2012 Renault Megane Renaultsport 265

Once the Megane range gets a mid-life face lift in April, we will be saying bye-bye to the 250 and a big hello to the new 265. It's Renault's latest record breaking hot hatch to hit our roads with a lap time of 8 minutes and 8 seconds around the Nurburgring which makes it the fastest front-wheel drive car ever to go round the famous German track.

Thanks to the new 'Renaultsport Dynamic Management' system, the new 265's 2.0L Turbo will produce 261bhp and 265lb ft of torque meaning a 0-60mph time of around six seconds and a top speed of 160mph. All that is available once you've pushed the 'Sport' button, with the car acting calm and civilised, "ish", in normal mode. Renault have also made sure it produces the best noise too with a new open exhaust design and a reinforced sound pipe providing the perfect sound track at all times.

The change that everyone will notice is the 265's magnificent new looks. At the front there is a new F1 style blade housing two rows of LED daytime running lights and there is a sporty black surround on the headlights. Down the side red stripes greet the eye along the side skirts continuing from the front blade, and you can choose between 18" and 19" RS wheels in a satin finish or in matte black. There are also nice RS badges on the front grille and on the centre of your chosen wheels.

Inside, the new 265 gets red stitching almost everywhere as standard with the option of charcol leather seats or Recaro seats in fabric or leather. Fans of the colour yellow can still choose an interior with a yellow ambiance if they want and you can even get carbon fibre-esque trims on the dashboard and doors.

If this standard car isn't quite good enough for you then there's the option of specifying the car with the Cup chassis for a small fee and the 'Average Joe' 265 is predicted to be around £25,000 which is cheaper than the Volkswagen Scirocco R and it's probably going to cost less than the forthcoming Vauxhall Astra VXR.

Renault, where do I sign?