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1 2,523 views Jun 17, 2011

Renault Megane Renaultsport 265 Trophy

Ask enthusiasts what the lap record is for a production car around the Nürburgring, and you’re bound to get different answers. If you consider the Radical Sportscars SR8 LM to be a production car, the record stands at 6:48; if you’re looking for a more mainstream manufacturer of production cars, the new Porsche GT2 RS has the best lap time, at 7:18.

Ask someone what the best lap time is for a front-wheel-drive car around the Nürburgring, and you’re likely to be met with a blank stare. Compared to rear drive or all-wheel drive cars, FWD cars are quite a bit further down on the list. In fact, you need to cross the eight-minute barrier before you come across a lap time for a front-drive car.

In 2008, Renault set the FWD lap record of 8:16.9 in a Megane RS R26.R; it’s fitting, then, that the French manufacturer just shattered the existing record in a Renault Megane RS Trophy. How fast did it lap the Green Hell? It shaved nearly nine seconds off the previous car’s best lap time, rounding the circuit in 8:07.97. Sadly, as we told you in last week’s write up of the Megane RS Trophy, we won’t be seeing the 265-horsepower hot hatch in the United States any time soon. Like Ford’s salivation-inducing Focus RS, the Megane RS Trophy is for Euros only.