- Built to a high standard, devastating looks

- A fitting tribute to the success of the Maxi Mégane

- In the colours of Ragnotti and Thimonier’s car, for Ragnotti’s final season in competition

- No reserve

Motorsport enthusiasts were drawn to the Mégane from the start of its career. The future proved them right and it performed brilliantly in the World Series by Renault with its Trophy versions. But before this, Renault decided to take advantage of the Kit Car category created by the FIA in 1994 by plunging its cutting-edge model into the thick of competition, to replace the ageing Clio Maxi. In this category reserved for production cars, the capacity for naturally-aspirated engines was limited to 2 litres, with two-wheel drive and a maximum weight of 1000kg, but a greater number of modifications were allowed than in Group A. To the point where the power of these machines with their sequential gearboxes could reach 300bhp and made them a match for WRC cars in rallying.

Given the name Maxi Mégane, the Mégane Kit Car prepared by Renault Sport was a true competition car with its pumped-up wings, wide wheels and rear spoiler. It competed successfully in the French Rally Championship, with three wins in 1996 in the hands of Philippe Bugalski, and five the following year, with Bugalski, Serge Jordan and Sylvain Polo. Renault’s withdrawal did not prevent the Maxi Mégane, now driven by privateers, from continuing to fly the flag for the model, and in 1999, Enrico Bertone won the European Rally Championship and the Maxi Mégane claimed the FIA 2-Litre World Rally Cup, with four victories.

The car offered for sale is a 2.0 16V coupé which has been transformed into a replica of the Maxi Mégane with the same exterior appearance: the wide wheels and wings, spoiler and DIAC livery of the Maxi Mégane used by Jean Ragnotti and Gilles Thimonier during the 1996 season. A symbolic choice, as the colours were those of Ragnotti’s final season in competition, before hanging up his helmet at the end of 1996 ...

The interior is stripped out and the car has a (non-compliant) roll cage, an OMP steering wheel and Sparco bucket seats with Sabelt harnesses. A resounding tribute to the success of the Maxi Mégane, this car was used for various displays and parades. It came to the collection from Renault Sport in 1998. Sold without a registration certificate, it is not in running order, but is an attractive replica of this legendary rally car.