There's a new addition to the Renaultsport lineup as the Megane gets another steroid dose.

Renault Sport Technologies have given the Megane R26.R visual differences that mark out the car at first glance. The carbon fibre bonnet and new 18” alloy wheels in red are the main visual clues together with a new rear spoiler, plus R26.R decals and logos and tinted polycarbonate in place of glass in the tailgate and rear side windows.

The car is available in seven colours, two of which are new to the Megane — Racing Blue and Renault i.d. Lunar Grey — and one which is brand new, Renault i.d. Pearlescent White.

Inside the R26.R you get competition seats with a carbon fibre shell supplied by Sabelt who also supply the six-point harnesses — the first time that this form of restraint has been homologated in a production car. Conventional lap and diagonal seat belts can be fitted as an accessory. No rear seat is fitted. The steering wheel and gearlever gaiter are in leather and suede. A plaque shows the production number for each country as the car is limited to 450 examples worldwide.

To improve the power to weight ratio, the R26.R has been on a strict diet, losing 123kg compared to the standard R26. This has been achieved by the removal of components like rear seats and seat belts, passenger airbag and curtain airbags, climate control, radio/CD player and most of the soundproofing. A new carbon fibre bonnet saves 7.5kg, polycarbonate tailgate and rear side windows save 5.7kg, the Sabelt seats shave off 25kg.

Optional are a roll cage and titanium exhaust.

The suspension and brakes have been optimised to make the most of the new, lighter weight and to provide maximum performance. The front independent suspension is maintained but gets new parts, while the R26.R retains the limited slip differential from the Mégane Renaultsport 230 F1 Team R26. Boosting traction, this is a mechanical differential with helical teeth and retains the same transfer rate of 33 percent. The combination of this limited slip differential and independent steering-axis front suspension minimises torque steer and enables power to be applied earlier during cornering.

A performance car needs brakes that are both powerful and fade-resistant. The Mégane R26.R has large 312mm ventilated discs at the front with Brembo four-piston callipers that provide the stopping power. To resist fade, the discs are grooved as opposed to drilled.

The R26.R takes its engine and gearbox from the Mégane Renaultsport 230 F1 Team R26. This develops a peak power of 171kW and torque of 310Nm. A characteristic of this engine is the wide power band, with 90 percent of the torque available from 2000 to 6000rpm.

The R26.R accelerates from zero to 100km/h in 6.0 seconds and passes the 1000m mark in 25.9 seconds. On 23 June, it established a new lap record for a front wheel drive production car of the Nürburgring circuit with a time of 8 minutes 17 seconds. To commemorate this, the circuit outline and lap time is etched into the rear side windows.