Renault Megane Renaultsport 275 Trophy-R Special Edition celebrates Nurburgring record

The Renault Megane Renaultsport 275 Trophy-R (pictured) breaks a Nurburgring record We knew Renault were planning to take the Megane Renaultsport 275 Trophy to the Nurburgring to have a crack at the FWD production car record and wrestle it back from the SEAT Lean Cupra 280. After some extreme weight saving measures – and some chassis tweaks – Renault managed to push the 275 Trophy round the Nordschleife in 7min 53.4 seconds, beating the SEAT’s time of 7min 58.4 seconds to take the record (video below). But not being one’s to miss a marketing opportunity, Renault has decided that they should celebrate the Nurburgring record with a new limited edition Megane – the Megane Renaultsport 275 Trophy-R Special Edition.

US DoT makes rear-view cameras compulsory

The US Department of Transportation (DoT) has issued a new safety standard for rear visibility that requires mandatory fitment of rear-view cameras. The ruling applies to all new vehicles, excluding motorcycles, weighing under 10,000 pounds (4,536kg) sold from 2018. The ruling has been introduced to cut backover crashes, caused when the victim strays into the blind zone 10-40 feet (3-12m) behind the vehicle that the driver can't see using their mirrors alone.

Drink Driving rules get tougher

There’s been talk for some time that the government are planning to reduce the current drink driving limit, but, sensibly, it seems they’ve decided, at least for now, that there’s little to be gained by shooting drivers for having a rum baba for desert. Instead, the rules are to be toughened up to make persistent drink drivers jump through more hoops before they can get their licence back. No longer will it be enough to simply get to the end of their ban, they’ll have to prove they are no longer reliant on alcohol and pass a medical.