Already the owner of a Megane R26.R and a Megane R.S. 250, Eric is not your average customer. Invited to drop in at Renault Sport Technologies’ workshops and design offices, he then took receipt of the keys to a limited-edition Megane R.S. 275 Trophy-R, number 225.

What made you choose the Megane R.S. 275 Trophy-R ?
Eric : “I’ve already got a Megane R26.R (number 225), and a Megane R.S. 250, which I’ve been driving for four years. I love driving on back roads, and I also want to do a bit of track driving. The Megane R.S. 275 Trophy-R was a pretty logical choice for me. I was looking for a high-performance car that’s nice to drive and which I can use every day. I’ve also got the limited-edition number 225, which is the same number as my R26.R.”

Are you planning to do some track driving with the Megane R.S. 275 Trophy-R at one of Renault Sport’s Enthusiast Days ?
Eric : “I’m going to go to Spa-Francorchamps or Le Mans. I really hope my schedule will allow me to do that.”

Did the Megane R.S. 275 Trophy-R’s Nordschleife record play any part in you deciding to choose the car ?
Eric : “Records aren’t that important to my mind. The Nordschleife is a track where the engine has a big part to play. What really convinced me was how efficient the car is on country roads.”

What are you going to do with the mini helmet that comes with the Megane R.S. 275 Trophy-R ?
Eric : “I think I’m going to show it off and put it on a shelf or in my office. I think it’s good that they’ve created a replica of the helmet used by Laurent Hurgon, the record-breaking driver. It’s fun.”

Orchestrating the handover was Renault Sport’s Head of Sales Patrice Barbato, behalf Renault Retail Group Paris République which sells the car.

How important is it for you to hand over the keys to this Megane R.S. 275 Trophy-R at Les Ulis, in Renault Sport’s workshops ?
Patrice Barbato : “It’s essential that there’s a direct relationship between Renault Sport and our customers. Eric has had the opportunity to meet our engineers and talk about the development of our cars. It was a very interesting discussion.”

It’s not every day that a customer can come to Les Ulis to take delivery of a Renault Sport car is it ?
Patrice Barbato : “It’s a unique operation. We used to give our customers the opportunity to go and pick up their Renault Sport car straight from the Dieppe factory. We’re focusing above all on developing our Renault Sport Specialist network around the world, which is one of the key assets our brand has to offer.”

What kind of a reception has the Megane R.S. 275 Trophy-R had in the Renault Sport Specialist network ?
Patrice Barbato : “A lot of our employees are big motorsports fans and they were waiting for a car like this. The Megane R.S. 275 Trophy-R rounds off the range and it’s the pride of our network. Just as it does on the market, it’s a car that projects the image of the brand in our network. It’s a testament to the know-how of Renault Sport and Renault.”

How many orders have you had for the car so far ?
Patrice Barbato : “We’ve had orders for all 72 of the Megane R.S. 275 Trophy-Rs set aside for France. There are only 250 of the cars in the world, though we are still making the limited-edition Megane R.S. 275 Trophy. While it doesn’t have the extra weight of the “R”, it does come with a number of accessories, such as Öhlins Road & Track shock absorbers and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres.”