The Renault Megane R.S. Trophy-R received a 1.8-liter turbocharged engine producing 300 horsepower and 400 Newton-meters of torque. Compared to the regular Megane R.S. Trophy version, this hot hatch has become 130 kilograms lighter. To achieve such a weight reduction, engineers removed the rear seat and part of the sound insulation materials, replaced the standard windows with polycarbonate ones, and added a roll cage.
This hatchback completed the 20.6-kilometer German track in 7 minutes 40.1 seconds. Previously, the best result among front-wheel-drive cars on the 'Nordschleife' was held by the Honda Civic Type R with a 320-horsepower engine, which posted a time of 7 minutes 43.8 seconds.
