Renault has released full details and specifications for the new Megane 250, and it's all sounding rather serious.
With £22,995 Sport and more track-oriented £21,995 Cup chassis options, the car's 2.0-litre engine with twin-scroll turbocharger offers 250bhp and 250 lb ft of torque.
Impressively, 80% of that torque is available from just 1900rpm and the power and torque gains over the engine's previous incarnation in the Megane R26.R have come with changes to the turbo, as well as continuously variable intake valve timing and revised fuel-injection mapping.
Plenty of performance-orientated electronic bits are included. The main party piece is 'Renaultsport Dynamic Management', a system that controls the various electronic aids and lets you select from three settings, while 'RenaultSport Monitor' provides all sorts of telemetry feedback and logging of times and statistics.
Interestingly we're told that overall, the Cup chassis is approximately 15 per cent stiffer than the Sport version, and includes a mechanical limited slip differential. Both versions get huge 340mm vented discs and four-pot Brembo callipers, though the Cup's discs are grooved to help them cope with the increased abuse the sportier version is likely to invite.
Both versions' exteriors get a decent workout too, helping the standard Megane coupe to broadcast its sporting intentions a little more effectively. The 250 gets extended wheel arches with optional 19-inch Speedline alloys, black door mirrors, a modified front bumper with aerodynamic 'blade', a central tailpipe with an extra spoiler and diffuser and the now-obligatory daytime running lights. And you can have it in any colour you like, as long as it's this rather lurid shade Renault refers to as 'Sport Yellow'.
We hope that the sum of all this sporty detailing outside, inside and underneath the Megane 250 will deliver appropriately sporty results. All we know so far is that 0-62mph takes 6.1 seconds (which with the aforementioned 'PowerStart' may even be an achievable figure) and it'll apparently cover 1000 metres in 25.7 seconds from a standing start.
The looks may remain controversial, but if its anything like as much fun around a track as our own Renaultsport Clio from the PH fleet, then we reckon they could be onto a winner with this one.
Renault has also knocked out a rather spiffing animated promo showing an anatomical breakdown of the car, which you can watch below.
(UPDATE: PH is interviewing Renaultsport technical director Stephen Marvin this week. If you've got a question you'd like us to ask him - click here.)
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