Renault Megane 250 Cup

The Cup is an excellent hot hatch – and we’d choose it over Renaultsport’s regular Mégane 250 every time. It has the raw appeal to attract hardcore driving fans, but is still comfortable enough to use every day. In terms of fun-per-pound, not much else on the road can touch it.

Climbing to the top of the hot hatch league is tough – but Renault has already got the Cup wrapped up! The Renaultsport 250 Cup is an even more driver-focused version of the all-new performance Mégane, aimed at track day enthusiasts who favour thrills over comfort.

It ditches the leather sports seats in favour of a set of thin, tightly hugging Recaros. Plus, the Cup loses the standard car’s dual-zone climate control and automatic headlights – although this shaves £1,000 off the price in the process.

But the newcomer isn’t just a stripped-out version of the regular Renaultsport Mégane, because the engineers have sharpened it up, too. The suspension is 15 per cent stiffer, while thicker anti-roll bars and a limited-slip diff have been fitted. And the result is improved handling feel, reduced body roll and much faster cornering.

One feature that hasn’t been axed is the Renaultsport Dynamic Management button. Hit this, and the stability control doesn’t intervene so keenly, while throttle response is sharper, too.

The Cup sprints from 0-62mph in 6.1 seconds – the same as the standard car – but the changes to the chassis make for a far more engaging, raw driving experience, even at low speeds.

Just like the excellent Renaultsport Clio 200 Cup, the Mégane has immense grip, and corners quickly with precision. The step up in driver involvement between this and the regular car is huge.

To scrub off speed safely during intense track sessions, the brake discs are grooved. Plus, the calipers are painted red – and unless you climb into the driver’s seat, that’s the only way to tell the Cup apart!