Last-ever Mk3 Renaultsport Megane is on sale now
The final Renault Megane RS 275 is destined for a UK buyer, with the Cup-S model on sale at a Dundee dealer
With more than 30,000 third-generation Renaultsport Meganes having rolled off the production line, the final car has been built and will go on sale in the UK. It marks the end of the current run for the Megane RS, with a new model based on the new fourth-generation Megane likely to appear in 2018.
The final car was finished on 6 July and is a 275 Cup-S model in Liquid Yellow. Options include 19-inch alloy wheels, Ohlins dampers, Recaro sports seats and sat-nav. The Cup-S model features an uprated chassis, a limited-slip diff, bigger Brembo brakes and stiffer suspension as standard, too.
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The car itself is on sale at Arnold Clark Renault Dundee, and with all the options fitted it'll cost you £31,930.
Power comes from a 2.0-litre petrol with 271bhp - the same one that Renault recently shoehorned into the Clio to create the crazy RenaultClio R.S. 16. In the Megane it manages the 0-62mph sprint in six seconds flat and take it on to a top speed of 158mph.
Renault has updated the car several times over its years on sale. It began life as the Renaultsport Megane 250 in 2009, but then became the 265 and finally the 275 as the French brand upped power and added various improvements. The ultimate version was the 275 Trophy-R, which held the front-wheel drive Nurburgring record in 2014.
The all-new Megane RS that will appear in 2018 is expected to get even more power, to help it keep up with rivals and take back the Nurburgring lap record, currently held by Volkswagen's Golf GTI Clubsport S.
History of the Renaultsport Megane
2003: The original Megane Renault Sport 225 debuts at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
2004: The Megane Renault Sport 225 goes on sale in the UK.
2005: Renault ups the ante and shows off the Megane Renault Sport 225 Trophy, which is limited to 500 editions. Later on the Cup is launched with many upgrades from the Trophy. After Fernando Alonso's World Championship F1 win and Renault's success in the contructor's championship, the Megane Renaultsport 225 'Renault F1 Team' is launched.
2006: The Megane Renaultsport 230 'F1 Team R26' follows on from the original, with a 5bhp boost to take it to 227bhp.
2007: Renault debuts the first ever diesel to bear the Renault Sport badge - the Megane Renault Sport dCi 175 - at that year's Geneva Motor Show.
2008: The Megane Renault Sport R26.R, a hotter version which was 123kg lighter than the standard R26, sets a new front-wheel drive record around the Nurburgring - like its successor would do a few years later.
2009: Third-generation Megane Renault Sport is launched in the UK with 247bhp and a choice of Sport or Cup chassis for daily use or track driving.
2011: Another power boost brings the Megane up to 261bhp with the launch of the Megane Renault Sport 265 Trophy. Renault uses this car to beat its own record at the Nurburgring.
2013: Megane Renault Sport Red Bull Racing RB8 is launched celebrating Renault and Red Bull's engine supply partnership in F1.
2014: Megane Renault Sport 275 Trophy-R is launched - the fastest model yet. Once again Renault beats its own record around the Nurburgring with a time of 7:54:36.
2016: The final Renault Megane rolls off the production line, destined for a buyer in the UK.
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