Renault wants to reclaim its front-wheel-drive Nurburgring lap record from Seat, and hopes its newest limited-edition variant of the Megane Renaultsport will do the trick. Dubbed the 275 Trophy, the hot-hatch will debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next month. It rides on the 'Cup' chassis, so includes a limited-slip differential as standard, and also sports a power upgrade. Thanks in part to an Akrapovic performance titanium exhaust, the 2.0-liter turbo-four has been upped from 261 to 271 hp and comes with 266 lb-ft of torque.
With power sent to the front wheels via a six-speed manual, 0-62 mph should come in around six seconds. Renault also expects the 275 Trophy to post a sub eight-minute Ring lap time and set a new record for FWD cars currently held by Seat at 7min 58.4 sec. Other performance mods include optional Ohlins dampers with steel springs and 19-inch black Turini alloys, while enhancements include new Renaultsport graphics, bucket seats with RS stitching on the headrests, an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel with red stitching and a new alloy gear knob. Renault says the 275 Trophy will go on sale in 20 countries – the US not being one of them – with pricing and specification to be confirmed closer to launch.