Is The Megane RS About To Steal The 'Ring Record Back From The Leon Cupra 280?

The Renaultsport Megane 265 is a damn good car, but its recently-facelifted hot hatchery looked to be well behind the times after Seat took the Nurburgring front-wheel drive lap record from its grasps, lopping nearly 10 seconds off the Renault's time with the Cupra 280.

Carscoops came across the above video of a hot RS Megane hitting the track hard. Until last month the Megane had nothing to prove, but could Seat's startling lap time have prompted the French firm to give the RS one last hurrah by taking back the lap record?

This is the third iteration of the current shape, which gets a 2.0-litre inline-four making 265bhp. That's marginally less than the Seat's 276bhp, but the Leon 280's trick limited-slip differential is a real game-changer, limiting understeer and allowing 100 per cent of power to go through just one wheel.

Whether the Megane Cup's changes can quite reign in that massive 10 second disadvantage seems unlikely, but don't bet against it just yet - the RS has been the most scorching track-focused hot hatch for years now. Let the games begin.