Peugeot RCZ GT THP 200
by Tim Barnes-Clay, the man behind the wheel.
Date: 17 October 2010
LIFE IS a funny old game. You see something you want, but when you get it, you crave something more. Ever felt that way? I get that feeling about the cars I get to test drive quite a lot.
The RCZ GT I had on test looked lovely, it even appeared quite sexy from some angles. And guess what? It even drove like it looked. It had grip, it was as sharp as an arrow and it was fun. But I think if it was mine I’d sell it after a year.
You see fun and sexy works for a while, but sometimes that’s just not enough to sustain a relationship.
A Bit Of Fun
Basically it seems that Peugeot has copied the looks of the Audi TT. You can’t blame the French company for doing so, after all the TT is still a great looking car after all these years. I guess the RCZ injects a bit of fun into the rather family oriented image of the Peugeot line-up, and perhaps it is intended to evoke memories of the gloriously insane 205 GTI days.
The front of the car is bloated and a tad too bulbous to really look like a proper sports car, but the rear is genuinely attractive and even has a pop-up spoiler that can be controlled by a press of a button on the centre console.
I liked the spoiler so much that I kept it up. It made the car look meaner and more serious.
Bizarrely, the RCZ GT gained as much attention as the Aston Martin I had on test the week before. Madness, I know, but people, I think, are still trying to work out what it is.
The TT influence is obviously there but I sense there are hints of the Nissan 370Z too – and that confuses folk at first glance.
The colour scheme of my test car made the RCZ look great; amber red with black integral leather trim. It was really like adding lip gloss and eye liner to an already very alluring woman. It worked for me and it seemed, judging by all those turning heads, everyone else.
It’s just that after a few days the cramped cabin, yet huge boot, kind of took the edge off things for me. It’s not that tight spaces worry me – but a car would need to be very, very special for me to put up with it - maybe, a Lotus Elise or something like that. And, let’s face it, most proper sports cars don’t have huge boots. It all felt a little ‘let’s pretend’ to me.
So, if you are in the mood for a fun and flighty car, then the RCZ GT will be right up your street. It has loads of kit, including electric and heated seats, front parking sensors, follow-me-home lighting and even fat 19” alloy wheels. It’s also very economical – giving you around 40mpg if driven fairly sensibly. But if you want something with a bit more meat on the bones and a dash more personality then steer away and save up for a proper sports car instead.
PROS ‘N’ CONS
PROS
- Looks
- Handling
- Kit
- Fun
CONS
- Not a proper sports car
FAST FACTS
- Engine: 1598cc four cylinder 16 valve petrol
- Transmission: Six-speed manual
- Power: 200bhp @ 5500rpm
- Torque: 275Nm @ 1770rpm
- Max speed: 146 mph
- 0-62 mph: 7.6 seconds
- Combined mpg: 40.9
- CO2: 159 g/km
- Price: £25,050 on the road.
