The Mégane F1 Team R26 from Renault has won the winner coveted Sportive de l’année (Sports Model of the Year) award.

This is the fifth time that Renault has won this accolade, said a company statement.

Renault is now the only carmaker which has won the highest number of Sports Model of the Year titles since Echappement introduced the award in 1982. Previous winners were the Renault 5 GT Turbo in 1985, Clio 16S in 1991, the Spider Renault Sport in 1996 and Clio Renault Sport in 2000, it said

Developed by Renault Sport Technologies, Mégane F1 Team R26 is the sportiest member of the Mégane Renault Sport family. A panel of Echappement writers and guest readers voted it Sports Model of the Year 2007. Magazine readers also sent in their votes, choosing 10 models from a list of cars that had come to market during the year. The 10 short-listed vehicles were then tested in stages during this year's Rallye du Limousin in the west of France and then around the Mas du Clos circuit in the central French department of La Creuse.

During the test drives, the panel of judges assessed the performance of the would-be sports models of the year. Rally driver Bryan Bouffier also took part, bringing in his expertise and pushing the cars to the limit, said the company.

Mégane F1 Team R26 totalled 83 points, ahead of the Peugeot 207 RC which had 72 and the BMW M3 which had 69 points. Clio F1 Team R27 was rated a very honourable fifth, ahead of more powerful vehicles, it said.

Mégane F1 Team R26 is manufactured at Renault's Dieppe plant (Normandy) and was first retailed in April 2007 throughout Europe and in certain other high export markets. It accounts for 57 per cent of Mégane Renault Sport petrol engine sales.
Its success has earned it the right to a commercial career that has been extended to the beginning of 2009, the company said. – TradeArabia News Service