Renault Megane RS

The Megane RS at a glance

The page's old text described the third-generation car, which was the current model when it was written. All three generations drive the front wheels only. Renault's wider story is told in the history of Renault.

Mégane II RS: the first Renault Sport Mégane (2004–2009)

The first Mégane RS used a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 165 kW (225 PS). It reached 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 236 km/h (147 mph). A 2.0 dCi diesel RS with 129 kW (175 PS) was also offered, with 0–100 km/h in 8.5 seconds. The stripped-out R26.R of 2008 started the Nürburgring tradition with a lap of 8:17 on the Nordschleife.

Mégane III RS: the 2.0 turbo coupé (2009–2016)

Renault introduced the third-generation RS in November 2009 as a three-door Coupé. Its F4Rt 2.0-litre turbo engine came only with a six-speed manual gearbox. Power rose in steps, and the 2012 facelift left only the 265 PS version in the standard range.

Renault quoted a Nordschleife time of 8:08 for the original RS 250. The 2011 Trophy, driven by Laurent Hurgon, improved that to 8:07.97. The 2014 Trophy-R brought it down to 7:54.36.

The old 1cars text gave a wheelbase of 2,640 mm, a width of 1,804 mm and a length of about 4,299 mm for this car. It also listed official fuel use of 8.2 l/100 km combined, 11.5 l/100 km in town and 6.7 l/100 km out of town. That equals 28.7 mpg US combined. Standard equipment included bi-xenon headlights, LED daytime lights, dual-zone climate control, cruise control and 18-inch wheels. Recaro seats, a Bose audio system and R-Link navigation were options.

Mégane IV RS: 1.8 turbo and dual-clutch (2018–2023)

The fourth-generation RS was introduced in September 2017 and went on sale in 2018, now as a five-door. Its 1.8-litre turbo engine was developed with Nissan and tuned at Renault's Formula 1 engine base in Viry-Châtillon. At launch it produced 206 kW (280 PS) and 390 Nm (288 lb-ft). Buyers could choose a six-speed manual or a six-speed dual-clutch automatic. The Trophy raised power to 221 kW (300 PS).

The Mégane RS Trophy-R made its public debut in Monaco on 24 May 2019. It weighs up to 130 kg less than the Trophy and uses Öhlins dampers, Brembo brakes, an Akrapovič exhaust and Sabelt bucket seats. On 5 April 2019 Laurent Hurgon lapped the 20.6 km Nordschleife in 7:40.100. On the full 20.832 km lap the time was 7:45.389.

The final edition was the Mégane RS Ultime, announced in January 2023 and limited to 1,976 cars. French orders opened in March 2023 at 53,450 EUR before the environmental tax. It was the last car with the RS badge, as Renault Sport became part of Alpine.

Nürburgring records in numbers

By our calculation, the 2019 Trophy-R lapped the Nordschleife about 37 seconds faster than the 2008 R26.R, an improvement of 7.4 %. Over the same period, peak power rose from 165 to 221 kW, an increase of 34 %. Test the effect of weight savings with the 1cars power-to-weight calculator.

Fuel use and running costs

A Mégane III RS 250 used 8.2 l/100 km on the official test, according to the old 1cars text. Hard use on track raises fuel use and wear on tyres, brakes and the clutch. The cars are front-wheel drive, so the front tyres take most of the load. Budget for specialist servicing and ask for the full service record. The 1cars fuel cost calculator helps estimate the yearly fuel bill.

Safety

Euro NCAP tests the regular Mégane bodies rather than the RS versions, which share their basic structure. According to the old 1cars text, the Mégane III RS had six airbags, ABS with brake assist, stability control and ISOFIX mounts. Check the exact equipment of any Trophy-R before buying, because these lightweight versions dropped comfort items to save weight.

Rivals: the Megane RS compared with other hot hatches

The Mégane RS and the Civic Type R traded the front-wheel-drive Nordschleife record for years. For figures side by side, use the 1cars comparison tool.