Autoblog

Click either image for high-res gallery of the Renault Megane Trophy concept

We've said it before but it warrants repeating: Renault makes some of the meanest hot hatches in the business. The (very) outgoing Megane RS has been a favorite among the track day crowd and really any European customer looking for a fast ride with sharp handling that can still serve on the daily grind. With the new Megane now out in the open, the big question on the minds of Renaultsport fans is what manner of fire-breathing demon will follow the established favorite they know and love? Clearly this isn't the answer, but if the production Megane III RS comes even remotely close to this concept car, we'll have yet another European machine to lust after.

The Renault Megane Trophy concept features a Nissan-sourced 3.5-liter V6 mounted amidship like in the old Renaultsport Clio V6, but producing a prodigious 360hp driving through a six-speed sequential gearbox, all wrapped in a competition-grade body with more wing than the Concorde and more louvers than a Parisian museum tour. Currently the car is just a concept, but could end up going into limited production for a spec racing series. Check it out in the gallery below and rest assured that it looks even more awesome in person.

Renault is stepping things up a notch. The French automaker has launched an aggressive campaign to refresh and broaden its lineup, including recent launches of the new Laguna, Twingo and Koleos, to name just a few. But this one will likely prove more important than all the others.

The Megane is Renault's bread and butter, competing in a dog-eat-dog segment against the likes of Volkswagen's new Golf and the popular European-spec Ford Focus. Diversity is part of Renault's plan of attack, planning to offer six different Megane bodystyles, each with its own distinct character. To start off, Renault launched the five-door hatchback and the sleek new coupe on its home turf here in Paris. Both represent striking departures from the models they replace, and the three-door cuts a particularly aggressive silhouette. Check out the images in the gallery below to see what we mean.

This image has been circulating the French motoring sites, showing what could be the new Renaultsport version of the automaker's new Megane which is set to debut next week at the Paris Motor Show. Although indications are that this is a Photoshop-manipulated image, it could give a fairly accurate preview of what the new hot hatch could look like.

Renault has gone to great lengths to differentiate the different body-styles in the Megane range, and the RS version would of course be based on the three-door hatch variant. The image shows a single exhaust exiting from the center of the rear diffuser, with jumbo 18-inch anthracite multi-spoke wheels and some extra aerodynamic body elements. We'll all want to know what will reside under the hood, likely to be a derivation of the current model's 2.0-liter four. The most recent evolution of the engine produces some 230 horsepower in the latest Megane R26.R track-hatch, but only time (and assuredly plenty of speculation) will tell how much power the first performance version of the Megane III will be putting down on European roads.

[Source: L'Auto Journal via Le Blog Auto]

As its expansive name might suggest, the Megane is a hugely important car for Renault, competing in the same highly competitive segment as the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf. But while the rest of Renault's range – including the Clio, Twingo and Laguna – has seen recent replacement, the second-generation Megane has carried on essentially unchanged for six years. The Megane won't have to wait any longer as Renault has properly released photos and details of its new mid-range vehicle, anticipated for unveiling at next month's Paris Motor Show.

The new Megane's styling takes cues from the concept unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show this past March, but seems to share more in common with the larger Laguna sedan. The Megane also promises to deliver significant improvements in terms of quality and equipment levels over the model it replaces. A new analogue/digital instrument cluster is incorporated, along with an intuitive color-coded cruise control module, hands-free entry and ignition and Bluetooth DVD sat-nav system. Powertrain options range from 100-hp to 180-hp gasoline engines and diesel choices ranging from 85 to 150 hp, all of which are mated to a range of five- and six-speed manual and automatic transmissions.

Renault says no fewer than six different versions of the Megane will hit the market by 2010, each developed as its own model to give each its own individual identity. We'll venture a guess at a three-door hatch, five-door hatch, four-door sedan and wagon. A hard-top convertible would also be a safe bet. But what enthusiasts want is the Renaultsport version, as the French automaker has long commanded attention in the hot hatch realm.

We'll be on hand to check out the first version in Paris, but in the meantime you can check out the gallery of high-resolution images in the gallery below and the press release and video after the jump.

[Source: Renault]

Click above for high-res gallery of the Renault Megane III

Images of the next-gen 2009 Renault Megane III have leaked out onto the interwebs today revealing a more mature design for the French hatchback. The cornucopia of press shots show a five-door hatchback, and while we were told the new Megane III would sport styling inspired by the Megane Coupe Concept that debuted at the Geneva Motor Show last March, we're not seeing much of a resemblance. These shots show a design with swoops, curves and ripples, while the Coupe Concept was much more creased. Regardless, we like the new look, which is saying a lot considering we aren't normally fond of the French school of automotive design. No other details are known, but you can expect an engine range that is more powerful, cleaner and fuel efficient than before.


[Source: km77 via Jalopnik]

While French authorities go after the journalists and photographers who obtained images of the new Renault Megane, an undisguised, production-ready example of the vehicle was spied undergoing testing right here in the good old US of A.

The new Megane III was previewed by the Megane Coupe Concept unveiled at the 2008 Geneva show. The production version will be officially launched in October at the Paris show, where we'll be on hand to bring you live shots, hopefully without test crews trying to block the car.

[Source: World Car Fans]

Click above for high-res gallery of the Renaultsport Megane R26.R

The Renault Megane, with its "iconic" (read: quirky) styling, is on its way out, but that's not about to stop the speed demons at Renaultsport from having some fun with the hatchback before it's replaced. Sources indicate that the French automaker is preparing to take the wraps off a new hardcore hot hatch at the British Motor Show opening tomorrow.

Dubbed the R26.R, the vehicle is based on the existing Renaulsport Megane R26, only more track-focused with a full roll cage, carbon fiber seats and an aggressive weight-saving regimen that includes some carbon body panels and polycarbonate windows. The surfacing of these shadowed-out teasers seems like strange timing, considering that full images have already shown up on the radar a month and a half ago. However, a Nordschleiffe track decal suggests that the R26.R may have set a new Nurburgring record for a front-drive production vehicle.

[Source: CarScoop]

If you're in France, the phrase caveat emptor can probably be joined by caveat reporter after police raided the French magazine Auto Plus. The po-po were called last August to begin an investigation because the magazine published detailed photos of the coming Renault Megane, which Renault said wasn't supposed to hit showrooms for another three years. The raid was the next step in the Sherlock Holmes treatment.

Renault, of course, says that it is not after the press, it's simply trying to protect its intellectual property. The shots are so clear, and there are so many of them -- including the interior -- that it's obviously an inside job. The press, of course, feels that this is an attack on its freedom. The French press and the French government are engaged in a complicate dance, and this doesn't help things.

The police removed one reporter and a passel of computers. They don't want the reporter, though, they want the source. Auto Plus will have to wait to find out how much of that ever gets returned. But since the photos are out, we might as well take the time to say it's a nifty looking little car.

[Source: Reuters]

Click above for gallery of the R26 R

Even though the official launch of the hot Renault R26 R isn't scheduled until the London Motor Show at the end of July, a couple pics of the race-ready hatch have been leaked. Powered by the same 169kW (225 hp) 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder as its sibling, the R26 Megane, the R26 R differs with a serious performance edge. The interior features a roll cage and carbon-fiber seats -- best to match the new carbon-fiber hood. The dual exhaust is upgraded to lightweight and corrosion-resistant titanium alloy. New bright-red 18-inch wheels shod with optional semi-slick tires connect the performance-tuned suspension to the asphalt. Compared to the Megane, the R model trims 125 kg (275 lbs) of weight, bringing it down to a svelte 1,235 kg (2,722 lbs). With a limited-slip differential driving the front wheels, performance is said to include a sprint to 100 km/h (62 mph) in less than six seconds, but we bet its true performance capabilities are much more evident carving curves on the track. Production of the R26 R will begin in November. As expected, don't plan on seeing any in the States.

[Source: Autocar]

Click to view more of the upcoming Renault Megane

Renault has been hard at work on the replacement for the current Megane. Following the new Clio, which came out three years ago, the Megane is an important model for the French automaker, designed to face off against volume leaders like the Volkswagen Golf/Rabbit and Ford Focus. French magazine Auto Plus has managed to obtain some undisguised shots of the car, presumably obtained from a Renault employee in exchange for a case of wine, a carton of Gauloise and/or a joke about Americans.

As promised, the new Megane will be substantially more subdued in its styling than the love-it-or-hate-it current model, with its curved upright rear window. The front end borrows heavily from the new Laguna, hinting at a common design language for the company. There's certainly some similarity between the production version and the Megane Coupe Concept unveiled at the Geneva show this year. Although the production Megane will predictably be considerably more conservative than the show car, the three-door appears further differentiated from its five-door stablemate with more sporting lines. See for yourself in the scanned magazine pages in the gallery below. The car looks just about ready to hit the market, so a debut at Renault's home-turf Paris Auto Salon this fall would be a good bet.

[Source: AutoPlus.fr via theCarfanatic.com and Autoblog Spanish]