ON TRACK FOR A TROPHY

Renault fettles an ultra-hot hatch for a dozen discerning, dazzled drivers

Renault thought Australian customers for the new Megane RS Trophy-R would be one in a million. Wrong — people prepared to spend serious money on the most focused hatch available are much rarer than that.

The manufacturer planned to import 20 examples but found only 12 customers ready to commit to its fastest car.

Having claimed the lap record around Germany’s benchmark Nurburgring circuit for front-wheel drive vehicles, Renault launched the Trophy-R at The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia.

Pro racer James Moffat took it out for a lap, establishing a new record for hatchbacks with a time good enough for pole position in the production racing series later that day — he was quicker than race-prepared versions of the VW Golf R, Hyundai i30N, twin-turbo BMWs and the previous-generation Megane.

Plenty of cars claim to be a race car for the road but few can back it up.

In common with other track specials, the Trophy-R is an exercise in subtraction. Its crash diet takes 130kg from the regular version, deleting the rear seats, parcel shelf, rear window wiper, Bose audio components and safety tech such as autonomous emergency braking.

The bonnet is now made from carbon-fibre and there are no gas struts to hold it up. Inside, the smaller touchscreen saves precious grams.

Then there are dozens of race-bred additions including bigger brakes, lightweight wheels, manually adjustable race shocks, titanium exhaust and simplified rear suspension that does away with Renault’s contentious four-wheel steering — it’s heavy and doesn’t make the car faster.

Dedication doesn’t come cheap, as it costs $74,990 plus on-roads, or about $82,000 driveaway — that’s $40,000 more than the drive-away prices for the regular Megane RS hot hatch.

Most customers will add race harnesses, a second set of wheels, lightweight battery and other track accessories to their order for the sharpest track weapon around, short of exotics from the likes of Lotus or Porsche.

The 1.8-litre turbo engine produces 221kW/400Nm (16kW/20Nm more than the regular Megane RS) thanks to a cylinder head developed by Renault’s F1 team.

Its sole transmission is a six-speed manual, driving the front wheels shod with special Bridgestone tyres. ON THE TRACK The Trophy-R, then, is the fruit of months of fine-tuning. It’s noisy and crude on bumpy roads, you can’t carry rear passengers and the plastic tyre storage shelf in the back squeaks.

Acceleration isn’t shockingly fast (0-100km/h takes 5.4 seconds) but this fierce Frenchy has voracious appetite for corners.

The brakes are unflappable, the exhaust roars and gurgles and the placement of driver controls is spot-on. Its perfectly weighted steering elicits an immediacy of response rivals can’t match and, in the absence of four-wheel steering, the driver can place the car with precision and confidence.

You have to be ready with opposite lock when barrelling into a bend, as the lightened rear swings around, threatening to spin out. But the result is intoxicating — the harder you drive it, the better it gets.

Faster and more engaging than regular hot hatches, the Trophy-R rewards commitment.

From drivers and their wallets.

VERDICT ★★★★☆

The Trophy-R is engineered to visit the track as often as average folks pop into the supermarket. Most people won’t see the value in that but a dozen committed souls will be thrilled with their purchase.