Peugeot RC-Z turns show into go

The spectacular 308-based coupe, the RC-Z — shown as a concept car at last year's Frankfurt Motor Show — was dismissed as a pure show car.

But Peugeot last week confirmed it will go on sale in 2010 and is expected to be priced in the high $50,000s to substantially undercut its main rival, the Audi TT.

The cheapest TT is $68,990.

The introduction of the 308 RC-Z is part of a plan outlined by Peugeot director — and the fifth generation of the car-making family — Christian Peugeot. “We won't make boring cars,” he says.

Of interest is that Peugeot has steered away from fitting the RC-Z — which uses the 308 hatch platform — with a big engine.

But it does get Peugeot's most powerful four-cylinder yet — a highly tuned 160kW derivative of the existing 110kW and 128kW turbocharged 1.6-litre engines.

These 1.6-litre engines, shared with the Mini Cooper, are standard fare in some 207 and 308 models.

Peugeot says the company fleetingly considered a V6 petrol or V6 turbo-diesel engine but stayed with the 308-based drivetrain.

“A smaller petrol engine with turbocharging gives performance plus low carbon-dioxide emissions,” Peugeot says. “That's our marketing goal and we've maintained that with the RC-Z. Downsizing is clearly a technical revolution.”

Peugeot hasn't discounted a turbo-diesel engine for the RC-Z. It is certainly possible, given Audi's recent announcement that a diesel would be optional in its TT.

There are a lot of similarities between the Audi TT and the RC-Z — a 2+2 seating arrangement, sloping rear deck profile, front-wheel-drive and even four-cylinder turbo engine — though Christian Peugeot says his coupe would be less expensive.

“We aim to have an acceptable price,” he says.

“The concept car will now be put away for a month while we decide on the finer details of the production car.”

One feature that may not remain is the “double bubble” roof line. This scalloped glass roof is regarded as being too expensive for production and is likely to be replaced with a curved glass pane.

“The RC-Z will not be a high-volume car,” Peugeot says.

“It's not 200,000 a year, more like 30,000 to 40,000 a year.

“The final car will be presented at Frankfurt in 2009.”

Peugeot says a convertible version is “very unlikely” because the company already markets two folding metal roof convertibles, the 207CC and 307CC.

It will also miss out on receiving Peugeot's hybrid powertrain, which is expected to be ready at the end of 2010.