London Motor Show 2008: Renault Mégane R26.R

An interesting detail about this 2008 London Motor Show is that two high-performance compacts were presented at the same time, cars that until just a few months ago did not fit into too many people’s heads. Alongside the Focus RS, Renault was bidding farewell to its famous current generation of Mégane with an extreme final model, fully loaded.

And yes, it is a farewell, because in a few months we will have a new Mégane at the Paris Motor Show, and the R26.R shared its stand with the concept model, which they did not downplay in terms of its significance as a novelty. The French brand knows how to prepare its cards, even though Auto Plus and several other spy photographers have already leaked the new model online in its unveiled form.

Let’s move on to the star of the show. Among such notable appearances as that of Pat Symonds -executive director of engineering at Renault F1- and that of Carlos Ghosn -CEO of Nissan and Renault- the R26.R made its appearance. It is a Renault Mégane F1 Team R26 put on an intense diet, weighing 123 kg to be exact, which results in facts such as having only two seats.

Behind the dark rear windows you can glimpse its soul, the roll cage, and on its bodywork appear elements and materials that are rarely associated with the French diamond: carbon fibre, a rear spoiler, new wheels… Together with the new colours in which it will be available and the stickers bearing the Nürburgring logo, they show that this car is a rara avis.

What remains unchanged is the 2.0 T 16-valve engine producing 230 CV with a maximum torque of 310 Nm at 3,000 rpm. The power-to-weight ratio improves considerably, and this materialises in a time of 8 minutes 17 seconds on the Green Hell; a record for a front-wheel-drive vehicle.

Few lucky people will get to sit in its bucket seats and give it some welly, since only 450 units will be produced, going on sale in October. It is a fitting way to bid farewell to such a profitable model that has excelled from sporting versions all the way to derived MPVs. Although I don’t think it does justice to the brand’s sporting past with models like the R5 Turbo 2.

Photos | Highmotor