Leaked: Renault Megane RS unwrapped

RenaultSport's all-new Megane RS hot hatch has once again been leaked online ahead of its launch at the Frankfurt motor show on September 12.

Last month, the Megane RS appeared online when accurate renderings of the hot new Renault were posted by the World Intellectual Property Organisation -- but these images go even further as they appear to show a near-production-ready version of the car Renault will sell.

Thought to have been captured at the Renault Sport's own test track, the pictures point towards significant changes made over the standard car.
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The three-door version has been dropped to save costs, although from the looks of it seems those savings might have been re-invested in modifying the five-door body to boost performance.

The new Megane RS comes with flared front and rear wheel-arches to allow engineers to widen the track to maximise cornering grip.

At the front, the fast Megane gains a bumper that now features an upside-down trapezium-shaped intake that's thought to feed cold air directly to a large intercooler for the turbo.

Below, two enlarged intakes flank another wide but narrow opening to feed air to the radiator and oil-cooler, while also channelling a cooling breeze to a pair of large brake rotors.

More vents lurk behind the front fenders to help extract turbulent air within the arches, reducing front axle lift.

Those bigger wheel-arches are required not only for a wider track, but because the Megane RS is anticipated to run a torque-steer-reducing RevoKnucke front suspension.

At the rear of the car, a new bumper features two vents to allow fast-moving air to exit the rear wheel-arches, reducing rear lift.

As well as adding vents to the redesigned bumper, engineers have managed to incorporate a large rear diffuser and subtle tailgate spoiler (not pictured).

Both hint at comprehensive aerodynamic tweaks that should help the RS generate real downforce at high speed.

And that downforce will be crucial if the Megane RS has any chance of beating the current Nurburgring lap time set by the Honda Civic Type-R.

Early in its development Renault engineers admitted they were aiming squarely for a favourable power-to-weight ratio rather than chasing outright power figures.

That's why we expect some considerable weight-saving to have been undertaken compared to the regular hatch.

Expect the new front and rear bumpers, as well as the front fenders, to be made of injection-moulded plastic composites to cut weight.

Aluminium or an advanced composite materials, meanwhile, may have also been used for the Megane’s bonnet, roof panel and rear tailgate. This will help lower the centre of gravity and reduce mass.

Under the bonnet, it’s likely you’ll find the same 1.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that powers the forthcoming Alpine A110 coupe.

In the heavier Megane RS, the wick is likely to have been turned up from 185kW/320Nm to around 225kW/400Nm.

Renault’s dual-clutch EDC automatic transmission will be an option alongside a standard six-speed manual that comes with a rev-match system.

Against the clock the Megane RS will become the fastest hot hatch Renault has ever made, with a 0-100km/h time of less than 5.8 seconds almost guaranteed.

All Megane RS hatches will remain front-wheel drive, but to help boost agility and reduce understeer RenaultSport's latest model will rely on the French car-maker's 4Control four-wheel steering.

Scheduled for reveal on September 12 at the Frankfurt show, the new Megane RS is set to go on sale in all markets -- including Australia -- in the first quarter of 2018, with local pricing expected to dip below $50,000.