RenaultSport engineers have spent a great deal of time and effort trying to right the wrongs of the Cup version, which was panned for its lack of power and disappointing dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

Meet the Renaultsport 220 Trophy, which now sits proudly at the top of the Clio range. As the name suggests, it boasts an additional 20hp, and 40Nm of torque, over the 200 models. There have also been substantial changes to the suspension, steering and gearbox.

Those changes include a revised air intake and exhaust system to minimise back-pressure losses, a rev limit that has been raised to 6,800rpm from the 6,500rpm in the 200 versions, and the addition of a larger turbocharger.

Peak power arrives at 6,050rpm while maximum torque is available at only 2,000rpm. Boost pressure has been increased from 0.96 bar to 1.03 bar.

The front suspension has been lowered by 20mm, the rear by 10, and the rear springs are a massive 40 per cent stiffer. There has also been a 10 per cent reduction in the steering rack ratio and the dual-clutch gearbox shifts cogs 50% quicker.

There’s an exclusive paint option, Frost White, which is the colour my test car arrived in, with a black contrast roof and rear spoiler. It also sports Trophy monikers on the front blade, door mouldings and individually numbered door sills.

Inside there’s an embossed leather steering wheel and carbon-effect air vent surrounds, door handles and gearlever base plate. My test car was fitted with the optional (£1,600) Trophy heated sports seats with integrated head rests. And very welcome they were too.

The latest Renaultsport Monitor V2 sophisticated on-board telemetry system, which includes a setting that gives the driver five different levels of throttle pedal sensitivity, is a £295 option and was also present and correct.

If all those changes are starting to make the Trophy sound a lot like a car that’s probably more suited to the track than British roads, you’d be right.

The handling is impeccable. Turn into a corner at what feels like silly speed and the rear end faithfully follows the arc that you’ve pencilled on the road with the front tyres. There’s a beautiful balance about the midpoint through the corner and plenty of information feeding back through your fingertips.

The steering is nicely weighted but, if you desire even more heft, you can choose to apply the RS mode setting to the steering independently using the telemetry system.

You can either leave the car to select the gears for you or use the paddles mounted on the steering column. Automatic changes, in normal mode, are smooth, responsive and intelligent. Switch on RS mode and the box hangs onto gears a lot, lot longer. At one point I was doing 70mph in third gear. It really is insanely entertaining.

Switch gears manually and, while you’ll find changes rapid enough, there’s little satisfaction in the paddles’ operation, which lacks a little positivity.

Launch control is available, should you insist on being the first away from the lights. It works, too, providing maximum thrust with the minimum of effort.

Where the Trophy is let down is its ride, which is totally unforgiving. Every bump, every jolt, is transferred through the chassis into the base of your spine. It’s not an issue on smooth surfaces, of course, but they are few and far between in the UK.

It makes it awkward to consider the Trophy as an every day car. Despite it being more practical than its closest rivals – the boot offers an impressive 300 litres of space – its value as a family runaround is undermined by the uncompromising ride.

It’s necessary to put that into perspective, however, as buyers are unlikely to concern themselves too much with how it’ll behave during the weekly shop.

Standard equipment includes the Renault R-Link system with seven-inch touchscreen, sat nav, Bluetooth handsfree calling and audio streaming, rear parking camera, automatic air con and cruise control with speed limiter.

Combined fuel economy improves from 44.8mpg to 47.9mpg, while emissions drop from 144g/km to 133g/km.

The Trophy, then, is an uncompromising racer. RenaultSport engineers have prioritised pace over comfort and, consequently, targeted as very specific audience. There are certainly many positives to this approach and, on the right roads, the Trophy is fantastic fun.

Clio RenaultSport 220 Trophy

Price: From £21,780

Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cylinder turbo

Max power: 220hp

Max torque: 192lbft (206lbft in fourth and fifth) @ 2,000rpm

Max speed: 146mph

Acceleration (0-62mph): 6.6sec

Urban: 37.3mpg

Extra urban: 55.4mpg

Combined: 47.9mpg

Emissions (CO2): 133g/km

For more information visit www.renaultsport.co.uk