Take a look at Peugeot’s new baby coupé! Auto Express has learned that the Lion is getting ready to roar into the small sports car market with this sensational 2+2, which boasts Ferrari style at an affordable price tag.
The newcomer will sit below the eagerly awaited 308 RC Z, which is due in the spring, and is part of a plan for the firm to place its sporting focus on coupés, following its decision to step out of the hot hatch arena. And this baby coupé is set to be an even bigger hit than the 205 GTi, going into battle with a head-turning line-up of forthcoming stylish-but-affordable models from Ford, Honda and MINI.
As you can see from our pictures – which give you the best idea of how the newcomer will look – it’s every bit as stunning as its RC Z bigger brother. What’s more, it marks a new design direction for Peugeot.
The front-engine, 2+2 layout creates a rakish bonnet and muscular rear haunches, while the swept back headlights and ‘double-bubble’ roof , which also appears on the futuristic BB1 concept, are both borrowed from the RC Z. But it’s the updated nose that will really get people talking.
Sources have revealed that Jean-Pierre Ploue, head of design at PSA Peugeot Citroen, has some radical styling ideas on the drawing board, and the dramatic one-piece front grille with a floating badge – much like the current crop of Ferraris – is a big part of it. Expect to see this new look, which takes over from the current split grille arrangement, introduced across the range over the coming years.
The new coupé sits on a front-wheel-drive platform from the next-generation Peugeot 207, which is due in 2011. It will be a more practical and driver-focused alternative to the coupé-cabrio variant, thanks to its larger rear seats and bigger boot. Expect a flagship model to boast the same 208bhp 1.6-litre turbo engine as the MINI JCW.
At the moment, Peugeot bosses are tight-lipped about the coupé, although a company spokesman told us: “We are looking at niche markets in which we are not currently represented.
“These will have sales volumes that allow us to make a profit. That’s where the RC Z and the 5008 people came from. We’ll certainly be replacing the 407 Coupé in time, and a new version is likely to be much more sporty.” For more details click here.
Thanks to: Auto Express
