Automotive Review by Matthew Ng

Photo credits Royston, Automoment

Renault Megane 275 Trophy

Technical Highlights

The Renault 275 Trophy is a mega car spawned from Renault’s no holds barred

pursuit of the Nurburging lap times. This is a car which is made for the tracks,

but equipped with sufficient creature comforts for daily use. Tested was one of

two units that will ever grace our shores, courtesy of Yong Soh.

Notable Specifications:

Renault’s places great emphasis in the overall balance of the car.

The 275 Trophy comes standard with Ohlins Road & Track dampers, harnessing

the Dual Flow Valve technology. These dampers provide maximum stability

and controllability at the low and high speed cornering without the

compromise of comfort. (http://www.ohlinsusa.com/road-track-tech) Also, it

comes with ultra-sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 as the standard issue tyre.

The 275 Trophy boasts a set of cleverly design knuckles aka Perfohub for its

McPherson suspension layout, which serves to counter the negative effects of

dull steering response and a lack of precision. With the improved suspension

geometry, scrub radius is significantly reduced and the potential of the

suspension can be further brought out.

In R.S. mode, I could tell that Renault was mindful about maintaining a good

corner exit balance as the power plant provides a linear power band within

minimal lag. However, the drive train tends to lack the high end punch, with

the less than ridiculous horsepower and torque figures.

Data logging is also available, with a telemetry system which is available for

owners to view their logs from a laptop. The drivers can benefit greatly if this

software is used appropriately at the race tracks.

Next up: Driving Impression

I reckon that this car in its factory form can ease itself into the 2.35min mark at Sepang International Circuit without even breaking a sweat.

Key to its performance is the well balanced cup chassis and excellent handling which is attributable to its dampers, precise steering and sticky tyres.

The 275 Trophy is light and agile in the lower speed corners, while providing excellent roll control and capacity for mid corner adjustments in the mid to high speed corners. It allows the driver to carve the highest possible speed into the corner, make a mistake, and still be able to correct it without a significant drop in pace.

Torque steer – A term commonly associated with high powered front wheel drive, McPherson strut fitted cars. It was almost fully eliminated through the use of a set of cleverly engineered knuckles. The only hint of torque steer showed itself through an intentional application of full boost a meter before the exit sequence of a mid to high speed corner.

The magic in the 275 Trophy lies in the ability to provide such a high level of performance while offering a ride quality that is neither teeth clattering nor tummy jiggling.

Facing Rivals

Cars that it was stacking up against are the VW Scirocco R, which represents the conventional McPherson struts, while the Double A-Arm suspension layout was represented by a Honda Civic EK. These two cars have been decommissioned from previous use at Sepang time attack runs, capable of sub 2.35 and 2.30 respectively.

The 275 Trophy managed to hold its fort against the two cars in the mid to high speed cornering test, but failed to outshine the Civic in the low speed corners. The lightness and agility of the Civic shown through, and was too much for the Perfohub to compensate for.

The Renault Megane 275 Trophy is truly a sports car of the modern era which offers one of the highest levels of performance within its category, without sacrificing comfort and usability on the roads.