Megane Renaultsport N4

Noted for its striking design and having won acclaim for the quality of its chassis and engine, Mégane Renaultsport 250 is now to give rise to a rally car, N4, intended for private teams and drivers.

As the only manufacturer to offer a full ‘rally’ range based on group R regulations, Renault Sport Technologies is now to add Mégane Renaultsport N4 to its line-up. Developed for racing on asphalt, it is set to establish a new standard.

With the same intrinsic qualities as the Mégane Renaultsport 250, the new model draws on a heritage of group N-homologated Renaults stretching back over a quarter of a century: 5 GT Turbo, R11 Turbo, R21 2l Turbo, R19 16V, Clio Williams and Clio Renaultsport.

Intended to keep costs down, group N regulations impose strict rules on the modifications that can be made to the original car. This constraint works to the advantage of the Mégane Renaultsport N4, which gets the full benefit of the technology used on the production model. The PerfoHub independent steering-axis front suspension design has allowed the engineers to put together a chassis that combines traction, directional stability and driving comfort in complete safety. The use of three-way adjustable shock absorbers also allows the settings to be adapted to all types of driving style.

Under the bonnet, the performance of the 2.0-litre 16V turbo engine has been enhanced with an optimised electronic engine control system. Despite regulatory restrictions, the Mégane Renaultsport N4’s engine puts out 265hp and torque of 470 Nm. It is linked to a five-speed H-pattern gearbox, developed specifically for this purpose. On the strength of its experience in the field, Renault Sport Technologies has sought to design an innovative, reliable and high-performance package that also takes on board the notion of cost control at every stage of development. The intention is to make Mégane Renaultsport N4 accessible to all drivers, and be both easy to handle and economical to run. Like all of the vehicles in its rally range, Mégane Renaultsport N4 is to be sold by Renault Sport Technologies in the form of a kit comprising all the specific parts.

Credits: wilswong