Renault->ke72 has unveiled the Megane->ke1227 Renaultsport (RS) 265 Trophy - the company's fastest ever road going model. The special Megane will make its world debut at the World Series by Renault at the Nurburgring next weekend and will be limited to only 500 units. It will only be sold in specific countries in Europe and will be priced from €35,500 (or about $52,000 at the current exchange rates).

Compared to the Mégane Renaultsport 250 model, the new RS 265 Trophy model delivers an extra 15 HP, will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 6 seconds, and will be capable of a top speed of 158 mph. It will feature some very impressive equipment including a Cup chassis, Recaro seats with yellow seat belts and detailing, 19" Speedline alloys in gloss black with red rim, standard Liquid Yellow i.d. metallic paint, 'Trophy' red decals on F1-style front blade and doors, LED daytime running lights, and Renaultsport Monitor on-board performance tracking.

UPDATE 06/17/2011: It’s only been a short time since the Renault Megane RS 265 Trophy’s official launch and it has already added a very impressive achievement to its record; it established an amazing Nurburgring lap record for a front-wheel drive vehicle with a time of 8 minutes 7.97 seconds. The previous record was held by the Megane Renaultsport R26.R which completed the lap in 8 minutes and 17 seconds on June 23, 2008.

Hit the jump to read more about the Renault Megane RS 265 Trophy.

2011 Renault Megane RS 265 Trophy

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2011 Renault Megane RS 265 Trophy
  • Horsepower: 265
  • Torque: 265
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior and Interior

The new RS 265 Trophy model will be distinguished by its black roof, specific decals, new rear lip spoiler, 19" Gloss Black STEEV wheels with red piping and R.S. valve caps, numbered plaque, and LED daytime running lights. It comes with a standard Sirius Yellow finish, but customers can also get Glacier White, Etoilé Black, and Cassiopée Grey as options.

The interior of the RS 265 Trophy will get Recaro bucket seats (fabric or leather, depending on market) and an innovative Renaultsport Monitor on-board data-logging system that records performance and displays a range of mechanical parameters in real-time, a feature which owners will especially appreciate during track days.

Engine

Under the hood, Renault has placed a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that delivers a total of of 265hp (up 15hp) and a peak torque of 265 lbs-ft at 3,000 and 5,000rpm. Its impressive power-to-weight ratio is 191hp per tonne. The newcomer dispatches 0-62mph in 6 seconds exactly (instead of 6.1), with a top speed of 158 mph, boosted by an extra 2mph.

Despite these impressive performance numbers, the new RS Trophy model delivers a combined-cycle fuel consumption of just 8.2 liters/100km (28 mpg), equivalent to 190g of CO2/km, which represents a saving of 0.2 liters/100km and 5g/km over Mégane R.S.

Prices

The Renault Megane RS 265 Trophy will only be sold in specific countries in Europe: France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia. It will be limited to 500 units (50 units per country) and will be priced from €35,500 (or about $52,000 at the current exchange rates).

Competition

While the previous Megane Renaultsport 250 targeted models like the Volkswagen Golf GTI, the new RS 265 Trophy steps a bit closer to the range provided by the even more impressive Golf R. The Volkswagen model is powered by a 2.0 Liter turbocharged four cylinder engine that delivers 270 HP at 6,000 RPM and sends the new Golf R from 0 to 60 MPH in just 5.7 seconds, while top speed is limited to 155 mph.