Renault Megane RS Red Bull Racing RB8 – RM252,888 ~ Vw Tech Support

Last month, we reported that the Renault Megane RS Red Bull Racing RB8 will be officially launched in Malaysia by October, and here it is, the limited edition version of the Megane RS 265, now available for purchase.

Only 15 units (out of 815 worldwide) will be brought in by local Renault distributor TC Euro Cars, and we hear that 10 of those have already been accounted for, so you’ll need to be quick to own this RM252,888 (on-the-road with insurance) hot hatch.

That’s a substantial premium over the standard RS 265 Cup (RM234,526 OTR without insurance), but exclusivity is guaranteed. TC Euro Cars managed to secure a bigger allocation this time around – only five units of the previous black/yellow RB7 was brought in.

The Red Bull Racing RB8 is a celebratory special to mark Renault and RBR’s third consecutive F1 world championship win. Based on the RS 265 Cup, the RB8 gets a special Twilight Blue colour inspired by Vettel’s race car. UHP Bridgestone Potenza tyres wrap 19-inch black alloys with grey pin striping.

The front winglets, rear spoiler, door handles and side mirror covers are painted in contrasting Platinum Grey. Customary Red Bull Racing decals and a monochrome laurel on the rear side windows complete the special dress-up.

Inside, RBR logos can be found on the carpets and numbered aluminium sill guards. The gear knob and red trim are new too. Bigger news is the standard-fit of the new R-Link and RS Monitor 2.0 systems. The latter is a big upgrade over the RS Monitor seen in the Megane RS 250 and 265.

A seven-inch touchscreen colour display replaces the old monochrome unit, and the RS Monitor 2.0 has a much-improved user interface. A Red Bull Racing home screen is on board, and certain information can now be displayed in 3D form.

Displays include engine/torque curves, g-force diagram, bar graphs (turbo pressure, oil temp, intake temp, throttle, etc), maintenance schedule (tyres, absorbers, brake pads/discs, etc), stopwatch and oscilloscope (steering angle). It even shows the percentage of traction slip and wheelspin, basically what the LSD is up to.

The R-Link system groups together controls for navi, telephony, multimedia and vehicle systems into a cluster of buttons and joystick located next to the handbrake. One can also use voice command or the touch screen. A reverse camera is now available.

No changes mechanically, so under the hood is the Megane RS 265′s 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 265 hp and 360 Nm of torque. Peak torque is available across a broader rev-range compared to the RS 250, from 3,000 to 5,000 rpm, as opposed to the old fixed point of 3,000 rpm. As usual, it has three pedals and six speeds, so those with lazy left legs need not apply.

0-100 km/h is done in 6.0 seconds flat, while top speed is 250 km/h, although from our experience, real-world performance will be stronger than what the bare figures suggest. Five more units left, if you’re interested…