremely prestigious list of supercars, giving a level of performance which rivals that of exclusive cars with power outputs of up to and beyond 500hp.
Laurent Hurgon (development driver, Renault Sport):
“The Nordschleife is a legendary course. Its length and layout, which is very different to that of a conventional circuit, make it a unique and technically demanding challenge. Its difficulties are extremely varied, ranging from fast and even very fast in places to much twistier and slower portions. Turns like ‘Karusell’ and ‘Pflanzgarten’, for example, make huge demands of the car and driver alike, yet Mégane Renaultsport Trophy is very much in its element here and feels particularly reassuring despite the uncompromising nature of the terrain. The limited slip differential allowed me to accelerate hard out of the countless turns without understeer. The carefully-tuned Cup chassis, the dampers, the fade-resistant brakes, the Recaro seats, the power of the 265hp engine, the ready availability of torque between 2,500 and 5,000rpm and the car’s Bridgestone RE 050A (235/35 R19) tyres allowed me to make the most of the car’s enormous potential, especially into and out of the corners. It is this package which enabled me to post such a quick time round this circuit which you must always approach with a certain degree of humility.”


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Notes to Editor
Bridgestone RE050A: the record-beating tyre
The Bridgestone RE050A’s rigid construction features two Rayon plies which transmit the forces generated by the contact patch to ensure responsive performance and impeccable stability.

The tread’s ‘soft’ high-grip compound was conceived for high-performance sporting cars and is capable of withstanding extremely high lateral and longitudinal forces.

The Potenza RE050A’s asymmetric tread pattern takes its inspiration from the tyres developed by Bridgestone for Formula 1 which demands exceptional performance in both wet and dry conditions.

The pattern of the outer sides of the tread is derived from that employed in F1. Its extremely rigid properties deliver enhanced response and optimal handling. The rigid tread blocks favour outstanding road holding which is particularly appreciable when cornering.

The central, semi-slick circumferential band optimises the potential of Mégane R.S. Trophy’s chassis, combining instant response from the front tyres and good rear-end directional control to facilitate entry into corners.

The central part of the tread takes its inspiration from the Potenza F1 rain tyre. Its carefully designed tread blocks clear water more quickly and more efficiently towards the main grooves to provide even greater grip in wet conditions and push back the aquaplaning threshold.

In addition to its sporting potential, the Potenza RE050A delivers a high standard of ride comfort and also packs Bridgestone-developed noise-reduction technology in accordance with the philosophy behind Mégane R.S. Trophy.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This car is no lighter than the normal Megane Coupe 250.

[inF]

He starts from pit lane but finishes many meters before it?

[Benman]

@Benman - guess who has one

Awesome Erik!

Ben

[Mr Balsen]

Well it is still a Renault...

Balsen (from France)

[Joker]

What is the difference between the TTRS and the Megane 265?

Simple: the TT will steadily get slower after the first couple of laps due to the tyres going off, where as the Renault will steadily get quicker as things continue to fall off it.

[JavierNuvolari]

Well it is still a Renault...

Balsen (from France)

I know what you mean...and still I would buy it in a heartbeat if available here, this coming from a VW fan.

Saludos.

[Joker]

Who here following or is a member of other forums?

Well my point is that if you look around you will see quite a few complaining that this time is unlikely or unachieveable by anyone other than their factory test driver. While I do see their point I don't completely agree with the opinion that a magazine like EVO or Sportauto should be dramatically slower, it's just a case of putting the right driver in behind the wheel. My point is that someone who is mainly used to testing and getting the best out of rwd cars doesn't necessarily mean he/she will be best suited to achieving similar results in a fwd car or even awd car, in fact someone who achieves good results in an awd car would be much better suited as the driving styles are very similar.

If Renault did it in 8:07.97s then it's up to other manufacturers to post their best times or better still why not get one of these magazines to gather a selection of rival cars which have posted similar times or are outright competitors and invite those factories to supple their test drivers, in other words put the best possible outcome for each car and see just how close they all are.

[Erik]

If Renault did it in 8:07.97s then it's up to other manufacturers to post their best times or better still why not get one of these magazines to gather a selection of rival cars which have posted similar times or are outright competitors and invite those factories to supple their test drivers, in other words put the best possible outcome for each car and see just how close they all are.

It's already happening, isn't it? BMW, Porsche, Audi etc...

[Joker]

It's already happening, isn't it? BMW, Porsche, Audi etc...

Porsche do seem to make it public knowledge their ring times but as for Audi and BMW or even Mercedes I think you will find that they dance around the question rather than openly state an actual time that they achieved. Example, the 1M has supposably done the ring in 8:12 but is this written anywhere and what about Audi, have they posted times for any of their performance cars?

I welcome what Nissan and Renault have done by posting video footage of their runs, just wish more would follow their example.

[Benman]

I welcome what Nissan and Renault have done by posting video footage of their runs, just wish more would follow their example.

I got to say, I'm with Joker. Let's see what these cars, with drivers that are not only experienced, but know the cars intimately, can really do!

Ben

[The RS6]

Nice to see the result, but watching that video... in the corners that car is all over the place...!?

[Joker]

Nice to see the result, but watching that video... in the corners that car is all over the place...!?

That's my whole point about having a factory driver doing the lap time, to anyone not as familiar with the car they wouldn't probably push it to this extreme, possibly feeling it couldn't hang on this well. So yes it looked untidy but it was still hellish quick.

[Z07]

They are great cars and I absolutely hate it when I meet them in the wet.