The Megane RS Ultime is the farewell to the incredible history of the French performance hot hatchback. Good news, as limited numbers will be coming to SA in 2023.

At the 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon show in Japan, French carmaker Renault revealed the Megane RS Ultime – essentially a limited-edition collector model that’s said to crown a saga that began back in 2003.

It will be the last Megane RS and the last model to have Renault Sport badging, as Alpine will be carrying on the performance story.

The Megane RS Ultime features unique graphics, like the year Renault Sport was established in 1976, there are four exterior colours (Pearl White, Tonic Orange, Star Black, and Sirius Yellow). The front is 60 mm wider, the rear 45 mmm wider and there are RS Vision LED headlamps complete with fog lights that are in the shape of the RS logo.

Inside are Recaro bucket seats in titanium black Alcantara upholstery and features RS embroidered logo. The key has Ultime branding on it, and each car features a metal plate with the car’s unique number. Just 1976 units will be built and at this stage it is unclear how many will be coming to SA. Given Renault SA’s past record with limited edition hot Meganes, there won’t be many.

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Standard specification is impressive with a 9.3-inch navigation screen, Bose audio, 10-inch digital display, on-board telemetry system, adaptive cruise control, 360-degree camera. Options are for left-hand drive cars only, which is strange, but they range from a heads-up display to a sunroof.

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Under the bonnet is a 1.8-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine with 224 kW and 420 Nm, driving the front wheels via a dual-clutch transmission. A claimed sprint time of 5.7 seconds to 100 kph makes it impressive for a front-wheel drive performance car. On the corners are 19-inch wheels wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza semi-slick tyres.

For the handling fanatics, there’s a lowered Cup chassis with hydraulic compression stops, 4-wheel steering, Torsen mechanical differential and Brembo brakes. Interestingly, there’s no mention of an Akrapovic exhaust – usually a standard feature of RenaultSport products.

The Megane RS Ultime is confirmed for a South African market introduction at some point in 2023.