Megane Renaultsport 250 UK Launch Announced

The stunning New Mégane Renaultsport 250 will go on sale later this year to the delight of UK enthusiasts.

From launch, the Mégane Renaultsport 250 will be available with a choice of two chassis settings:

• a sport chassis for everyday driving enjoyment,
• a Cup chassis for even more exhilarating performance, particularly on track.

New Mégane Renaultsport 250 is powered by an extensively revised 2.0-litre turbocharged engine which now boasts a power output of 250hp and a particularly broad rev range, whilst 340Nm of torque is available from as low down as 3,000rpm to deliver a level of performance that can be enjoyed both on road and on track.

New Mégane Renaultsport 250 benefits from the experience acquired during the development of the New Mégane programme. It is manufactured at the Palencia plant in Spain.

A PERFORMANCE-ENHANCING DESIGN

New Mégane Renaultsport 250 carries over the styling cues of New Mégane Coupé to which it adds features that take their inspiration from the world of motor sport. Its front bumper incorporates a blade reminiscent of the low-slung noses seen in today's Formula 1 cars. The extended wheel arches, side sill, rear diffuser, extended tailgate spoiler and centrally-positioned exhaust tailpipe all add to the newcomer's character, while at the same time enhancing aerodynamic performance. LED daytime running lights are a key part of the car's styling signature.

Inside, New Mégane Renaultsport 250 combines exclusive sporting style with comfort thanks to features such as:

• height-adjustable front seats with additional lateral support or optional Recaro seats,
• height- and reach-adjustable Renaultsport steering wheel incorporating thumb rests,
• aluminium pedal covers,
• new fascia design incorporating analogue instruments

TECHNOLOGY CONTRIBUTES TO COMFORT AND DRIVER ENJOYMENT

New Mégane Renaultsport 250 benefits from a raft of technological equipment already available for the New Mégane range, including automatic dual-zone climate control, a hands-free card with automatic door locking as the card-holder walks away from the vehicle, the high-end 3D Sound by Arkamys and a choice of two navigation systems: Carminat Bluetooth DVD® and Carminat TomTom®.

New Mégane Renaultsport 250 boasts two specific features aimed at heightening the driver's enjoyment delivered by the vehicle's performance:

* Renaultsport Dynamic Management: This ESC (Electronic Skid Control) can be enabled in one of three modes: 'On' (the default mode), 'Sport' (for less intrusive ESC action) and 'Off' (total disengagement).
* Renaultsport Monitor: This technology takes its inspiration from the world of motor sport, with a central dashboard display that provides information about:

• the demands made of the main engine functions,
• real-time engine performance,
• gearchange warning,
• calibration and display of the throttle pedal mapping,
• lateral acceleration,
• 0-60 acceleration,
• lap times

A CHOICE OF TWO CHASSIS - OPTIMAL HANDLING IN ALL SITUATIONS

A long line of Renaultsport models have carved out a unique reputation thanks, notably, to their chassis performance. New Mégane Renaultsport 250 features ‘PerfoHub' - the same innovative independent steering axis front suspension arrangement that was first seen on Mégane Renaultsport 225 in 2004 and, later, on Clio Renaultsport. This layout totally separates the suspension and steering functions to ensure an exceptionally high standards of handling and traction.

In response to customer demand, New Mégane Renaultsport 250 is available from launch with a choice of two chassis settings:

• a standard Sport chassis delivering the optimal trade-off between sports performance and comfort in everyday use,
• a stiffer Cup chassis that, combined with a limited slip differential, delivers outstanding on-track performance.

250HP OF SHEER PLEASURE

New Mégane Renaultsport 250 is powered a new generation of the 2.0-litre 16V turbo engine that delivers 250hp (184kW) at 5,500rpm and peak torque of 340Nm available at 3,000rpm. The sum of the different improvements that have been made to this engine has resulted in a gain of 20hp (30Nm) over Mégane R26.R, which has earned benchmark status in the world of hot hatches.

Thanks to its twin-scroll turbo, the Renaultsport 2.0-litre turbocharged engine is exceptionally responsive and particularly flexible at low revs, with 80 per cent of maximum torque available from 1,900rpm. Its broad useful rev-band makes it a genuine joy to drive in everyday use. The engine of New Mégane Renaultsport 250 drives through a six-speed manual gearbox.

Last but not least, the acoustics of the Renaultsport engine have been tailored to produce a distinctive exhaust note inside and outside of the car.

RENAULT SPORT TECHNOLOGIES' EXTENSIVE EXPERTISE IN MANUFACTURING PRODUCTION SPORTS MODELS

Renault Sport Technologies has combined its experience of producing racing and road cars to develop a unique range of performance models. The hallmarks of a Renaultsport car is its high-performance engine and highly efficient chassis which deliver an undeniably high level of performance, as testified by the reputations enjoyed by Renault Mégane F1 Team R26 and Renault Mégane R26.R which were voted ‘Sports Model of the Year' in 2007 and 2008 respectively by Echappement magazine.

Further details will be announced nearer to the UK launch in November.