New 275 Trophy is for hardcore petrolheads
RENAULT already launched its new Mégane RS in 265 Lux form back in March, but you’re too hardcore for that, right?
Well, then, look no further than the new 275 Trophy that’s just hit South African streets, complete with a small steroid injection and an even more athletic chassis.
Renault Sport engineers finetuned the familiar 2-litre turbocharged screamer, gaining an extra 6kW for a tally of 201kW while torque remains unchanged at 360Nm. You can also look forward to a deeper, more penetrating sound track emanating from the Akrapovic titanium exhaust system.
Though the power hike is unlikely to make much of a difference to most fans, the big deal with the Trophy version is its Cup chassis with its limited-slip diff and independent steering-axis layout designed for more reassuring road holding and better stability under braking.
Renault will give you a complimentary advanced driving course and once you’re up to speed with this car’s capability you might want to take it to a track day and flip the ESP stability control into Race mode. You’ll also no doubt enjoy playing with the 3D Race Telemetry system with data downloading capability.
Other gadgets and luxuries come in the form of integrated TomTom Live Navigation, RadioSat Classic sound system, Bluetooth connectivity, automatic lights and wipers, cruise control and dual-zone climate control.
A reverse camera and fixed glass roof can be ticked on the optional extras list.
Adding visual spice is a pair of Recaro bucket seats up front, upholstered in Alcantara and leather, as well as aluminium- drilled pedals, alloy gearstick and carbon-look dashboard inlays.
On the outside, the Trophy shouts its intentions with RS-designed bumpers, featuring an aerodynamic splitter up front and rear diffuser at the back, in addition to 19-inch black Trophy alloys, housing red Brembo brake callipers, and gloss-black door mirrors.
The Renault Sport 275 Trophy is yours for R449 900, including a five-year/90 000km service plan and five-year/150 000km warranty. But is it worth the extra 60 grand, given that the 195kW 265 Lux costs just R389 900?