In short: Peugeot RCZ R 1.6 THP VTi 270

And we got what we wanted. In fact, we got a lot more. Not just a few ‘horses’ more, but a package that makes the RCZ a fast machine that more than deserves the extra letter R in the name.

It would be easy to add only a little power - changing RCZ to RCZ R was a more demanding job. That there is a 1,6-liter turbocharged petrol engine under the bonnet is, of course, not surprising in these times when rally, WTCC and F1 racing cars have such an engine capacity (except that the engines are not four-cylinder there). Peugeot engineers pulled 270 'horses' out of it, which is not a class record, but it is more than enough to turn the RCZ R into a projectile. And although the engine can produce as much as 170 'horsepower' per liter, it emits only 145 grams of CO2 per kilometer from the exhaust pipe and already meets the requirements for the EURO6 emission class.

So much power, and even more so much torque, can be a problem when it comes to a front-wheel drive car. Some brands solve this with a special design of the front suspension, but Peugeot has decided that except for the 10 millimeters lower and of course appropriately stiffer chassis and wider tires, the RCZ does not really need any changes. They only added a self-locking Torsn differential (since otherwise rough acceleration from a bend would burn the inner drive tire to ashes) and the RCZ R was born. And how does it work on the road?

It’s fast, no doubt about it, and its chassis works great even when the road is uneven. Reactions to steering wheel turns when entering a bend are quick and precise, the rear, if the driver so wishes, can slip and help find the right line. The RCZ R is a little less top-notch when the driver steps on the gas when exiting a bend. Then the self-locking differential begins to transfer torque between the two front wheels, and they want to turn into neutral.

The end result is, especially if the grip under the wheels is not completely even, a few jerks on the steering wheel, as the power steering (accurate transmission of feedback from under the wheels to the driver's hands) is appropriately weak. The precise, attentive driver with both hands on the steering wheel will be able to make excellent use of the RCZ R, with others the car can sniff slightly left and right while accelerating when the tires are looking for traction. But we are used to this, to be honest, from many powerful and front-wheel drive cars.

The steering wheel could be smaller, especially considering the sportiness of the RCZ R, the seats could hold the body a little better in corners, but this is already a search for hair in the egg. With all the external changes and especially with the powerful technique, the RCZ changed from a fast enough, beautiful coupe to a real sports car. And given what this transformation has been like, we can only hope that something similar will happen to other models from Peugeot’s offering. 308 R? 208 R? Of course, we can't wait.

Text: Dusan Lukic

Peugeot RCZ R 1.6 THP VTi 270

Basic data

Technical information

engine:	4-cylinder - 4-stroke - in-line - turbocharged petrol - displacement 1.598 cm3 - maximum power 199 kW (270 hp) at 6.000 rpm - maximum torque 330 ​​Nm at 1.900–5.500 rpm.
Energy transfer:	engine powered front wheels - 6-speed manual transmission - tires 235/40 R 19 Y (Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2).
Capacity:	250 km/h top speed - 0-100 km/h acceleration in 5,9 s - fuel consumption (ECE) 8,4/5,1/6,3 l/100 km, CO2 emissions 145 g/km.
Mass:	empty vehicle 1.280 kg - permissible gross weight 1.780 kg.
External dimensions:	length 4.294 mm – width 1.845 mm – height 1.352 mm – wheelbase 2.612 mm – trunk 384–760 55 l – fuel tank XNUMX l.