Cross your fingers for the new Mégane Renaultsport models

With French automaker—and Nissan partner—Renault plotting a reported return to Canada through a soft launch in Quebec, fans will likely be crossing their fingers that a larger Renault renaissance could lead to a pair of Renaultsport versions of the Mégane hatch making it to this side of the Atlantic.

Unveiled by Renault this week, the Mégane Renaultsport 275 Cup-S and 275 NAV models are the Volkswagen GTI competition we've been missing in North America.

Powered by the same 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder that last year powered the limited-edition Mégane Renaultsport 275 Trophy-R to a Nürburgring Nordschleife lap record for a front-wheel-drive production car, the new Mégane models make a maximum of 275 horsepower and 265 lb.-ft. of torque.

In normal mode, the engine makes 250 horsepower, while a Renaultsport Dynamic Management system increases that to 275 horsepower in Sport and Track modes.

Both new Mégane Renaultsport models put power to the front wheels through six-speed manual gearboxes, with the car sprinting from 0 to 100 km/h in six seconds.

The cars' top speed is 254 km/h.

The Mégane Renaultsport models are underpinned by Renault's PerfoHub double-axis front suspension, which the automaker claims "has been engineered to overcome the drawbacks commonly associated with powerful front-wheel-drive cars," like understeer and poor straight-line stability.

The 275 Cup-S model comes with the Cup Chassis Pack as standard equipment, which includes a mechanical limited-slip differential, red Brembo four-piston brake calipers, firmer springs and dampers, and a stiffer anti-roll bar.

It can also be fitted with a number of options, including an Akrapovič titanium exhaust system and Öhlins adjustable dampers.

Here's to hoping Nissan and Renault see the pros of bringing this, along with the new Renault Talisman wagon, to North America—and soon.