Renault are getting pretty good at this sort of thing. The Renaultsport Clio 182 Cup proved to be the hot hatch hit with track day paddocks stuffed to the gunwales with the things. Therefore, it was only right and proper that Renault reprised the trick with their Megane 225. In offering much the same recipe of less weight and equipment but with a big slash in the asking price, this Megane could well become another sales winner.

Could is the operative word. Whereas the Clio was in a league of its own when it came to performance per pound, there are a few other cars that the Megane Cup needs to muscle aside. The trouble it faces comes in the shape of Honda's Civic Type-R, Vauxhall's Astra VXR and Ford's Focus ST - three extremely talented cars that appeal to those looking for scalpel-sharp front-wheel-drive hatches with some serious power. Priced at £18,960, the Megane Cup looks very good value for money, undercutting the leading contenders.

The Megane Renaultsport 225 'family' now comprises the Cup as the entry level model with the standard car positioned above that and the plush F1 R26 at the top of the line-up. It is with the F1 that the Cup shares many of its suspension enhancements. The 'Cup Chassis' on which this car rides has been specially developed for the purpose of putting a big stupid grin on the face of persons ensconced behind the wheel. Extra support has been added to stiffen things up, reducing body roll when cornering, cutting back on nose dive under braking and toning down any speedboat style pitching when you put the hammer down.

The front suspension has also been tinkered with to sharpen up the turn in and counteract any understeer. The standard Renaultsport Megane is an impressively composed handler for a powerful front-wheel-drive car but the Cup makes a significantly lither proposition with more urgency injected into the driving experience. These chassis modifications and revised settings are offered as an optional 'Cup Chassis' pack for existing Megane 225 models.

"The Megane Renaultsport Cup is a very different car to its more relaxed big brother"

The front and rear brake discs are cross-drilled for improved performance in the wet and more efficient cooling, while the diameter of the master cylinder has been increased to 25.4mm - a move which is said to deliver increased feel with less pedal travel. Perhaps more salient are changes wrought on the electronics designed to keep the Megane Cup on the straight and narrow. The ESP system can be switched off at speeds above 35mph so drivers can get closer to the car's limits. It'll still cut back in to try and save the situation if it thinks you're in danger of coming a cropper but the tolerance threshold for this intervention has been raised with the aim of making the ESP less intrusive.

The brake assist system has also been ditched on the Cup, further reducing the level of electronic interference. As much as what you do get, this Cup model is about what's not included. Out goes the standard Megane 225's six-disc multichanger in favour of a single slot item and the hands-free Renault Card ignition system is also junked in favour of a simple key. The tyre pressure monitor, the leather trim on the doors and armrest, the metallic paint and the carpet mats also get the red pen treatment. The only standard colour offered is Capsicum Red but if you don't fancy that, there are a number of optional metallic finishes available.

The Cup also benefits from a new power-assisted steering system with a 'tube-in-tube' sliding joint for enhanced steering feel and special High Frequency Curve Assist software which affects the way the steering reacts when cornering. When you turn that wheel, you'll also be turning the 18" 12-spoke anthracite alloy ones that come with all Cup models. These are each 1.5kg lighter than the equivalent rolling stock found on the standard Megane 225 and they're shod with specially designed Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tyres. Removing 1.5kg from the revolving weight is broadly equivalent to 4kg of normal sprung weight, so these wheels have the effect of shaving around 16kg off the Megane's bulk. This helps in turn to shave 0.2 seconds off the car's sprint to 60mph, notching off the benchmark in just 6.1 seconds.

The re-geared steering is well weighted and the car turns into corners eagerly. There's little sign of the uneven weight distribution or sketchy traction that can plague powerful front-wheel-drive cars with front-mounted engines. Don't expect to gain the same level of driver involvement as in some more raw-edged competitors but the Megane feels composed, fast and fun on the kinds of journeys buyers are likely to encounter.

The engine is obviously a key part of this and in the Megane Renaultsport Cup's case, we're talking about a 2.0-litre turbocharged unit with 225bhp. The power delivery is smooth with the 300Nm maximum swell of torque hitting the road at 3,000rpm and the full power arriving at 5,500rpm. More useful in assessing the car's overall character is the fact that well over 250Nm of torque is being produced from as low as 2,000 all the way up to 6,000rpm. This creates a high level of flexibility and coupled with the absence of any serious turbo lag, it means that there's power instantly available in most gears at most engine speeds. The 32mph average fuel consumption is very impressive in a vehicle with this rarefied level of performance.

Only offered in three-door guise, the Megane Renaultsport 225 Cup makes a far more convincing value proposition than its big brother. What's more, the changes made have transformed its character. Whereas the standard car felt like a mature A-road destroyer but lost its composure on anything more demanding, the Cup feels like Megane 225 Version 2, a car that has evolved in response to criticisms laid at the door of the original. Before putting your name down for a Ford Focus ST or a Vauxhall Astra VXR, it's worth taking a test drive. You might just surprise yourself.