In recent months, a flurry of articles has started to appear from various sources, whether the "production" Leon Cupra 280 or the "racing" Mégane RS 275 Trophy-R are faster at the Ring . However, this fight started much, much earlier , namely in 2008.
It was then that the first front wheel was born with a rhombus in the emblem and the letters RS on the back, which attacked the famous Nürburgring with a then unprecedented time of 8 minutes and 17 seconds in its category. For a long time, the Renault Mégane RS R26.R became the best sharp hatchback, if not in all categories, then at least in the lower middle class segment. A bold claim? Try asking renowned English journalists (Evo declared it the car of the year 2008 and in one of the current issues it is even among the best cars its editors have ever driven) what their experience with this car is…
To get to the very beginnings of the Mégane RS R26.R, we have to go deeper into history, specifically to 2004 , when the basic sharp version of the RS of the second generation Mégane came to market. As time went on, Renault came up with several facelifts, a diesel variant and on one sure sunny day in 2006, the Mégane RS R26 F1 Team . It celebrated the driver's and constructor's titles in Formula 1 from the previous season and, in addition to the war livery, it also came with a 230-horsepower turbocharged two-liter engine and a self-locking differential. This version was already highly praised by journalists for its excellent driving characteristics, but the top variant was yet to come.
What the engineers at Dieppe intended when they showed the RS R26.R at the London Motor Show in 2008 is not, and probably never will be, completely clear. Perhaps to beat the already mentioned time on the Nordschleife , follow up on the extreme Clio V6 or just piss off the competition… You probably already guess from the name that the technical basis of the R26.R is in the R26 version. In direct comparison with it, however, the French car manufacturer ordered a really solid diet, which in the end saved 123 kg , which brought the weight of the C-segment hatchback to an unbelievable 1230 kg !
However, it is something for something. The automatic air conditioning, radio, all airbags except the driver's, fog lights, rear window wiper and washer, headlight washers and even the rear seats had to go out ! Instead of them, there is a protective cage at the back, mounted rather only in significantly more expensive cars, let alone racing cars. Another 7.5 kg was saved by the carbon hood, the rear and side windows made of polycarbonate are 5.7 kg lighter, and the Sabelt sports seats with an aluminum frame, carbon shell and six-point belts went even 25 kg lower in weight. As part of the extra equipment, it was also possible to opt for a titanium exhaust pipe, again reducing the final weight a bit.
The chassis received completely new springs and shock absorbers , safe stopping is ensured by Brembo four-piston grooved disc brakes with a diameter of 312 mm. Performance on the circuit is improved by additional Toyo Proxes R888 semi-slicks with a size of 225/40, but Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires with a size of 235/40 are standard. Both types are mounted on 18-inch light wheels in a specific design, which on the outside are complemented by "war" stickers with the R26.R logo and one of seven colors.
Now we can finally move to the dynamic parameters , or the engine as such. It has not changed at all compared to the R26 F1 Team – it still produces 230 hp and 310 Nm , but already 90% of the torque is now available between 2000 – 6000 rpm. A six-speed manual transmission with shorter gearshifts combined with a limited-slip differential (same as the R26) sends power to the front wheels and allows the car to sprint to 100 km/h in a cool 6 seconds. A kilometer with a fixed start takes the Mégane 25.9 seconds , so it is no wonder that the record for front-wheel drive cars has passed into his possession. The resulting time of 8:16.90 seconds , achieved on 6/23/2008, remained unbeaten until 2011, when it became the "property" of the Mégane RS Trophy. You already know the rest of the saga, i.e. first breaking this record with the Leon Cupra and regaining it with the Mégane RS 275 Trophy-R . By the way, the RS R26.R is the true predecessor of the RS 275 Trophy-R! And one more interesting thing – the time taken by the RS R26.R is better than, for example, Lexus IS F, BMW M3 E46 , Lotus Exige S or Lancer Evo VII.
In total, the French carmaker produced only 450 units of the ultimate hatchback, but despite very positive press reactions and a record in the Green Hell, it was difficult to sell these cars. There was reportedly a great interest in them in France, for which 126 cars were intended, on the other hand, in Britain, for which 230 cars were intended (the most of all countries), there was not so much interest in the RS R26.R… Even if there was interest in the car or not, this is one of the ultimate sharp hatchbacks of the 21st century , and while Ford or Volkswagen have tried to build a direct competitor, only one car can be the king of hot hatches. At the end, however, the question must be asked – Is the Mégane RS R26.R still a hot-hatch ?
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Source: Renault
