Peugeot RCZ R

This was a different sort of Peugeot car, unlike anything the company has produced, and indeed it was the first Peugeot car without a '0' or '00' designation.

It underwent a facelift a year or so ago, and now it has some extra grunt to put it on a par with its fastest rivals.

The RCZ R is indeed the fastest and most powerful production car Peugeot has ever built, with extra muscles on the outside and a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine under the bonnet.

But hang on a minute, I hear you say, didn’t the regular version have that same engine.

Well yes, but he RCZ R utilises a bigger turbo and new engine tuning to create more power, while lightened and strengthened components and special suspension are new ingredients.

Careful turbocharger tuning gives the RCZ R huge pulling power from just under 2,000rpm, and while turbo lag is inevitable it’s fairly minimal if you hit the power after 3,000rpm.

The same wide tyres that can struggle so hard to transfer the mammoth power output to the road provide stunning cornering grip. The R stays flat and poised from entry to exit, and a Torsen locking front differential helps it to pull itself out of corners with indecent gusto.

As you'd expect, the ride is firm, but it's never uncomfortable. Peugeot Sport has tuned the dampers to keep the quite delicious bespoke wheels in firm contact with the road.

It’s still not cheap, but climbing into the cabin there’s a heady aroma of luxury. The heavily-sculpted seats hug your body closely, while lashings of leather and red stitching view at every turn of your head.

With a pleasingly deep-throated soundtrack that it never intrusive in the lush cabin, you are left wanting for nothing. Why, there’s even a boot that can accommodate a more than decent amount of luggage

The R model has broken away from the (slightly) more conservative RCZ and forged a much bolder path. Despite a few niggles Peugeot Sport has done a remarkable job.

It’s true that –like the rival Audi TTS – you will never fit an adult in the back seats. And it’s still an awkward stretch to reach the control buttons on the centre console, but otherwise the RCZ R is a big fine last piece in the RCZ jigsaw.

Elegant, dynamic and low-slung on its large wheels, it was the ingenious "double bubble" glass roof, aluminium roof arches and muscular rear haunches that caught the eye when the RCZ was first unveiled.

The addition of the RCZ R to the range was inevitable and much anticipated..

Head-on, the RCZ R remains unmistakably a Peugeot, and its squat stance and compact dimensions draw comparisons with the TT.

There is an initial pull on the heartstrings, but it is only when you see the car in motion and the various design features begin to flow that you can appreciate the sum of these key features.

Peugeot has pulled out all the stops when it comes to the drive. A pleasant surprise in all the important areas -ride, comfort, refinement, driveability, performance -the RCZ also benefits from accurate and weighty steering, good brakes and excellent ride control.

If the aim was to deliver a mix of excitement, sporting firmness and urban-travel comfort, then it is mission accomplished.

You can take full advantage of the engine's ample torque reserves for effortless overtaking or trickling along in city traffic, but the trade-off is an extra firmness in the ride because of some of the engineering changes.

There are three other engines to choose from in the RCZ range - two versions of the 1.6-litre direct injection turbocharged petrol unit offering 156 or 197bhp, and a 2.0-litre direct injection turbo diesel offering 163bhp. All come with a six-speed manual gearbox, and the 156bhp version is also available as an automatic..

But your heart will tell you to go for this one – even with that £31,995 price tag.

At a glance

Model: Peugeot RCZ R

Price: £31,995

Engine: 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder producing 270bhp and 247lb ft

Transmission: Six-speed manual gearbox driving the front wheels

Performance: Top speed 155mph, 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds

Fuel economy: 44.8mpg

CO2 emissions: 145g/km.