Renault Sport teases new Megane RS – 2017 debut

Renault Sport teases new Megane RS – 2017 debut

The 2018 Renault Megane RS, much anticipated by hot hatch fans, has been officially teased by Renault Sport for the first time. The image above is a screenshot of a video produced by RS to commemorate the brand’s Facebook page having one million fans. It’s a super cool video showing landmark Renault performance hatchbacks racing through their respective eras, but wait till the end.

The upcoming Megane RS is shown under wraps, with the caption “Coming Soon 2017”. The RS-tuned fourth-generation Megane is expected by some to make its motor show debut later this year at Frankfurt, before a market debut in 2018. The only cues visible here are the big-C LED daytime running lights from this Megane generation, and three-point LED fog lamps.

According to Autocar, the 2018 Megane RS will pack over 300 hp from a 2.0 litre turbo-four (the previous-gen topped out at 275 hp), and will be available in both manual and dual-clutch automatic six-speed transmissions. If true, this will be good news for fans of the good old stick shift. The Clio RS went from manual-only to auto-only, so here’s hoping.

The UK mag says that the new Megane RS will get four-wheel steering (benefits agility at speed and turning circle) and will benefit from the larger platform of the latest car, which is of course five-door only. It’s lower and wider; and with tracks extended, the new RS is expected to have more mechanical grip than before. The previous car wouldn’t have been so good without a mechanical LSD, and here’s hoping that there’s a real diff included here.

Surely, Renault Sport will be trying to wrest back the Nürburgring front-wheel-drive lap record, which is currently being held by the Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S. In the traffic light grand prix, the 0-100 km/h benchmark is: 5.8 seconds for the RS 275 Trophy-R and 5.7 seconds for the Honda Civic Type R. The AWD Audi S3 does the century sprint in five seconds.

Spyshots of the Megane RS mule have been spotted wearing a Megane GT body with protruding wheels (wider tracks) and a central twin exhaust. The three-point LED fog lamps have appeared on the Clio RS, and the smaller sibling could give further clues on RS’ garnishing for the hot Megane.

GALLERY: 2018 Renault Megane RS spyshots

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Danny Tan

Danny Tan loves driving as much as he loves a certain herbal meat soup, and sweet engine music as much as drum beats. He has been in the auto industry since 2006, previously filling the pages of two motoring magazines before joining this website. Enjoys detailing the experience more than the technical details.

 

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