For those of you filthy Westerners who thought the agony wrought by your unrequited love for the gray market RS.4 was the most painful experience you were likely to endure at the feet of a Euro-spec hoon, rest assured that you were wrong. The new Renault Mégane R.S. is the latest sport hatch to roll out of Renault’s paddock, and it’s just as drool-inducing as you would imagine.

Flawless exterior design aside, the biggest selling point on the new Mégane R.S. is the revised turbocharged 2.0 16V (F4Rt) under the hood. Thanks to standard evolution changes and a corresponding livelier response at lower revs, continuously variable intake valve timing, and revised fuel-injection mapping, the powerplant now delivers 250hp at 5,500rpm and 340Nm of torque at 3,000 rpm. When mated to Renault’s new six-speed manual gearbox (PK4), the new engine propels the Mégane R.S. past the 0-100kph mark in 6.1 seconds and flying past 1,000-meters in 25.7 seconds.

For those of you who are already frothing at the mouth with anticipation and have the good fortune of living in Europe, the Mégane R.S. will hit dealer lots shortly after the new year. For the rest of you, the Mégane R.S has already dropped in Need for Speed: Shift, which we highly advise you to procure given it’s the closest you’re likely to get to owning one.

Source: Renault