What's all this about?
Petrolheads who are particularly fans of hot hatchbacks (and who isn't?), rejoice: the all-new Renault Sport Megane is about to be unveiled to the world.
Where will we see it first?
A Megane RS MkIII, finished in iconic yellow-and-black livery to mark Renault's 40 years in Formula 1, will make a lap of the Monaco grand Prix circuit - ahead of the F1 race - on May 26th, in the hands of the team's F1 ace Nico Hülkenberg. We'll then get to see it up close at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, before it hits the road at the tail end of this year.
And what do we know about it?
Not much, other than it will most likely use a 2.0-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that should be in the ballpark of 280-300hp, given that's what most front-wheel-drive hot hatches have nowadays. Expect it to use a trick differential to give it epic handling prowess, rather like some of its most illustrious forebears, such as the 2008 R26.R and the 2015 275 Trophy-R.
Does anyone from RS have anything to say about the car?
Just Patrice Ratti, the managing director of Renault Sport Cars, who waxed lyrical when he said: "The Megane RS embodies the passion of every man and woman working for Renault Sport. It is the ultimate expression of the savoir-faire we have accumulated through our countless successes in motorsport. Thanks to its extreme cornering efficiency, the Megane RS is extraordinarily satisfying to drive at even the most challenging venues, such as the Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany. With its widened bodywork and aerodynamic elements derived from F1, it also looks the part!"
Matt Robinson - 23 May 2017
