GTP Cool Wall: Peugeot RCZ
- Thread starter TheBook
- 45 comments
- 5,359 views
- 4,213
- Puerto Rico
- motortrend
Looks cool, does not look very fun though, so a meh for me
- 629
- Scotland
- Tweetman_277
I saw a white one yesterday. It was just soo amazing! In the flesh, it has that unmistakeable... je ne sais quoi. Its something the bugatti museum has. That the alfa 8c has (i was in a dealership with one. Just for kicks). Its just Stunning. Literally stunning. Sub zero from me.
- 3,241
- Desert Island
- GTP_DAN_
It's a FWD, decently powered and trimmed low riding driver's car. You get decent fuel economy, reliability and enough practicality for the daily trip.
All of this is wrapped in a gorgeous body, with sleek styling and a rear end that resembles more expensive cars. Not to mention the noise that four-pot makes, it really is a remarkable car and I would choose one of this over an Audi TT in a hurry.
Why? Because it is so much more interesting and appealing than a TT and that you can't put in numbers and figures, you just know and that's the end of it.
Cool.
All of this is wrapped in a gorgeous body, with sleek styling and a rear end that resembles more expensive cars. Not to mention the noise that four-pot makes, it really is a remarkable car and I would choose one of this over an Audi TT in a hurry.
Why? Because it is so much more interesting and appealing than a TT and that you can't put in numbers and figures, you just know and that's the end of it.
Cool.
- 5,303
- Riverside, Ca
- GTP_Leonidae_MFT
Meh. It's a French Audi TT.
- 10,620
- gtp_jimprower
It has a bit of exoticool about it, and even if FWD, it's not a bad car.
- 3,200
- Murcie LP710
Immensely cool. Not Sub-Zero though because it still wears a Peugeot badge and the weird Peugeot goofy grin-grille.
- 196
- Manila
- alaingeronimo87
It has the facade and the power of a Peugeot 207 and a body of an Audi TT. Very Front-wheel-drive-y so meh.
- 8,642
- London
- GTP_Stotty
When I first heard of the RCZ my inital reaction was meh, Peugeot haven't made a decent car since the 205/309.
Then I saw one on the road, and I immediately changed my mind... they look pretty damn good up close. Plus the road tests I've read say they are pretty decent to drive too... especially the 200bhp petrol.
Cool (until they become too common!)
Then I saw one on the road, and I immediately changed my mind... they look pretty damn good up close. Plus the road tests I've read say they are pretty decent to drive too... especially the 200bhp petrol.
Cool (until they become too common!)
- 9,473
- QLD, Down Under
- GTP_Paulie
- Paulie LDP
I voted uncool. Yes I agree it looks pretty damn neat, but something that looks that good yet really not that quick at all? Come on! You'll get the girl in the car and she'll be expecting something fast based on looks, but will be disappointed. Also, I can only begin to imagine what the price of that rear windscreen is, cool looking as it may be.
- 27,205
- United Kingdom
Cool. But I had to think about it.
It almost screeched into uncool because Peugeot has ruined the front of the car with its stupid corporate grille after making such a good job on the back. Incidentally, this is also why the car misses Sub-Z by a fair way. If they'd made it pretty at the front like an old 406 Coupe, it'd be Sub-Zero.
Everything else though is cool.
- It's a French coupe, so it's a little alternative and quirky rather than ostentatious and brash like a German coupe (ironically, main rival Audi TT excepted, which is neither ostentatious nor brash. Though it is an Audi...)
- That rear window, and the St Louis Gateway Arch-style metal roofline, are two of the coolest (and least contrived) details to appear on any car since the chrome fluted indicators on the Citroen DS.
- Contrary to what others have said, all the engines offer enough performance, if you consider what European (where the car will mainly be sold) roads are like. And "enough" is always better than "lots", because you can always enjoy "enough" but "lots" leaves you wishing for more space in which to exploit it, and therefore frustrated. Being frustrated that you can't use your car as God intended isn't cool.
- It stands out. A lot. As Jondot said, it's particularly imposing - the sort of car that grabs attention. There's a Ferrari California going around where I live and it's significantly less of an attention-grabber than an RC-Z. Out-Ferrariing a Ferrari at making people take notice (especially at a fraction of the price) is cool.
Incidentally, I'm also going to go with Stotty's proviso: When it becomes ubiquitous, it loses its cool status.
It almost screeched into uncool because Peugeot has ruined the front of the car with its stupid corporate grille after making such a good job on the back. Incidentally, this is also why the car misses Sub-Z by a fair way. If they'd made it pretty at the front like an old 406 Coupe, it'd be Sub-Zero.
Everything else though is cool.
- It's a French coupe, so it's a little alternative and quirky rather than ostentatious and brash like a German coupe (ironically, main rival Audi TT excepted, which is neither ostentatious nor brash. Though it is an Audi...)
- That rear window, and the St Louis Gateway Arch-style metal roofline, are two of the coolest (and least contrived) details to appear on any car since the chrome fluted indicators on the Citroen DS.
- Contrary to what others have said, all the engines offer enough performance, if you consider what European (where the car will mainly be sold) roads are like. And "enough" is always better than "lots", because you can always enjoy "enough" but "lots" leaves you wishing for more space in which to exploit it, and therefore frustrated. Being frustrated that you can't use your car as God intended isn't cool.
- It stands out. A lot. As Jondot said, it's particularly imposing - the sort of car that grabs attention. There's a Ferrari California going around where I live and it's significantly less of an attention-grabber than an RC-Z. Out-Ferrariing a Ferrari at making people take notice (especially at a fraction of the price) is cool.
Incidentally, I'm also going to go with Stotty's proviso: When it becomes ubiquitous, it loses its cool status.
- 17,096
- United Kingdom
Front end looks terrible (like a 206/307/308. etc) and it has horrible proportions, it's face doesn't match it's body.. like Jay Leno's head on an athlete...
FWD and 1.6 engine??
I think my 65 year old mum would find it kind of cool, and maybe it might represent a sensible vaguely sportyish purchase... None of which makes it cool for me. If they'd have made it RWD.. 1.8-2.2 litre turbo, and made the front end a little lower and less bulbous then it could have been a contender.. maybe..
Uncool
FWD and 1.6 engine??
I think my 65 year old mum would find it kind of cool, and maybe it might represent a sensible vaguely sportyish purchase... None of which makes it cool for me. If they'd have made it RWD.. 1.8-2.2 litre turbo, and made the front end a little lower and less bulbous then it could have been a contender.. maybe..
Uncool
- 424
- Geneva
- GumI8all
Uncool.
Trying to follow the TG logic of the Cool Wall and not the "oh, this car looks pretty" logic.
This car is a bit of a looker. It's got styling cues from the Peugeot 908, and has an overall round and soft, but aggressive look to it.
Classic sports car.
But not a classic sports car. 1.6? Really? FWD? Really? Haven't we got 207's that do that?
So why did I vote uncool?
Simply, this car is French. The French, however great they may be, aren't exactly known for making [proper] cars. They have great cuisine, beautiful women, and a few interesting landmarks, but when it comes to cars... meh.
The only proper French car maker is Bugatti, although now it is owned by VW Group, so that argument is invalid, although it is fair to say Renault are starting to make "OK" cars.
Seriously, just let the Germans make cars. You can go make some fabulous escargots.
exception: Sweden and Christian von Koenigsegg. Keep making them, with their crazy dihedral synchro helix doors (spelling/order?)
Trying to follow the TG logic of the Cool Wall and not the "oh, this car looks pretty" logic.
This car is a bit of a looker. It's got styling cues from the Peugeot 908, and has an overall round and soft, but aggressive look to it.
Classic sports car.
But not a classic sports car. 1.6? Really? FWD? Really? Haven't we got 207's that do that?
So why did I vote uncool?
Simply, this car is French. The French, however great they may be, aren't exactly known for making [proper] cars. They have great cuisine, beautiful women, and a few interesting landmarks, but when it comes to cars... meh.
The only proper French car maker is Bugatti, although now it is owned by VW Group, so that argument is invalid, although it is fair to say Renault are starting to make "OK" cars.
Seriously, just let the Germans make cars. You can go make some fabulous escargots.
exception: Sweden and Christian von Koenigsegg. Keep making them, with their crazy dihedral synchro helix doors (spelling/order?)
- 27,205
- United Kingdom
You're right, it's not a classic sports car, but then that's not the point of the car. An Audi TT isn't a classic sports car either. What they are, are coupes. The Pug has possibly a little GT car thrown in.
And displacement is irrelevant to coolness (especially when it clearly doesn't affect performance that badly - 160-200bhp from a 1.6 is hardly bad) otherwise the Cadillac Escalade wouldn't be "Seriously uncool" on the GTP wall and the 1.3-litre (or less) Mini Cooper wouldn't be "Sub-zero". When you're driving down the road, or even if you're driving along in the car, you wouldn't be able to guess it's a 1.6 litre car, so cubic capacity is irrelevant.
As is front-drive, for that matter.
Also, forgive me for noticing, but a Swiss person saying that the French don't make proper cars?
Isn't Rinspeed Switzerland's national carmaker?... People in glass houses and all that 
Keef
Premium
- 25,013
- Dayton, OH
- GTP_KeefRacer
- GTP Keef
Had a big long post written up because I think you're dumb, but decided against it. I stand by my "uncool" rating.
And that is not cool. That is tool, not cool.
The only cool Ferrari that comes to my mind was Steve McQueen's Lusso. It is front-engined. It is brown. Disgustingly cool. Besides that the vast majority of Ferraris I've ever seen are terrifying uncool, so much to make me want to punch the owner in the mouth and nominate him for Biggest Douche in the Universe.
The trick to being cool is to tell somebody without them getting it. James Bond has never appealed to a challenger with, "I'm cooler than you," unlike every red Ferrari ever manufactured, race cars aside. Steve McQueen bought a brown Ferrari specifically because he needed a car as cool as him. He and James Dean co-invented the idea of "cool".
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- 424
- Geneva
- GumI8all
Also, forgive me for noticing, but a Swiss person saying that the French don't make proper cars?
Hey, i'm half japanese
. And we've got mansory, and other tuning brands. But yeah, you're right 
.
- 23,909
- It/It
- GTP_TheCracker
Meh, bordering on cool.
It looks fantastic IMO, but it's still a FWD contemporary Peugeot.
It looks fantastic IMO, but it's still a FWD contemporary Peugeot.
- 8,642
- London
- GTP_Stotty
Better get used to seeing 1.6l engines in performance versions of small cars.
The drive to reduce emissions and meet corporate targets means almost all manufacturers will be reducing the capacity of their engines in the future. Small capacity turbo's with direct injection are the way forward.
There are positives and negatives of this though... throttle response and sound may be worse, but ultimate performance should remain at least unchanged whilst much higher torque levels vs larger capacity NA engines should make cars more drivable day to day.
The drive to reduce emissions and meet corporate targets means almost all manufacturers will be reducing the capacity of their engines in the future. Small capacity turbo's with direct injection are the way forward.
There are positives and negatives of this though... throttle response and sound may be worse, but ultimate performance should remain at least unchanged whilst much higher torque levels vs larger capacity NA engines should make cars more drivable day to day.
