It’s a glorious time to be a fan of the Megane RenaultSport 250 Cup these days. Recently, the Renault->ke72 hot hatch sports car was launched at the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, paving the way for the entry of the hotly-anticipated sports hatch in a market segment that has grown with competitors in the recent years.

Though it's not as trendy a name as the Scirocco, Cooper, and Focus models of the world, the Megane RenaultSport 250 Cup’s strength doesn’t lie in its brand recall name but in the unbridled look and top-class performance standards that it always comes in. Okay, there’s also that matter about the car’s performance package, which according to TC Euro Cars, is chalk full of fully-functioning features that TC Euro Cars added to the already spicy performance package on the car.

The three-door coupe already has a slew of reservations attached to it and if things fall according to plan and expectations, we might see more of this car in the coming future, maybe even sooner rather than later.

Details after the jump.

2012 Renault Sport Megane 250 Cup

Specifications
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  • Model: 2012 Renault Sport Megane 250 Cup
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EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR

Aesthetically speaking, the Renault Megane Sport 250 Cup’s interior has been dressed to the nines, particularly when it comes to all the added features and functions. Among the additions in the car’s interior include Recaro seats with the Renault Sport logo and yellow seat belts, and an R.S. Monitoring that shows a variety of functions - stopwatch with memory function, acceleration timer, g-force meter, turbo pressure, oil temp, torque/power figures. There’s also the matter of added goodies like a keyless entry and start, dual-zone A/C, auto lights and wipers, iPod and USB aux ports, bi-xenons with daytime running lights and, of course, six airbags. The exterior, meanwhile, was also given a nice upgrade in the form of a set of 18-inch rims wrapped around 135/40 Michelin tires.

PERFORMANCE

The Megane Sport 250 Cup has been outfitted with an updated version of an R26-sourced 2.0-liter engine that comes with new parts making up 30% of the engine. These new parts include reinforced pistons, new coolers, sodium-coated valves, piston ring carriers, and a twin-scroll turbo. All these modifications to the engine have given the car an output of 250 horsepower and 340 Nm of torque at 3,000 RPM with a 0-60 mph time of just under six seconds and a top speed of 245 kmh. If you want to use a direct comparison to the Megane Sport 250 Cup’s numbers, the Volkswagen Scirocco->ke1517 produces 207 horsepower, a 0-60 mph time of 6.9 seconds, and a top speed of 238 kmh.

TC Euro Cars takes the Renault hot hatch and gives it a high-spec performance upgrade with a limited slip differential by GKN Driveline and 4-piston Brembo brakes with 340 mm slotted discs, which, by the way, is the largest in its segment. Then there’s the matter of the car’s chassis, which has been lowered by 10 mm and given updated springs, dampers, and anti roll bars. Similarly, the car’s front and rear were reduced by 35 and 38 percent, respectively, with the front anti roll bars being stiffened by 13 percent. TC Euro Cars also gave the car aluminum pivots and lower arms to effectively reduce the car’s weight all while taking out the bearings and being replaced with ball joints.

The Performance Hub allows for an independent steering front axis, eliminating torque steer. Aluminum pivots and lower arms reduce unsprung weight while ball joints are used in place of bearings for less friction. Speaking of weight, the Megane RS’ kerb weight is 1,387 kg. The ESP system is a multi mode affair which can be fully switched off.

COMPETITION

The Megane RenaultSport 250 Cup comes with a list of hot hatch competitors, including the Volkswagen Scirocco->ke1517, the Ford Focus ST, the MINI Countryman->ke3615, and the Citroen DS3->ke3360 to name a few.

PRICING

TC Euro Cars has announced that the Spain-made three-door coupe is being priced at the RM229,800, which based on current exchange rates, is somewhere around $74,000, making it cheaper than the Scirocco’s price tag of $29,800.