First Drive: Peugeot RCZ

Originally a 1997 motor show concept car, the RCZ's excellent reception tempted Peugeot into building it, the finished thing looking remarkably similar to the show car. A two-plus-two coupe pitched at the VW Scirocco, the pricier Audi TT, Nissan's 370Z, Renault's Laguna and Megane coupes and the more conventional BMW 1 Series Coupe, it's based on the mechanicals of the 308 hatchback. Despite the relatively unsophisticated mechanicals of this car Peugeot has massaged them very effectively to produce quite a sporting drive, especially from the 200bhp version whose sharper steering and more robustly located front suspension have produced one of the most entertaining Peugeots for years.