UPDATE: The Renaultsport Clio Could Be About To Get A 271bhp Megane Engine Plus Manual ‘Box

In terms of driver feedback and purity, the ageing but brilliant Renaultsport Megane is the one to beat in its class. But its Clio RS 200 baby brother? That’s way down our priority list, behind the Ford Fiesta ST, the Peugeot 208 GTI 30th and potentially even the Vauxhall Corsa VXR. The reason? Other than the fact it’s simply not fun enough, the lethargic, out-of-place dual-clutch gearbox is its Achilles’ heel. But that could be set to change thanks to the hardcore KZ 01 version.

It’s expected to make its debut at the Monaco Grand Prix, but an image leak at the weekend means we’re getting an early glimpse. And from the outset, it looks like a much more serious beast than the boggo Clio RS.

The arches are much wider - the front ones having sprouted some vents - the front bumper has been redesigned and the rear spoiler is now a hell of a lot bigger. The biggest news though, is under the bonnet.

A lot more power is anticipated, but a French forum is even claiming that the RS Megane’s mighty 271bhp, 2.0-litre four-banger has been squeezed under the bonnet. And that of course means it gets the Megane’s gearbox: a six-speed manual.

We don’t want to get too excited just yet, for two reasons. Firstly, we all thought that the 220 ‘Trophy’ version of the Clio might be given a manual ‘box, only to be disappointed when the DCT-only reality appeared. Secondly, the technical info could amount to nothing more than baseless speculation. We can’t wait to see if the rumours are true, however…

UPDATE: Renault has since confirmed that a ‘special Clio’ will debut at the Monaco Grand Prix. Speaking about the news, Renault Sport Managing Director Patrice Ratti said: “We successfully completed the project of a slightly crazy car. It was a joint effort by the Renault Sport Cars and Renault Sport Racing teams. This Clio R.S. refines the expertise of Renault Sport engineers whilst exploring new avenues for the future.” The company also released a higher resolution version of one of the previously leaked images, which can be seen above.