Peugeot the maker of high quality Peugeot catalytic converter, part of the PSA Peugeot Citroen and the second largest automaker in Europe next to Volkswagen has recently announced the unveiling of their sexiest roadster concept to date that will challenge German makes like the Audi TT. The unveiling will transpire at the upcoming 2007 Frankfurt IAA Motor Show on September.
The Peugeot 308 RC Z concept car sports a muscular look with a wild side to it which makes this 2x2 hatchback coupe in more ways like the Audi TT. Peugeot will use this concept to see how people will react on a sporty variant of the standard 308.
However Peugeot would like to stress that the main objective of the RC Z concept is “to pioneer technical and styling ideas free from the constraints of volume production". But according to some industry observers, the fact that the concept already shares most of the components of the hatchback 308 is an indication that it is in fact production-ready. The reactions that Peugeot is expecting from the unveiling of the RC Z at the Frankfurt would just serve as an indicator for them whether to go on with the production or not.
The 308 RC Z Concept is based on the production hatchback 308 and sedan. It has a length of 4.276m similar to that of the hatchback, width of 1.840m which is 25 mm more than the hatchback, and height of 1.320m. The measurements of the RC Z were designed to provide a high level of road handling.
In terms of style, the RC Z is a stunning vehicle with swooping front end derived from the production 308 hatch while the rest of the body is indicative of borrowed designs from Audi’s very influential TT.
The RC Z Concept will have a 1.6 liter THP engine derived from the 208 RC and modified to provide more power from 128kW increase to 160kW with added powerful torque. For this particular concept the Peugeot engineers have made sure that there is a balance of performance and efficiency. The RC Z can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in a matter of 7 seconds with a decent fuel consumption of 6.7 liters/100km.
Safety was also given priority in developing the RC Z Concept evident by the number of features included such as the lane departure warning system, impact protection structures, plus an in-built emergency signal that notifies the local emergency services in case of accident.
