RS 275 – AUSmotive.com

Renault’s latest limited edition example of the Megane hot hatch, the RS275, is now on sale in Australia and it will set you back $52,990. For those playing at home, that’s just $3,090 more than an Audi S1.

In exchange for your money Renault will oblige you with a finely tuned Megane riding on a Cup chassis and now with 202kW on tap from its 2.0 litre turbocharged four pot. You’ll be able to impress your mates by bragging about your Akrapovic exhaust, that’s if they don’t hear you coming first. It’s a Renault, so you get lots of in your face decals too. It must be fast, right, just look at all the pretty stickers!

Only 100 of these RS275 Trophy models will be offered for sale in Australia. It’s okay, though, if you miss out just wait until next year when the next limited edition hot Megane is up for grabs.

What do you do if some Spanish upstarts take away your NÃ¼rburgring record? You start a hashtag revolution and raid the aftermarket parts bins from some of the world’s best automotive suppliers, that’s what!

The net result is this new Renault Megane RS275 Trophy. As its name suggests it has 10 more horsepower than its RS265 donor car. If you like the 21st century there’s 202kW on tap. The addition of a titanium exhaust from Akrapovic has no doubt freed both power and decibels from the 2.0 litre turbo.

From here it starts to get a bit murkier. The goal is for the RS275 Trophy to lap the NÃ¼rburgring in #UNDER8 minutes. Or more specifically, faster than the 7:58.44 lap time set by the Seat Leon Cupra 280.

To help reach that target a few “optional” extra can be ticked when ordering your RS275. They include adjustable Ohlins suspension, lightweight Speedline 19″ alloys and super sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres.

All through the press release we keep getting told this will be an exclusive limited edition model. However is not it stated what limited means. Limited to what they can sell, or limited to 200 cars as perhaps indicated on the photo of the model-specific door sills?

As to that lap record, we’ll have to wait until the middle of next month to see what this RS275 Trophy can do. And if you want to by one you won’t be getting your new car until at least October. It will be offered in Australia, although we suspect 2015 will be well and truly under way by the time that happens.