Renault cars

Video: More Powerful Renault Megane RS Teased

Renault Sport has released a teaser video of a new Megane RS model that, according to the first details, will be the quickest Megane ever. The video was filmed at the Nurburgring race track where the car seems to handle itself well making its trip around the circuit. We doubt this more powerful model will try to smash any Nurburgring records, but at the very least we’ll get a spicier version of the Megane. Maybe even a special edition Megane RS Nurburgring Edition.

The standard Megane Renault Sport is powered by a new-generation 2-liter 16-valve turbocharged petrol engine that delivers a total of 250hp at 5,500rpm and peak torque of 250 lb-ft from 3,000rpm. Expect the new model to be more powerful than this with a few added features.

The speedier Megane RS is expected to make its world debut on June 17, 2011, so stay with us to find out more details!

Renault drops models on the Zoe ZE Concept

Here’s something that should get you over that Monday bug. With the exception of high-powered supercars throwing down against one another, nothing gets us more excited than seeing two of our favorite topics together in one fancy photo shoot: cars and girls, or girls and cars, depending on what your preferences are. Okay, there are dudes there too, but we’ll save that for you ladies.

And just so we don’t get sidetracked by the lovely models pressing themselves against the Renault Zoe ZE Concept with their lips pouting as if they want us to do something about it, we can’t forget about the car itself.

Back in 2009, Renault unveiled the Zoe ZE Concept to introduce their take on future electric city cars. As an EV, the Zoe emits zero noise and drags zero pollutants when in use. It’s powered by a 70kW (94 horsepower) electric motor that helps produce 166 lb/ft of torque and sits on a large set of 21” wheels.

While the model is still in concept form, it doesn’t take away from the potential of the car and the possibilities of seeing it out on the streets someday. In fact, Renault did plan on having a production model released sometime in 2012 so this photo shoot is probably the first of many marketing stints preparing the world for the Zoe.

Who know, maybe we’ll end up riding shotgun on this electric city car to one of these hot models sometime in the very near future.

Renault-Samsung SM7 Concept

Renault’s presence in the South Korean market is dwarfed compared to the two automotive giants of the country, Kia and Hyundai. But despite that fact, the French automaker’s local brand in South Korea, Samsung Motors, is prepared to pick up a fight with the Big Two with the reveal of their new SM7 Concept.

The next generation sedan takes from the current SM7, which was built using Nissan’s J31 platform, the very same platform that underpins the Nissan Maxima in the US. While nothing official has been announced, its possible that the new SM7 will be powered by a 2.5-liter V6 engine with 182 horsepower and 171 lb/ft of torque and a 3.5-liter V6 engine that produces 251 horsepower and 247 lb/ft of torque.

A week after releasing design sketches of the car, Renault-Samsung has finally bared the first batch of official photos of the car. While the car is still tagged as a design study, the SM7 is about the closest thing as a preview to the car’s production model. Among the noticeable features of the concept include a more aggressive and highly-prominent grille, an LED lighting set-up on the front, and an overall shape highlighted by swooping lines and soft contours.

The car looks a lot bigger, far sportier and more aggressive than today’s market model. The grille on the front fascia dominates the car’s profile and the swooping lines and contoured angles seem to suggest that the new SM7 will be a car that could give the Hyundai Sonata a serious run for its money.

Whether it actually does is still easier said than done, but if Renault-Samsung sticks to their guns, Hyundai and Kia might very well need to look into their rear-view mirrors for the new SM7 Concept.

Renaultsport branches out; Will create roadster based on Dezir concept

When Renault unveiled the DeZir concept at the 2010 Paris Auto Show, no one really expected the sporty concept car to ever make it to production. With no real sports car in its lineup, we figured Renault would only be using the DeZir’s design as inspiration for other models and concepts, such as the Captur recently unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. While that prediction still reigns true for the most part, Renaultsport has taken on the challenge of bringing a mid-engined sports car that is based off of the DeZir concept to the production line, and will do so as a stand alone badge.

As close to a production Dezir as we will ever see, the future sports car will be a roadster offered with a conventional engine. It will do away with the gullwing doors found on the concept, but will maintain Renault’s new front-end styling and will most likely be powered by a version of the Renaultsport Clio’s venerable 2.0-liter motor that delivers a total of 200 HP — although Renault could also offer the car with a hot diesel motor.

The decision to have RenaultSport branch out on its own instead of reviving the Alpine badge was based on the fact that the French manufacturer wouldn’t be able to "fulfill Alpine’s values in the model," so a revival was simply out of the question. Future plans for the extended branch will include derivative versions of the Mégane and quite possibly "two or three" unique models beyond their usual hot hatches.

2011 RenaultSport Megane 250 by Superchips

Now that the Geneva Motor Show has come and gone, we now head back to the real world with nothing but good memories from a highly successful event. The rush from Geneva was understandably high; so we kind of expected that the next couple of days would consist of a collective exhale from the entire auto industry before moving on back to work.

Thankfully, French automaker Renault and tuning firm Superchips are keeping us on our toes with the release of a newly modified performance program for the RenaultSport Megane 250.

Our love for sports hatchbacks notwithstanding, Superchips’ ECU remapping of the RenaultSport Megane 250’s engine is something that we definitely took notice of. The program, which will be available for any Megane 250 model sold from 2010 onwards, will give the car a performance boost of around 49 horsepower and 66 Nm of torque. As a result, the Megane 250’s R26-sourced 2.0-liter engine’s power output jumps from 250 horsepower and 304 Nm of torque to just a shade under 300 horsepower and 370 Nm of torque. Even more impressive is the fact that despite the performance boost, the Megane 250’s fuel efficiency numbers will remain at 33 mpg.

So if you have a Megane 250 in your garage and you’re dying to get a jump on those ponies under its hood, the Superchips ECU upgrade program is available at 445 GBP and comes with a 12-month warranty.

2011 Renault CAPTUR Concept

Renault’s futuristic design language first made an appearance at the 2010 Paris Motor Show with the DeZir Concept. The mid-engined, gullwing electric coupe brought something new to the table for Renault, capturing the world’s imagination with its new design philosophy and giving the French automaker the props it so rightfully deserved.

Fast forward to the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the place where Renault officially launched its latest concept vehicle called the CAPTUR. Following the design language of the DeZir, the CAPTUR is a sports crossover concept that comes fully loaded with state of the art features and materials that have never been used in current production cars.

Talking about the CAPTUR’s overall design, it continues what the DeZir started with its simple, sensuous, and warm style that will progressively extend to future Renault car designs.

In concept form, it’s about as awesome as we thought it would be.

More details on the Renault Captur Concept after the jump.

2011 Geneva Motor Show Preview

The biggest international auto show of the 2011 calendar year is getting closer and closer to opening its doors when the event kicks off on March 1st, 2011. Unlike recently concluded auto shows we’ve had since the calendar turned to 2011, the Geneva Motor Show is always the one that gets our juices flowing. Not that those other events weren’t any good, but Geneva brings out all the goods. All the big boys come out to play at this event, so much so that making this preview took more days than we expected because everyday, a new model was being announced as attending the event.

Now that the Geneva Motor Show is less than two weeks away, we feel like it’s time to give you a sneak peek on what cars to expect at the event. A lot of brands that routinely skip other auto shows will all be in attendance at the Geneva Motor Show, proving that without a shadow of a doubt, this Swiss spectacle is one of the most important - if not the most important - events in the automotive calendar.

Hit the jump to check out just who will be in attendance when the show opens its doors on March 1st, 2011.

2011 Renault R-Space

One of the most impressive vehicles brought by Renault at the Geneva Motor Show is the R-Space concept, a simple, sensuous and welcoming family vehicle that express Renault’s new design philosophy in the MPV segment. Renault said nothing about a production version, but we believe that Renault won’t bring a concept car just as a simple exercise.

"R-Space brings together qualities long considered opposed: family, functionality, sportiness and sensuality," explains Axel Breun, Director of Design for Concept and Show Cars. "It answers the expectations of a large slice of our modern society."

the R-Space is 4.25 meters long and features a prominent grille, a panoramic windscreen and "suicide" rear doors that are already a mark for Renault’s latest concepts. The concept is powered by a turbocharged three-cylinder, 110 hp, 900cc petrol engine mated to an Efficient Dual Clutch transmission (EDC).

Hit the jump to read more about the Renault R-Space Concept.

2011 Renault Megane RS Police Car

Speeding in France is about to get a wee bit trickier to get away with now that the Gendarmerie are getting 70 Renault Megane RS police vehicles on the prowl.

The new Megane RS police car will replace the current Subaru Impreza fleet and will come in the blue and yellow color scheme as other French police vehicle. The Gendarmerie have even opted for the “Chassis Cup” version, which is the model with the best handling at high speeds. The Megane RS is powered by a new-generation 2-liter 16-valve turbocharged petrol engine which boasts maximum power of 250hp at 5,500rpm and peak torque of 340Nm from 3,000rpm. The vehicle’s speed tops out at 155 mph, leaving the drivers with lead feet little opportunity to get away.

Renault chose Durisotti, an approved Renault coach-builder, to fully transform their new fleet into true police vehicles with the special equipment necessary to catch speedsters. The result of their work is shown in the photos provided.

2011 Renault Megane and Clio "XV de France" Editions

In what is apparently becoming an annual celebration of their partnership with the French National Rugby Team, Renault has once again released a special edition line of their Clio and Megane vehicles, which they’ve been calling the "XV de France" Editions.

We already showed you what last year’s models looked like, so now we’re here to give you a peak of what to expect for the 2011 version of the these special edition Renault compact vehicles.

For this year, both limited edition models have become special ’versions’ of the Clio and the Megane, which you can avail off with out the limited time basis attached to its predecessors.

“The 2011 ‘XV de France’ versions are very different from the limited editions of previous years," said Raphaelle Jarry, the Renault Megane’s product manager.

For this particular version of the Megane and Clio, customers can avail of the former through a number of styles, including estate, hatch or coupe body form. As for the latter, customers have a choice of getting it as a 3-door, 5-door, or estate.

Details after the jump