Renault Megane RS
First unveiled at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, New Renault Megane RS has been eagerly awaited by sports driving enthusiasts. Aiming to become - like its predecessors - a benchmark in the Csegment hot hatch market, this third generation of Megane RS is packed full of Renault Sport expertise and passion.
Driven by its powerful design and focused on performance, New Renault Megane RS makes no attempt to hide its motorsport pedigree, offering outstanding driving pleasure on the road and on the track.
4CONTROL technology: exclusive to the segment
Having raised the bar on handling with Megane III R.S., the chassis and suspension system engineers have pushed the limits even further by introducing 4CONTROL technology on New Megane RS
Provided as standard on the Sport and Cup chassis, this four-wheel steering system is a world first in the compact sports car segment.
Renault Sport's chassis and suspension system experts have extensively revised the settings of the 4CONTROL system in order to adapt it to a high-performance sports car. This has created an even more efficient driving experience, giving drivers the feeling that the car is literally glued to the road.
The 4CONTROL system delivers outstanding agility through tight turns and impressive cornering stability at higher speeds:
Strong core components, featured in all the generations
Included since the first generation of Megane RS that appeared in 2004, the independent steering-axis front suspension epitomises Renault Sport's expertise in chassis and suspension systems. Initially designed for use in motorsport, independent steering-axis front suspension has been adapted to powerful front-wheel drive cars, especially when they are also fitted with a limited slip differential.
The front axle of New Renault Megane RS has been entirely redesigned in order to adapt the negative offset geometry to the width of the 19-inch wheels and increase rigidity.
New Renault Megane RS is available with two chassis: Sport and Cup. This option, which allows customers to choose between two types of handling, stands out thanks to the specific suspensions settings (springs, shock absorbers, stops and anti-roll bar stiffness).
Designed to be at its most efficient on the road, New Megane RS's Sport chassis provides new versatility on all types of surface, including the poorest quality and most uneven roads. It comes with new shock absorbers and an electronically-controlled torque distribution system. By acting independently on the drivewheel brakes, this technology limits understeer and improves traction when exiting corners.
Suited to intense sports-style use and especially to driving on racetracks, the Cup chassis offers a 10% stiffer damper system and a new Torsen® mechanical, limited slip differential. With modified settings compared with the previous generation, this new diff improves handling in all phases:
Previously acclaimed on Megane III R.S., the braking system has been improved, offering drivers greater power, endurance and therefore confidence behind the wheel. The diameter of the front brake discs has been increased to 355mm (+15mm compared with the previous generation). Available as an option on the Cup chassis, bi-material aluminium/cast iron discs help reduce the weight per wheel by 1.8kg, whilst improving cooling during intensive use. The brake pedal setting focuses on the accuracy of the pressure applied, enabling drivers to remain in complete control, especially on the racetrack.
The second brand new feature on the chassis of New Renault Megane RS is hidden in its suspension. Once again, Renault Sport has raised the bar by fitting the hydraulic compression stops to all four shock absorbers. This rallying-inspired technology involves integrating a "shock absorber within the shock absorber". As the end of travel is approached, a secondary piston dampens the movement of the wheel before the bump stop. By dissipating the energy without transferring it to the wheel - as a traditional bump stop would - the compression hydraulic stops help avoid any rebound and pendulum effects, enabling optimum control of tyre-ground contact.
Whilst providing increased comfort when negotiating everyday obstacles (speed bumps, pot holes, etc.), the hydraulic stops also filter out high-speed disruptions:
A brand new 1.8-litre turbo engine derived from Alliance synergies
New Renault Megane RS comes with a new version of the 1.8-litre direct injection turbo engine, derived from synergies in the Renault-Nissan Alliance. This version develops a power output of 280hp (205 kW) at 6,000rpm and a peak torque of 390Nm available from 2,400 to 4,800rpm. A key factor in driving pleasure and comfort, the car boasts one of the best torque ratings in the category.
In order to achieve the required performances, Renault Sport's engine specialists designed a completely new cylinder head, with a reinforced structure and more efficient cooling that dissipates heat right next to the combustion chamber. The design was entrusted to a task force made up of the best specialists from Renault Sport Cars, Renault Sport Racing and the Renault Technocentre. By using the calculation and simulation facilities at the Viry-Châtillon site, development time was slashed to just six months.
Work also focused on the Twin Scroll turbocharger, already used on Megane III R.S. This technology helps to improve torque at low revs.
To increase the supply of cool air to the engine, the air intake was redesigned with the addition of a second air inlet and a new, larger filter element.
Still with improved performance in mind, New Megane RS's engine has been given surface treatments taken from the world of racing and supercars, such as DLC (Diamond Like Carbon) for the valve lifters and Mirror Bore Coating for the cylinder sleeves.
This modern engine, equipped with a chain-driven timing system, also boasts reduced CO2 emissions and fuel consumption (-11% and -8% respectively compared with Megane III R.S.).
Widely acclaimed by owners of Megane III R.S., the six-speed manual transmission is maintained on New Renault Megane RS
An optional six-speed EDC dual-clutch gearbox is also available now. In order to provide complete reliability, this gearbox - which is already in use on several models in the Renault range - has been strengthened to withstand the torque and revs of a sports car engine. Based on the required take-off acceleration, in-gear acceleration and maximum speed, the Renault Sport engineers defined new gear ratios and specific shift patterns, associated with the MULTI-SENSE modes so as to adapt to all driving styles.
Like racing cars, the EDC gearbox comes with steering wheel-mounted gearshift paddles. The gearshift times depend on which MULTI-SENSE mode is selected:
Wider tracks and features taken from the world of motorsport
With expressive and sporty styling, New Megane RS has been designed to deliver performance, right down to the very last detail. The specific body sides mean that the wings have been widened by 60mm at the front and 45mm at the back (compared with Megane GT). With the ride height lowered by 5 mm compared with Megane GT and new 18- or 19-inch wheels, these new proportions make the car naturally more aggressive.
This powerful design is boosted by a number of features taken from the world of motorsport, which immediately place New Megane RS in the high-performance category:
Tonic Orange: a dazzling, dynamic colour!
New Megane RS also stands out with an emblematic colour: Tonic Orange, which supplements the palette of Renault Sport colours. Like Sirius Yellow, this new colour has been specifically developed for a vibrant finish and unique reflective effects, highlighting the profile of the car.
The cabin's resolutely sporty design is apparent everywhere you look:
Specific work was done on the shape and materials of the seats to find the best compromise between the comfort needed for everyday use and the support required when driving on a racetrack.
Featuring a completely revised, more user-friendly layout and offering extended functionalities, the telemetry and data acquisition system R.S. Monitor provides New Megane RS drivers with a new experience. There are two options for the system:
And if you want to go even further with R.S. Monitor Expert, the recorded data may be exported to the R.S. Replay website. You can then play back your driving sessions, analyse your laps down to the very last detail and compare them with other users from the Renault Sport community.
R.S. Vision: high-performance lighting by Renault Sport
Introduced on New Clio R.S., the multi-reflector LED lighting system R.S. Vision comes as standard on New Megane RS These chequered flag design lights are integrated in the front bumper, either side of the F1-style blade.
Unique in this market segment, R.S. Vision meets the need for powerful, efficient lighting, in line with the other features offered by New Renault Megane RS Equipped with nine LEDs per block, this system combines four high-performance lighting functions: side lights, cornering lights, fog lights and long-range high beam lights.
With a range of 460 metres (+17% compared with Megane III R.S.), the high beam lights perfectly complement the Full-LED technology headlamps. For the first time, the C-Shape lighting signature incorporates the indicator lights.
MULTI-SENSE: customise your sports car experience
Controlling engine response, the mapping of the accelerator pedal, shift patterns and the stiffness of the steering, the MULTI-SENSE system lets drivers customise their experience according to the circumstances. Five positions are available:
The various modes may be accessed via the R-Link 2 touchscreen tablet. The R.S. Drive button provides a shortcut to the Sport (short press) and Race (press and hold) modes.
Harnessing technology to boost versatility
Whilst offering outstanding performances, New Renault Megane RS is also an incredibly versatile sports car, perfectly suited to everyday use.
For the comfort and safety of the driver and the passengers, it comes equipped with all of the advanced technologies featured on Renault Megane:
