Renault Megane RS Trophy-R Is Just As Quick As Alfa’s Giulia Quadrifoglio On The Track

In the world of automobiles, less is often more, and the Renault Megane RS Trophy-R is a good example of that.

Building on the fourth-generation of the popular French compact, it follows in the footsteps of the Megane RS and Megane RS Trophy, albeit with a lot of technical upgrades and, more importantly, a 130 kg (286 lbs) weight loss compared to the latter.

Now, to build it, aside from removing some comfort and tech amenities like the larger infotainment screen,  Renaultsport also had to drop the four-wheel steering system. Still, the steering remains lively and does not feel that different than the regular Trophy’s. Furthermore, the special suspension tune comes to life on the track and when the car needs to stop, it will do so in no time, thanks to the optional carbon ceramic brakes.

Also Watch: Renault Megane RS Trophy-R Proves Less Is More; Much More

Combined with the 1.8-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which is found across the new Megane RS range and also in the Alpine A110, producing an identical 300 PS (296 hp / 221 kW) to the Trophy, the Trophy-R is a formidable machine. Power is fed to the front axle via a six-speed manual gearbox with nought to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) being dispatched in a little over 5 seconds.

At a first glance, it may not seem that impressive, especially for a car that can set you back up to £72,140 ($89,930/€81,600) in the United Kingdom, but with a skillful driver behind the wheel, it’s truly a force to be reckoned with. In Evo’s track test, the Megane RS Trophy-R turned out to be just as quick as the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, and half a second faster than the Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S, crossing the finish line only two tenths of a second behind the BMW M4 Competition Package.