Renault unveils the Megane R26.R
The new Limited edition Megane Renaultsport R26.R made its worldwide debut at the British International Motor Show in July 2008.
Developed from the Megane Renaultsport 230 F1 Team R26, the R26.R retains the same engine,gearbox and limited slip differential but with a significant weight reduction of 123kg.
Radical looks
Renault Sport technologies have given the Megane R26.R visual differences that mark out the car at first glance. The carbon fibre bonnet an new 18" alloy wheels in red are the main visual clues together with a new rear spoiler, plus R26.R decals and logos and tinted polycarbonate in place of glass in the tailgate and rear side windows. The car is available in seven colours, two of which are new to the Megane, Racing Blue and Renault i.d Lunar Grey and one is brand new, Renault i.d Pearlescent White.
Inside the R26.R the atmosphere is as radical as the outside. Competition seats witha carbon fibre shell are supplied by Sabelt who also supply the six-point harnesses, the first time that this form of restraint has been homologated in a production car. Conventional lap and diagonal seat belts can be fitted as an accessory. No rear seat is fitted. The steering wheel and gearlever gaiter are in leather and suede. A plaque shows the production number for each country, just 230 are destined for the UK out of the 450 limited examples worldwide.
The R26.R takes its engine and gearbox from the Megane Renaultsport 230 F1 Team R26. This develops a peak power of 230hp and a torque of 310Nm. a characteristic of this engine is the wide power band, with 90% of the torque available from 2000 to 6000rpm. However, to reduce the gear change time, a short-shift gear linkage is fitted. The R26.R accelerates from zero to 62mph in 6 seconds and passes the 1000 metre mark in 25.9 seconds. The combined fuel consumption is 33.2 mpg and emissions are 199g/km.
Nurburgring lap record
On 23rd June the Megane R26.R established a new lap record for a front wheel drive production car of the Nurburgring circuit with a time of just 8 minutes 17 seconds. To commemorate this exceptional level of performance, the circuit outline and lap time is etched into the rear side windows.
Pricing starts at £23,815 on the road.
