Chassis, engine and steering engineered for the ultimate driving experience

Mégane F1 Team R26's most striking features are to be found under its bonnet, principally its revised 2.0 16-valve turbocharged engine which now delivers 230hp at 5,500rpm and boasts peak torque of 310Nm at 3,000rpm thanks to specific engine mapping and a modified exhaust. With 90 per cent of peak torque available from 2,000 to 6,000rpm, this engine provides instant response and fearsome acceleration.

The six-speed manual gearbox enables all this potential to be exploited to the full and helps take the car from rest to 62mph in only 6.2 seconds (0.1 seconds quicker than the 225 Cup), while the 1,000-metre standing start is covered in just 26.6 seconds. Mégane F1 Team R26 also offers impressive fuel efficiency for its power output, with combined cycle fuel consumption of 33mpg. As is the case with Clio Renaultsport 197 (199g/km), CO2 emissions do not exceed 200g/km. Finally, a new exhaust system guarantees a sporty rasp from the engine thanks to the new sports exhaust, particularly at low speed and during hard acceleration.

Mégane F1 Team R26's other main strength is its chassis which features a development of the "Cup" chassis which is optional on the Mégane Renaultsport 225, but modified still further with specific dampers and stiffer springs, while damper travel has been slightly increased by reducing the size of the bump stops to optimise handling on poor surfaces. The new diameter front anti-roll bar and rear suspension layout ensure stiffer anti-roll characteristics for enhanced handling under cornering.

Now equipped with a limited slip differential, Mégane F1 Team R26 has never been so close to being a genuine competition car. The limited slip differential guarantees impeccable traction performance irrespective of driving style or type of corner, however much grip is available.

Limited slip differentials are a common feature on competition cars, both in rallying and in Formula 1, but very rare on front wheel drive road cars, as they can call for a certain degree of driving skill as a result of the torque steer that can be transmitted via the steering wheel in some situations. However, in the case of Mégane F1 Team R26, the combination of a limited slip differential and independent steering-axis front suspension not only minimises this phenomenon but also permits the driver to benefit from the extra traction. Following the switch to a tube-in-tube steering column in April 2004, the electric power steering control unit of the Mégane Renaultsport family was recently recalibrated with a view to guaranteeing a more linear feel for added steering precision.

Performance of this calibre calls for brakes that boast both bite and endurance, so Mégane F1 Team R26's uprated brake system – which features Brembo four-pot front callipers and vented 312mm diameter discs – provides outstanding stopping power, enhanced further by the work of the 11-inch servo which generates a maximum pressure within the circuit of 115 bar.  Due to the new limited slip differential, in place of the previous Dunlop SportMaxx tyres, Mégane F1 Team R26 is equipped with Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tyres (235/40 R18).

The new Mégane Renaultsport 230 F1 Team R26 will cost the same as the former 225 F1 Team special edition at £19,570 when UK ordering opens at the end of October 2006, so the extra technical specification and power come for free. Its insurance group rating is 17.