Ever since its inception in 1995, the Megane has always been a sensible family car representing good value for those looking to buy an affordable and reliable compact vehicle. At the same time, the French automaker with the diamond logo has tried to appeal to enthusiasts with the hot hatch RS model. The Trophy-R variant represents a hardcore version of an already hardcore car, and the Nürburgring Record Pack dials things even further.
YouTuber Shmee150 had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the bonkers hatchback in all of its two-seat glory. It’s only one of the 32 cars ever made for the UK market out of a total of 500 units. As a matter of fact, it is actually one of the just two UK-spec cars fitted with the Brembo gold carbon-ceramic brakes, thus making it quite possibly the rarest Megane of them all.
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At £72,140 ($94,174 at current exchange rates), it’s certainly not cheap. That’s the price to pay for owning the fastest production car with a front-wheel-drive layout at the Nürburgring. It lapped the Green Hell in 7 minutes and 40.1 seconds thanks to numerous upgrades over the already intense Trophy-R.
The biggest change is the massive weight loss of 130 kilograms (287 pounds), achieved by installing carbon fiber wheels and getting rid of the rear bench as well as the rear-wheel steering. To get a better understanding of how extreme the diet was, Renault even reduced the size of the touchscreen and installed a lighter cargo mat while removing the parcel shelf.
You can easily tell the Akrapovič exhaust is quite loud as there are moments when we can barely understand what Shmee is saying. As impressive and engaging the Megane RS Trophy-R Nürburgring Record Pack is, the exorbitant price tag makes it a tough sell. It’s especially true when you compare it with the significantly cheaper Alpine A110, a mid-engined rear-wheel-drive coupe that uses the same turbocharged 1.8-liter gasoline engine as the Renault.
On the other hand, those who want to experience the maximum potential of the Megane platform and care about Nürburgring lap times will want this. With only 500 cars planned for the whole world, collectors are also likely interested in what is effectively France’s ultimate hot hatch.
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