Trophy has eyes on the prize

THE order books have now opened for Renault’s powerful new Megane R.S. Trophy. Priced from £31,810, the Megane R.S. Trophy takes the title as the most powerful Renault Sport production car ever. Power is increased over the regular Megane R.S. from 276bhp up to 296bhp, and torque is up too from 390Nm to 400Nm in the manual car, or 420Nm in the automatic.

More grunt means improved high-rev acceleration, and the 0-60mph time has been shortened slightly, from 5.6 seconds to 5.5 seconds. The maximum speed in the manual car is boosted, too, from 155mph up to 162mph.

It includes four-wheel-steering for improved cornering agility, along with hydraulic bump stop shock absorbers which increase the level of contact between the tyre and the road surface.

All cars get Renault’s Cup chassis (an optional extra on the standard R.S.) as well as bi-material front disc brakes.

New 19-inch alloy wheels fitted to the Trophy reduce weight by 2kg per corner compared to the regular R.S.

A new exhaust system has also been fitted, which features a mechanical valve in the rear silencer allowing the engine noise to be adjusted. It means that should you need to make a quiet exit, the car’s exhaust note can be brought down in volume.

As mentioned, the Trophy is available with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a dualclutch automatic, with the latter controlled