Although we were not meant to see it yet, British site Autocar has manage to obtain a couple of low-res images of the Renault Megane R26 R which is scheduled to be unveiled at the London Motor Show next month.

The R26 R is the most extreme Megane ever built – we can best describe it as a road legal track car. Much of the regular R26 model still remains intact including the 230hp 2.0 turbo engine and the limited slip differential, but the main focus of the R26 R has been on weight reduction. The stock model has been stripped of all non-essential components and some of the heavy body panels have been replaced with lighter materials including a carbon fibre hood along with polycarbonate windows. The changes result in a reduction of overall dry weight by around 125kg over the regular R26 and ultimately improved performance with the 0-62mph figure now reduced by over half a second to just shy of 6 seconds.

The R26 R will go on sale later this year with prices expected to begin at £24,000.