The Renault Clio RS18 is one of Britain's rarest cars

Good news! Contrary to previous reports, the Renault Sport Clio RS18 special edition is coming to the UK. Bad news! It's not related to the madcap, Megane-engined Clio RS16.

Based on the more powerful, harder cored Clio 220 Trophy, you get 220bhp, 0-62mph in 6.6sec and a 146mph top speed. Reasonably senior stuff. A paddleshift automatic gearbox is fitted whether you like it or not. Luddites like us will still moan there’s no manual.

To the Trophy, it adds a unique black’n’yellow colour scheme, much Alcantara and the rortier Akrapovic exhaust system. There are many decals, including some on the roof for easy police helicopter detection.

The price? The RS18 costs £24,295. Quite a lot for a Clio, you might think, but it’s par for the course in fast hatch terms these days and, when compared to a standard Trophy, rather good value.

That costs £23,000, but add the black paint and the exhaust and you’ll already surpass the RS18’s price, before you consider the special edition's fancy yellow highlights.

Or its rarity. Just 15 Clio RS18s are coming to the UK, ensuring it’ll be rarer than just about any other modern performance car on our roads. And if you’re failing to convince your McLaren Senna-owning neighbour your £24k hatch is scarcer than their £750k hypercar, the Clio comes with a numbered kickplate to prove it…