We review the Renault sport Megane 275 Trophy from price to economy and all its features

The French firm has unleashed possibly its sexiest ever model, the Renault sport R.S. 01 race car, for their World Series.

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It’s clearly based on the sensational DeZir concept which I exclusively drove three years ago and the 3.8litre V6 from the Nissan GT-R will deliver 493bhp.

At the other end of the power scale, Renault launched its funky new little Twingo this week.

But I got a first drive in Scotland of the closest thing you can get to the R.S. 01 as a road car — the Renault sport Megane 275 Trophy...

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Super sexy … Renault sport R.S. 01 race car

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Not for the faint-hearted. Finding it in the supermarket car park will never be a problem. Of course you don’t need to get it in yellow but this colour emphasises perfectly that this car is only for those who like to stand out in a crowd.

Stunning glossy black alloys are an excellent foil for the bright hue. There’s also an extra beefy grille with satin chrome lip and LED daytime running lights to add even more drama.

DRIVE TIME

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Standing out from the crowd … racy styling

This is what a hot hatch is all about. The Renault sport Megane has always been a top contender — and the 275 Trophy doesn’t disappoint.

Using the recently-facelifted Renault sport Megane 265 as a starting point it keeps all four seats, but comes with the stiffer cup chassis and and a host of tweaks to the 2litre turbocharged engine which delivers an extra 10bhp. The end result is the 0-62mph time is cut by two tenths to 5.8 seconds, while the top speed stays at 158mph.

It remains one of the most accomplished and hottest hatches you can buy although potholes are spine-shuddering.

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INSIDE STORY

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Sporty styling… complete with Recaro bucket seats

There’s not too many mod cons but it’s brighter than the standard Megane considerably by the Recaro bucket seats and red seats belts.

The seats add to the hardcore nature of this hot hatch but like the hard ride, will probably leave you needing a few visits to an osteopath.