New Renault Megane Renault Sport 250
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Renault Megane Renault Sport 250 Cup
Renault Megane Renault Sport 250 Cup Trophée
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Renault
8th November, 2010
As the latest in a long line of sporting Renault cars, the
new Megane Renault Sport 250 stands out through its exhilarating performance and handling, unique,
eye-catching styling, bespoke cabin fittings and an extrovert 'character' that will quickly engender a
strong and loyal following.
The mixture of its 184 kW (250 hp) Euro 5-compliant engine, unmistakable sporting coupé credentials
and its highly specified chassis complete with Limited Slip Differential and big Brembo®-supplied brakes,
is clear evidence that the new Megane Renault Sport 250 has been honed to offer an extremely exciting
ride.
The new car has been developed in the wake of some extremely focussed sporting Mégane models of the
past, not all of which were available in Australia, such as the Mégane F1 Team R26 and Mégane R26.R.
In addition to the comprehensive specification offered in the standard Australia ‘Cup’ model, ultimate
enthusiasts have access to a more track-oriented ‘Cup Trophée’ model which adds Renault Sport Recaro Seats,
19-inch alloys, tyre pressure monitor, smart key card, floor mats, satin chrome door handles, electronic
folding mirrors, and grey bumper inserts and rear diffuser (Cup has black).
The Megane Renault Sport 250 Cup is priced from $41,990* while the Cup Trophée versions start from
$46,990*. Both versions are now arriving at local Renault dealerships.
NOTE: * Manufacturer’s List Price excludes on-road costs (such as dealer delivery fees and the
state/territory statutory charges).
The new Renault Megane Renault Sport 250 in detail
Body design
The dynamic, sweeping lines of the new Mégane Coupé combine with many motor sport-derived details to
give the Renault Sport 250 model an even more assertive 'character', pointing to the promise of
exhilarating on-road performance that will reset the benchmark for this segment.
The front bumper incorporates the LED daytime running lights, as well as the splitter, which recalls
the low-slung nose of the R28 Formula 1 car.
The explosively sporty nature of this Renault Sport-badged model is further emphasised by its wider
wheel-arches to accommodate the 18-inch (or 19-inch Cup Trophée model) alloy wheels, central exhaust
tailpipe and rear diffuser.
The exterior mirror housings, the aerodynamic blade incorporated in the front bumper and the rear
diffuser are all finished in gloss black, a further sign that new Megane Renault Sport is not only
sporty but also elegant.
The new Megane Renault Sport 250's stance is uncompromisingly sporty – a sensation reinforced by its
striking launch colour, Sport Yellow – while at the same time exuding a distinct impression of
robustness and stability.
Special attention has been paid to quality, too, as illustrated by the design and finish of the
19-inch ‘Steev’ wheels (Cup Trophée) which suggest a mix of refinement, advanced technology and
speed.
Interior
The cabin carries over the sporty styling of the exterior and features a dark charcoal trim, which
contrasts with the Sport Yellow rev-counter background and steering wheel stitching.
The Yellow Ambience Pack brings further touches of colour in the form of the seatbelts and two-tone
grey and yellow upholstery, as well as the door-panel and gear lever knob stitching.
The driving position is unmistakably sporty, but also perfectly comfortable.
The front seat back and cushions feature additional lateral support, while the driver's seat is fully
adjustable (fore/aft adjustment of 240 mm and height adjustment of 70 mm), including adjustable lumbar
support.
Optionally available on the Cup model are heated leather seats complete with electric adjustment and
memory function.
Customers specifying the Cup Trophée, who enjoy putting their vehicle through its paces around a
circuit, will appreciate the cloth-covered RECARO seats, or optional leather-upholstered RECARO, which
are also height and fore/aft-adjustable.
The low seating position is comfortable, and the driver benefits from efficient support, whether
driving on the open road or negotiating a racetrack.
The steering wheel, too, is designed to be comfortable and sporty. It is trimmed in full-grain leather
and is both height- and reach-adjustable to find the ideal driving position. Its shape and integrated
thumb rests ensure perfect grip, while the yellow centre-point marking is a particularly useful feature
when taking a sequence of tight corners or when driving on low-grip surfaces.
The aluminium-faced pedals and footrest round off the competition feel of the driving experience.
Quality materials have been employed, while special care has been paid to assembly excellence and to
the smaller details, with Renault Sport-badging visible on the grille, tailgate, sills, head restraints,
rev-counter background and dashboard trim.
Engine
The new Renault Megane Renault Sport 250 is powered by a new-generation, Euro 5-compliant 2.0-litre
16-valve turbocharged petrol engine, which boasts maximum power of 184 kW (250hp) at 5,500 rpm and peak
torque of 340 Nm from 3,000 rpm.
The Renault Sport 2.0 T engine's twin-scroll turbo is exceptionally responsive and is particularly
flexible at lows revs, with 80 per cent of maximum torque available from 1,900 rpm.
Its broad useful rev band makes it a genuine joy to drive in everyday use, and the pleasure remains
all the way up to the rev-limiter whenever it is pushed a little harder. The engine of the new Megane
Renault Sport 250 drives through a six-speed manual gearbox.
Compared with the previous Mégane Renault Sport the engine’s increase in power and torque has notably
been achieved thanks to evolution changes to the turbo for an enhanced response at low revs, continuously
variable intake valve timing, and revised fuel-injection mapping.
Work has also gone into the acoustics of the Renault Sport 2.0 T engine to produce a telltale sporty
pitch audible inside the cabin under acceleration.
With 80 per cent of peak torque available from as low as 1,900 rpm, acceleration is smooth and
responsive thanks to the twin scroll turbocharger and continuously variable intake valve timing.
To guarantee both performance and reliability, more than 25 per cent of the engine's components are
new compared with the previous 230 hp engine, including new intake ports, reinforced reciprocal parts
(pistons and conrods), new air/air and water/oil intercoolers, sodium-cooled valves, and piston ring
carriers.
The new Megane Renault Sport 250 drives through a six-speed manual gearbox (PK4), with revised ratios
and increased shift precision for an even sportier feel. The new transmission enables the engine's
inherent performance to be exploited, with a 0-100 km/h time of 6.1 seconds and the 1,000-metre standing
start covered in 25.7 seconds.
The new Mégane Renault Sport 250 returns excellent fuel economy for this level of power, with combined
cycle fuel consumption of just 8.7 litres/100 km, equivalent to CO2 emissions of 195 g/km.
To enable the fastest possible get-aways, the new Mégane Renault Sport 250 is also equipped with a
system designed to optimise standing start performance. Known as Power Start, this system functions when
the car is at a standstill – with ESP selected – and allows the driver to profit fully from the engine's
acceleration performance without grip being lost.
To ensure lasting performance, Renault Sport Technologies' development team has put the new Mégane
Renault Sport 250 through its paces in a wide variety of situations, from long-distance circuit runs to
extreme cold and heat, covering more than 300,000 km in testing.
Chassis
The new Megane Renault Sport 250 features an independent steering axis layout at the front where the
suspension and steering functions have been separated to ensure a particularly high standard of handling
and traction performance.
The new Megane Renault Sport 250 comes standard with a limited slip differential for exceptional
traction.
The electric power steering features specific, sportier calibration and benefits from the latest
improvements seen on the new Renault Megane aimed at achieving greater precision and even more feedback
from the road.
The new Megane Renault Sport 250 is equipped with ESP which is fully disconnectable in order to enable
owners to sample the pleasure of enjoying their car's full potential on a racing circuit.
The new Megane Renault Sport 250 boasts a raft of specific equipment designed to heighten driving
enjoyment, including Renault Sport Dynamic Management (which permits three ESP modes) and Renault Sport
Monitor (onboard telemetry).
The independent steering axis front suspension (Renault Sport Performance Hub) was first seen on a
Renault production car in 2004, with the launch of the previous generation Mégane Renault Sport. This
arrangement ensures stable front suspension geometry under hard acceleration or when applying a
significant amount of steering lock, cutting torque-steer.
Compared with the first-generation layout, which it supersedes, the new Mégane Renault Sport 250's
front suspension has benefited from significant work into reducing unsprung weight. The pivot, pivot
carrier, and lower arm which links the wheel assembly to the engine subframe are made from aluminium,
while ball joints are now employed between the pivot and pivot carrier to reduce the forces to which
the steering axis is subjected.
For optimal directional precision, the front suspension is attached to a so-called 'horned' subframe,
a layout which ensures a level of transverse rigidity which is three times superior to that of Megane II
Renault Sport's front suspension.
Meanwhile, the damper housing and shaft diameters have been uprated on the new Megane Renault Sport
250 compared with Megane Coupé. This has doubled the stiffness of the strut and optimises maintenance of
the front wheels’ geometry under load.
The programmed-deflection rear torsion beam uses a new closed-profile beam, which ensures the same
level of stiffness for less weight.
Renault Sport Technologies’ innovative independent steering axis front suspension was first introduced
in 2004 and is engineered to overcome the drawbacks commonly associated with powerful front-wheel-drive
cars subjected to high forces, such as self-steering input through tight corners and poor straight-line
stability induced by torque steer.
The steering axis of the new Megane Renault Sport 250's front suspension has been completely separated
from the damper, unlike on a MacPherson-type arrangement where the steering axis is attached to the
ball-joint of the lower arm and the upper damper mounting. The axis around which the wheel rotates is
defined by the pivoting link between the hub carrier and pivot carrier. This has reduced the hub level
offset (i.e. the distance between the centre of the wheel and the intersection of its rotation and
steering axes) to 40 mm, compared with 56mm in the case of the MacPherson-type layout used on new Megane
Coupé.
The front suspension geometry is consequently less sensitive to forces and torque applied to the
driven wheels around their steering axis under hard accelerating and under heavy braking. The pivot
carrier is attached to the lower rectangular arm via an anti-rotation tie-rod.
The standard set up of the new Megane Renault Sport 250 for Australia is the ‘Cup’ set up as used in
European models. This is one step up from the standard Sport setting.
The Cup chassis is aimed at enthusiasts who enjoy sporty driving and fans of track days, since its
specific settings truly come into their own when the car is pushed that little bit harder. Compared
with the (European model) Sport chassis, anti-roll stiffness on the Australian Cup Model has been
increased by 13 per cent thanks to a bigger-diameter anti-roll bar (24.2 mm).
The dampers are specific, too, while axis stiffness has been uprated by 35 and 38 per cent at the
front and rear respectively compared with the Sport chassis. Anti-roll stiffness at the rear has been
increased by 7 per cent compared with the Sport chassis.
The overall anti-roll stiffness of the Cup chassis marks an improvement of 15 per cent over the
Sport chassis. Equipped with a limited slip differential (LSD), the Megane Renault Sport 250 chassis
delivers genuine competition-type performance. The LSD ensures optimum traction at all times; whatever
the conditions, however much grip is available, whatever the diving style and whatever the type of
corner. The combination of a limited slip differential and independent steering axis front suspension
minimises the effects of torque steer and permits the driver to profit fully from the extra traction
for a more reassuring drive.
The limited slip differential also ensures greater stability under braking. By kicking in
immediately, it pushes back the threshold when the ASR traction control intervenes under hard
acceleration or when the ESP cuts in when turning into corners, thereby freeing the car’s full braking
potential.
Improved turn-in performance also means that the driver is able reaccelerate harder and sooner.
In short, in addition to improving the efficient transmission of power to the road, and thereby
enhancing performance, the limited slip differential delivers progressive, reassuring handling which is
appreciable whatever the driving style.
Lateral cornering stability has been improved to obtain a remarkable specific angle of roll, namely
0.28°/m/s 2 for the Cup chassis.
The new Megane Renault Sport 250 comes with red painted brake callipers and grooved brake discs, as
standard. The wheels are 18-inch ‘Ax-l’ alloys fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport 2 (235/40 R18 Y). For
the Cup Trophée models, there are 19-inch ‘Steev’ alloy wheels shod with Continental Sport Contact 5
Performance (CSC5P) (235/35 R19 Y).
High-performance cars call for high-performance braking systems that deliver both bite and
resistance to fade. The new Megane Renault Sport 250 benefits from exceptional stopping power thanks
to its four-pot Brembo callipers and 340 mm diameter, grooved, vented discs at the front. Braking
performance is further enhanced by an 11-inch servo.
The rear uses 290 mm-diameter grooved discs.
The new Megane Renault Sport 250's electric power steering features the same changes introduced on
the new Megane, although its calibration has been adapted to suit the new model's sportier driving
style. The system delivers more precise feedback, with a progressive increase in turning effort into
corners and enhanced comfort through turns. Its steering ratio of 14.75:1 is closer than that of the
former-generation version.
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Limited slip differential
The mechanical limited slip differential comprises a knurled helical gear, and satellite and sun
gears with parallel axes. The limited slip function is obtained by the system's mechanical efficiency.
When wheelspin occurs, the differential's internal architecture generates friction on the surfaces of
the sun gears. This results in a proportion of engine torque being transmitted to the wheel, which
benefits from the most grip.
The chief characteristic of this type of limited slip differential is the fact that the transfer rate
is determined by the use of three friction rings (selected for their friction coefficient), which are
located between the sun gears and differential casing. The transfer rate can be modified by using
friction rings of different coefficients.
Since the faces of the rings, which intervene under acceleration, are different to those that
intervene under braking, it is possible to achieve differentiated transfer rates. In the case of the new
Megane Renault Sport 250, the transfer rate is 35 per cent, while its TBR (Torque Bias Ratio: the
nominal ratio between the torque of the wheel which benefits from the most grip and the wheel which
benefits from the least grip) is 2.3:1.
GKN Driveline supplies the limited slip differential.
Equipment
The new Megane Renault Sport 250 comes standard with a raft of technological equipment including
automatic dual-zone climate control with three modes (Soft/Auto/Fast), hands-free card with automatic
door locking as the card-holder walks away from the vehicle, 3D Sound by Arkamys audio system, with
standard RCA connection or optional Plug & Music connectivity (USB, jack) and an integrated
satellite navigation system.
The analogue instruments of the new Megane Renault Sport 250 are specific to the model and are
another feature, which provides a visible tie-in with the world of motor sport.
In addition to the warning light, which recommends the ideal moment to change gear, an audible
warning also tells the driver when the rev-limiter is about to cut in.
A new feature on the new Mégane Renault Sport 250 is the Renault Sport Dynamic Management system,
which allows the driver to choose the degree of electronic aid he or she wants in different
situations:
- In the default mode when the engine is fired up, the ESP, ASR traction control and emergency
brake assist are all activated. The system intervenes as soon as it senses that the car is on the
verge of sliding. The pedal mapping ensures smooth acceleration, making this mode ideally suited to
everyday use.
- In 'Sport' mode, activated by a short press on the ESP button, ESP and ASR are still active, but
they intervene at a later point and allow the car to slide to a certain extent, so long as the skid
doesn't exceed a given threshold. The pedal mapping is modified to permit swifter engine response
- The final and most extreme mode is “off”. This allows unfettered enjoyment of the engine’s
performance and is specifically suited to driving at racetracks. This mode is activated by a longer
push on the ESP button. The electronic stability programme is fully disconnected, while the pedal
mapping is modified to permit swifter engine response
When the latter two modes are selected, the warning lights ‘ESP Sport’ or ‘ESP Off’ are
illuminated on the dashboard.
Another new feature for the new Renault Megane Renault Sport 250’s class is the Renault Sport
Monitor, an advanced tool that provides the driver with real-time data. The system takes its
inspiration directly from technology employed in motor sport and, until now, seen only on a small
number of prestige road cars.
The Renault Sport Monitor is an electronic system, which enables driving data to be collected via
an array of sensors. Drivers can scroll through the system's different functions using the steering
wheel remote controls, and the following information is shown on the main dashboard display:
- Main engine functions such as turbo pressure and oil temperature, and brakes
- Real-time engine performance data (torque, power)
- Transverse and longitudinal acceleration ('GG' display)
- Stopwatch, with memory function
- Performance data, with automatic memorisation of best 400-metre standing start and 0-100 km/h
times
The Renault Sport Monitor also enables the driver to modify the pedal mapping. A choice of five
settings is available with the 'Sport' mode selected ('linear', 'normal', 'snow', 'sport' and
'extreme') in order to adapt the car's acceleration characteristics to the conditions or to the
driver's needs.
Safety
Renault considers safety to be a priority and a domain in which the brand is known to excel.
Renault uses the findings of LAB (Accident Analysis, Biomechanics and Human Behaviour Laboratory of
PSA Peugeot-Citroën and Renault) to design vehicles that are both safe and adapted to real-world
driving conditions. The new Megane Renault Sport 250 naturally benefits from Renault's expertise in
this field.
A raft of equipment is included to help drivers anticipate or avoid risk via the adoption of
seatbelt warning lights for all five seats, a tyre pressure monitoring system, automatic headlamp
and windscreen activation, cruise control with speed limiter, ESP with understeer control, and
emergency brake assist.
The new Megane Renault Sport 250's outstanding passive safety performance has been achieved
thanks to the same systems as those fitted to the new Megane Hatch.
The programmed deformation of the body structure allows it to absorb impact energy to protect
the cabin and its occupants. The materials employed – including high, very high and very, very high
elastic limit steels – have been selected to absorb and dissipate as much kinetic energy as
possible. Controlled deformation ensures that occupants are subjected to lower deceleration forces
and this, coupled with the third-generation Renault System for Restraint and Protection (SRP3),
guarantees an extremely high level of protection.
Now available in Australia
The Megane Renault Sport 250 Cup is priced from $41,990* while the Cup Trophée versions start
from $46,990*.
Both versions are now arriving at local Renault dealerships.
NOTE: * Manufacturer’s List Price is outlined in this news story. The MLP excludes the
traditional on-road costs (such as dealer delivery fees and state/territory statutory charges).
Additionally, prices, fees and charges are subject to change without notice.
About Renault Sport
Renault has been a major player on the international motor sport scene for many years.
The R8 Gordini, the Super 5 GT Turbo, Clio Williams and, more recently, Clio Renault Sport,
Megane F1 Team R26 and Mégane R26.R have all stood out as emblematic ambassadors for the brand on
race tracks and rally stages around the world. The current range of production Renault
Sport-badged models benefits extensively from Renault Sport Technologies' long experience of
competition and from the Renault group's manufacturing expertise.
With more than 21,000 units sold in some 30 countries since its 2004 launch, the previous
generation Megane Renault Sport was a resounding success. In addition to topping its class in
France, the previous Megane Renault Sport was one of the most competitive hot hatches around
thanks to refinements such as the more track-focussed Cup chassis, as well as the later release
of the radically lightened R26.R version.
Both the Megane F1 Team R26 and Megane R26.R were acclaimed for their high-performance engines
and chassis efficiency. Meanwhile, the previous generation Megane R26.R – which still holds the
lap record for its class around Germany's 21 km Nürburgring Nordschliefe circuit – stands out as
the benchmark hot hatch of its class.
Renault Sport Technologies is a subsidiary of the Renault group. Its overall mission includes
three principal areas of activity:
- The design, development, manufacture and sale of production sporting models
- The build and sale of competition cars for rallying and circuit racing use (Renault Formula
2.0, Renault Formula 3.5, Clio Cup, Clio Renault Sport R3, Mégane Trophy)
- The organisation of international single-make championships (World Series by Renault, Clio R3
Trophies) and Renault Sport Experience leisure activities (notably Enthusiast Days and driving
tuition).
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