Peugeot has turned its 308 RCZ concept car into a production reality. The shapely coupé will go on sale next year, Peugeot sticking remarkably close to the concept car's look. When it was first unveiled in 2007 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, the 308 RCZ was immediately dubbed a rival for the Audi TT and the French firm will display the production car - which drops Peugeot's usual numbering system and is simply badged RCZ - on the Audi's home soil again at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September.

The most dramatic feature of the concept was undoubtedly the 'double-bubble' Perspex roof framed with bare metal and that signature design element is evident on the first shots Peugeot has released of the new showroom-ready RCZ. Peugeot claims that the RCZ as a 2+2, but if the interior space is anything like the concept's then that's an ambitious claim, as the rear seats were little more than a parcel shelf.

Bold wheelarches and Peugeot's large gaping front grille feature on the RCZ's head-turning lines, while Peugeot promises that the RCZ will offer a drive as exciting as its looks. It's remaining quiet about power and drivetrains for now, but expect the RCZ to feature a line-up utilising small capacity petrol and diesel engines using turbocharging to deliver good power, economy and emissions. With Peugeot claiming that the RCZ 'acts as an illustration of all Peugeot's key values,' it's also possible that in time the RCZ will feature hybrid drive.

Full details of the striking coupé will be revealed nearer its Frankfurt motorshow unveil, with the RCZ reaching showrooms in Spring 2010.

Kyle Fortune - 14 Jul 2009