If you liked the new 2009 Megane Coupe’s looks (see official images here), then you’re going to fall in love with the competition version that will participate in the 2009 season of the World Series car championship by Renault. To be precise, Renault actually retained the underpinning of the previous Megane Trophy adding a composite body that takes its inspiration from the lines of the new Megane Coupe, but the result is stunning. -Continued

Under its composite outer skin, the new Megane Trophy features the same mechanicals as the current car, including an FIA-homologated sports-prototype tubular chassis, a mid-rear mounted V6 3.5 24V engine from Nissan / Infiniti, a semi-automatic gearbox with steering wheel-mounted paddle shift that delivers power to the rear wheels, double wishbone suspension with adjustable dampers, 18-inch wheels and Michelin racing tires.

However, Renault’s engineers took the opportunity to perform several upgrades and revisions on the Trophy which now features a more powerful version of the 3.5-liter V6 developing 360HP, up from 300HP. Furthermore, refinements to the aerodynamic set-up have produced a 20% improvement in downforce and a 15% reduction in drag which, together, represent a gain of almost 40% in terms of the new car's aerodynamic performance over the previous generation model.

According to French automaker, the aerodynamic gains and the extra power output of the V6 3.5 24V engine will enable the new Megane Trophy to lap in times similar to those of a Porsche GT3.

Renault said that after the completion of its development programme, the new Trophy will go on sale at the end of the year in the form of a kit that will enable existing cars to be upgraded. The modifications required to adapt the chassis to the new bodywork will be carried out by the Alpine factory in Dieppe.