Renaultsport to be a standalone brand with unique models

Renault’s performance division that churns out highly-rated hot versions of the Clio and Megane, Renaultsport, is set to be a standalone brand, with its own unique models. However, this new strategy doesn’t mean that RS will stop tweaking Renault’s hatchbacks – we can expect more cars like the Megane 250 Cup in the future.

“Renaultsport is key to Renault’s strategy. It already has excellent loyalty and is perceived by some owners as a brand in its own right, and we can develop that further,” Renault product manager Beatrice Foucher told Autocar UK.

“We will continue working on derivative versions of the Megane, for example, because that’s a terrific car and excellent for us. But we also need specific models only for Renaultsport. We have started working on that; we’re thinking of small volumes, where there are good business models.”

Renaultsport to be a standalone brand with unique models

The mag’s well-placed sources say that this new strategy will be spearheaded by a convertible version of the beautiful DeZir concept from Paris 2010. That car, the first to show off Renault’s future face, is an EV with lithium ion batteries and Kevlar body panels. Does this mean that Renaultsport’s future is electric, or will the mooted model revert to a conventional powerplant?

We’ve had a few gems from Dieppe-based Renaultsport here in Malaysia – the Clio RS, Megane R26 and the Megane 250 Cup – and hope that there’s more to come from the expert tuners. We hear that the new Clio RS is on the way, stay tuned!

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