New Renault Megane RS fully revealed in patent filing

The launch process of the new Renault Megane RS is becoming a long-drawn affair – it was previewed at the Monaco GP in May and teasers have been released since then, but the much-anticipated hot hatch will only make its debut at the Frankfurt motor show in September.

This will do for now, and it’s very good. Patent filings with the World Intellectual Property Organization have revealed the exterior design of the new Megane RS in full. As the sporting range topper, Renault Sport’s Megane is more aggressive in appearance compared to the Megane GT, but the Honda Civic Type R‘s status as the most extreme looking hot hatch is safe.

In front, the chequered flag layout of the LED fog lamps is the most distinctive cue; they sit in more aggressive bumpers with larger cutouts and there’s an RS badge below the Renault logo. Flared wheel arches accommodate vents in the front wings.

At the back, the hot Megane gets a hot hatch-worthy bumper with vertical fins on the sides and a large diffuser with a trapezoidal exhaust tip that conceals twin pipes. The latest generation Megane has distinctive “long tail” LED signatures at both ends, but the RS appears to have unique light graphics.

The senior French hot hatch will come with two transmission options – an EDC dual-clutch automatic and a six-speed manual. No official word on the engine yet, but it’s rumoured to be a 2.0 litre turbo four-pot with over 300 hp. The Nurburgring FWD record-holding Civic Type R has 320 PS and 400 Nm from a 2.0L turbo.

Like before, Megane RS will be front-wheel drive, and buyers will be able to choose between a Sport or Cup chassis, with the latter more focused and adept on track.

“It’s a lot more [like] what you have in a racing car. So if you’re going to track days, driving on racing tracks, obviously this is a lot more performance. But every day on the road, obviously it’s pretty stiff, maybe after a while you get annoyed from it, but that’s why you have the two different [chassis] on the market. But this is definitely the ultimate performance one,” Renault F1 driver Nico Hulkenberg said of the Cup chassis.

The RS will also debut with four-wheel steering (dubbed 4Control), which features an electromagnetic actuator mounted on the rear axle to provide enhanced agility, cornering performance and steering precision.

It’s a great time to be a hot hatch fan.

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