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Renault Sport bids au revoir with final encore Megane RS Ultime
An undisclosed number of the 1 976 examples Renault will produce have been confirmed for South Africa.
Ultime brings the curtain down on the Renault Sport division, as well as the Megane RS after two decades.
With production of the standard internal combustion engine Megane ending soon, Renault has taken the wraps off of the final rendition of the Megane RS as it move towards an all-electric future before 2030.
End of an era
Called the Megane RS Ultime, the newcomer not only bids farewell to the Megane RS itself after exactly two decades, but also the Renault Sport (RS) moniker which makes way for the Alpine brand all performance focused Renault models will now be marketed under following the marque’s restructuring plan in 2020.
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Final encore differences
Described as more than just an aesthetically tweaked final encore, the Ultime uses the Megane RS 300 Trophy as a base and receives visual alterations in the form of dark 19-inch Fuji alloy wheels wrapped in semi-slick Bridgestone Potenza S007 tyres, model specific matte black decals on the bonnet, doors, roof and rear bumper, Ultime badging on the front bumper and a unique double diamond pattern Renault logo.
In addition to all of the exterior logos being finished in gloss black, Renault has opted for the same finish around the windows and on the doors handles, as well as for the diffuser, wheel nuts and design blade on the front bumper.
As an added final tribute, the Megane RS Ultime will only be offered in four colours; the standard Star Black, Pearl White and two hues made famous by past RS models, Tonic Orange and Sirius Yellow.
Sporting a 60 mm at the front and 45 mm at the rear wider track than the Trophy, Renault has kept the Ultime’s dynamics unchanged from that of the Trophy as it retains the 4Control rear-wheel steering system, the Cup chassis, Torsen limited slip mechanical differential and Brembo brakes.
Inside though, the interior has been revised to include bespoke touches, namely a builder’s plaque signed by development driver Laurent Hurgon, a diamond pattern key card, unique door sills and Recaro seats trimmed in titanium black Alcantara with an RS monogram on the front headrests.
Being an all inclusive model, Renault has outfitted the Ultime with every otherwise optional specification item, but reserved the Head-Up Display and sunroof for models sold with the steering wheel on the left.
Examples bound for right-hand-drive markets do, however, receive the added features comprising of the 9.3-inch infotainment system and ten-inch digital instrument cluster, Adaptive Cruise, 360-degree surround-view camera system plus an upgraded Bose sound system.
Same power
As for power, the uprated 1.8-litre turbocharged engine has been carried over from the Trophy, meaning outputs of 221kW/420Nm and 0-100 km/h in 5.7 seconds.
Depending on the market, the six-speed manual gearbox will again be offered along with the six-speed EDC, though in Europe, only the latter will be available.
Coming to South Africa
Limited to 1 976 units, the year in which the Renault Sport division was founded, an undisclosed number of Ultimes have been confirmed for South Africa, with Renault expected to announce pricing before the commencing of sales around the second quarter of the year.
