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Peugeot are pushing the boat out – or should we say ‘pushing the race forward’ – as they reveal the most powerful road-going car the brand has ever sold – the Peugeot RCZ R, chock full of mechanical upgrades set to blow the socks off anyone who drives, with a guarantee of a thrilling ride for anyone who gets behind the wheel inside a car that looks as good as it drives.
Why create the Peugeot RCZ R? Because they can!
How? That’s all down to the engineers at Peugeot Sport deciding to rework every component behind the RCZ to create a boost in power that would not only be considerable but would also prove a real challenge to any of their competitors
Under the demanding conditions of the road, durability would normally be called into question; but the whole block has been reinforced by a specific heat treatment prior to machining, including new forged pistons with a compression ratio of 9.2:1 and a grade of aluminium usually only found in Formula One, and the con rods and uprated bearings have also been produced and treated so that they can accommodate higher cylinder pressures.
If it were a racing car on a normal road, we all know that traction would be a problem; so the engineers at Peugeot have added a Torsen® differential to provide some extra grip, along with wider front and rear tracks so that traction is enhanced. Worriers of the world need to know that revised dampers settings, increased stiffness in the springs, a new fixed boot spoiler and anti-roll bar have all been included as standard to make sure that aerodynamic efficiency is not compromised and nor is high-speed stability – in fact both have been improved with these additions and tinkering.
Wheels are almost as important as the car itself when it comes to the higher performance models, and the Peugeot RCZ R does not scrimp on these either, sporting two-tone 19-inch alloys which accommodate new larger four-piston brakes bearing red calipers at the front displaying the Peugeot Sport name. Brake discs of 380mm diameter and 32mm thickness are mounted on an aluminium hub (thus saving on weight and cooling time) and carry Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 235/40 R19 tyres for to grip the road in outstanding fashion.
And with environmental concerns to the fore in any member of the public, despite these performance promises, CO2 emissions of only 145g/km and fuel economy of 44.8mpg on the Combined Drive Cycle show that the RCZ R leaves class rivals trailing in its wake in all ways.
Peugeot believe that the RCZ R is a Peugeot like no other; a result of countless hours of bespoke development and attention to detail: and the result is a “sports coupé par excellence, a performance car with outstanding acceleration, braking and cornering stability; a Peugeot with the aggression of a lion at its heart.”
Having been originally debuted at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last July and was formally revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, the RCZ R will be seen on these shores in January 2014, in Moroccan Red, Nera Black, Mercury Grey and Opal White.
But you’ll need to be quick – just like the car itself.