Renault sets 'Ring record with new Mégane RS 275 Trophy-R

Clocking a lap time of less than eight minutes on the Nürburgring is a real feat in just about any car. But a front-driver? That's the gauntlet that Seat threw down March when it hustled its new Leon Cupra 280 around the Nordschleife in 7:58.4, knocking Renault off its perch for the quickest front-drive lap of the famous German track. In doing so, Seat practically handed Renault – which had claimed the record time and time again – an embossed invitation to beat its time, and Renault was only too happy to oblige.

The French automaker known overseas as le roi des hot-hatches proclaimed in April that it was gunning for a sub-eight-minute lap time of its own, showed us what it was working on in May and revealed the new Mégane 275 Trophy just a month ago. The enhanced hot hatch, we assumed, would be the one with which it would reclaim its title, but that job actually belongs to the even more extreme version you see here.

Called the Mégane RS 275 Trophy-R, Renault's new flagship performance model takes the place once occupied by the previous Mégane R26.R as the ultimate front-drive track tool. Its 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four is tuned to the same 275 horsepower as the aforementioned 275 Trophy and packs the same Cup chassis, limited-slip differential, titanium Akrapovic exhaust, Öhlins adjustable dampers and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, but does away with the rear seats, replaces the front ones with Recaro composite racing buckets and six-point harnesses, fits a lightweight lithium-ion battery and replaces the stock brakes with larger but lighter steel and aluminum discs.

As a result, Renaultsport has managed to trim over 200 pounds off the curb weight, which helped the Trophy-R clock a lap time of 7:54.36, making it 14 seconds quicker than the previous Mégane RS Trophy, over four seconds quicker than the Leon, and the quickest front-drive vehicle ever to lap the Nordschleife. For now, anyway, until Seat takes another stab at it, or another rival (like Honda or Opel) get in on the action.

Renault will only build 250 of these for customers in 15 countries (most if not all of them members of the EU, we're sure), complete with the 19-inch Speedline wheels and optional black, white and red livery pictured here.