2017 Megane RS

I reckon it will be lighter which is great. But it will be bigger which is not, for me. It obviously is down to the donor car on both accounts I guess...

 

I expect it will be very much a case of Renault trying to grab more market share & the RS Megane 4 will be much more mundane.
It will have a lot more in common with the run of the mill Megane shopping trolley rather than a purpose built/bespoke car as they also did with the Clio 4.
It will appeal to the masses & they will sell plenty more due it being dumbed down for 'Joe average' but it will no longer appeal to the true enthusiast/track user, just another VW Golf GTI with a different badge basically.

Like the Clio i'd expect no exclusive 2 door body instead just a tarted up 4 door...booooring
Like the Clio i'd expect an auto box only & no manual option...booooring
Like the Clio i'd expect its a case of no more Brembos, no dual axis hub assy, no Recaros etc...boooring

As for weight my 275R was 1281kg out of the box & i'd expect it will be at least 1400kg plus.
Yes there will be improvements in areas such as interior fit & finish, & it will no doubt be more German like in qc but if I wanted that i'd buy a VW, that's not what RS is supposed to be about.
I'd definitely consider a Clio RS16 if it happens (that's a big if) but the last true RS performance models produced were the Clio 3 RS200 & Megane 3 RS275 imo.

 

5 door only is confirmed

Rumours are FWD and 300bhp (not F4R) and that a manual box WILL be an option, paired with a rev match system for down shifts.

4 wheel steer will also be an option (40KG weight penalty), but only on the Sport/Cup. Trophy won't come with it.

The Sport model will also have adaptive dampers as an option this time around too. Not available on the Cup or Trophy

The test mule cars have 4 pot brembos up front

 

There is not a lot of difference in weight between the Clio 3 & 4, ive seen several of both on weigh bridges & it's more dependant on spec.
The Megane 4, I guarantee you will be at least 100kg more than my 275R.
Anyway the weight is the least of the issues with either the Clio 4 or Megane 4 as far as I'm concerned, more of a concern is that the RS is no longer a standalone model which varied greatly in all aspects from the basic versions.
The new Clio 4/Megane 4 are simply designed/built to suit a much broader spectrum of prospective buyers without the need to develop/build model specific bodies (2 doors, pumped guards etc) which is obviously great for Renault as they will undoubtedly appeal/sell much better & with less development/build costs but for the hardcore enthusiast this is a shame imo.

 

If there's a rev match system id guess its possibly not going to be a manual box (does it have a clutch pedal ?).
4 wheel steer... meh, most race cars that have this feature as a road car disable it for serious track use.
Adaptive dampers... meh, give me a well developed quality damper setup over electronic settings anyday.
Brembos...I hope so but don't be surprised if these get tossed too.
You'll likely also find no mech LSD, in place there will be electronics to control wheelspin & no quick-rack hydraulic steering rack, in place there will be variable electronic steering.
You see its simply much much cheaper to build in software that controls wheelspin or damping or steering or whatever than to fit quality hardware & the general public will eat up the electronics ethos everytime.
Yes for the general public buying these cars to simply trundle to work & back on a daily basis these changes are no issue in fact they may well be a better prospect & all they will see is the pretty new dashboard electronics etc but for an enthusiast/owner that competes in motor sport in these cars regularly its a real disappointment to see RenaultSport no longer building hardcore track focussed cars.
Now where did I put that Lotus brochure...

 

From what I heard at Renault: AWD doesn't fit in with their current philosophy and the amount of negative comments they got on the no-manual-option of the Clio RS has made an impact with RenaultSport. So I guess that kinda fits in with the other rumors.

 

I think you misunderstood some of my post;

Rev matching systems are already available in current manual cars. The 370Z has this and is likely where the Megane system will originate from. You will still have a clutch pedal. It just utilises the fly by wire throttle to control engine speed.

There will be three models for the MY17 RS Megane. "Sport", "cup" and "Trophy". The latter will be later though I would imagine (2018)

Adaptive dampers will only be available on the sport model, which is intended to be the softer version but still with the 300bhp engine.

4 Wheel steer will be an option, with a 40KG weight penalty. Only on the sport and cup models.

I don't think Renault will spend development money on a new caliper/carrier setup, so they won't ditch the Brembos. As evident on the test mule cars spotted on the road.

The current RS Megane has EPAS (electric power steering) - so there is no change there. It will be further developed in the MY17 car so hopefully has more feel than the current system.

I doubt Renault are going to sink money into an electronic differential (like the McLaren system). Mechanical LSD thus will stay as it's the most cost effective option. An LSD will certainly be required for 300bhp, so I wouldn't be surprised if it's standard unlike the current Megane which only gets one with the Cup chassis option.

 

Lets hope Renault have learnt their lesson & your right but I have serious doubts considering they did exactly what I outlined with the Clio 4.
They ditched the manual box, they ditched the Brembos, they ditched Recaros, they ditched the dual axis hub assy etc.
I still get the feeling the Meg 4 will be a much dumbed down affair to appear to a much broader crowd less interested in lap times & driver involvement but rather more interested in electronic crap & pretty interiors, lets hope not.

 

Why is a Meg 4 RS future weight compared to the weight of a 3 R ?

 

I compared it to my 275R because that's what I own, thus that's what I would be comparing it against should I be considering one. They may well make a lightweight version later on but I seriously doubt it because that doesn't appear to be the market Renault are chasing anymore.
If you want a Meg 4 by all means buy one, I'm not trying to dissuade anyone, it matters not at all to me.
I'm sure they will be a great proposition for many folks & I'm sure many Meg 2 owners believe the Meg 3 is not what they want from a vehicle.
I personally wont be getting a Meg 4 because like the Clio 4 I believe the car will be much less hardcore & less suited to what I personally want from a performance vehicle for the reasons I outlined, but that's just my personal opinion/preference (I was still allowed an opinion last time I checked lol).

 

lol indeed, I can't remember anyone disputing your right to an opinion.

Conversely, we're all entitled to one too although I don't really have one as I tend to base mine on facts and test drives, neither of which are available on the subject of the Meg 4 RS.

I have no idea what market Renault are chasing or if they will make a R. Time will tell.

 

The fact that they are even toying with the RS16 is a sign that they aren't finished making entertaining cars.
However the days of properly balls out cars are truly over. That ended when the last Clio V6's rolled off the production line.
As good as the Megane R's have been, they haven't been as special as the Clio V6, they are stripped out roadcars, that perform incredibly on track, not bottom up madness, mini super cars.

I do, however have faith in Renaultsport, until there is confirmation there is only speculation and arseholes........sorry opinions (which are like arseholes).
And if the new Megane isn't enough, then the Alpine certainly looks like it will be!

Despite only owning my Cup-S for a month I look forward to seeing what's next.