It seems that these days Peugeot has been undergoing a bit of a renaissance so to speak.  What I mean is that the cars they are producing seem to be getting nicer interiors, better profiles and doing a little better in the depreciation stakes.  Not only that, but clearly new designs are starting to get green-lit.  Just like this one.

This is the new Peugeot 308 RC Z.  Last year it was just a concept, now it is going into production.  There’s no confirmed name yet, but the RC Z is a safe bet for the time being (no doubt dropping the 308 moniker to avoid comparisons to the hatch) and it has been created to offer some direct competition to the Audi TT and other premium coupes.

So what about the differences from the concept to the actual vehicle?  Well, the crazy double-bump polycarbonate rear window won’t feature – however the Bell and Ross dashboard stays (so a touch of class in there).  Overall, it is one of the few cars where the car that rolls of the production line is pretty damn close to the concept.

It’s got the usual Peugeot coupe styling of a leading front and an extended rear tail.  There’s a lower spoiler, chrome radiator grille and fresh headlights.  There’s a rear diffuser on there, a twin pipe exhaust and that slope will remain as it absolves the car from the need of a fancy (and/or stupid looking) spoiler. As this is still in concept stage at the moment, there are a few things that will change.

As with the concept, the production vehicle will remain a 2+2, meaning extremely small back seats suitable for golf clubs but almost certainly not for people. One of the more bizarre features of many coupes, that is.  Why stick in seats when you’re almost sure to never use them?

Stats are probably going to be a 1.6 litre turbocharged engine, 170+ BHP channelled through the front wheels and 0-60 of around seven seconds.  It’ll be placed around the £17,000 mark when released.  Would I buy one?  I’m not sure.

Why is that, I hear you ask… Well, let’s put it this way.  It isn’t exactly the most masculine looking thing out there is it?  If the Nissan 350 Z is a real man’s muscle coupe, this is perhaps more of a ‘Women of Sex and the City’ type of show here.  Not that it’ll be a bad vehicle mind – I think it will actually be quite good.  It won’t knock the Audi TT off its perch though, not least given that it has a new diesel version coming out soon.

I’m undertaking a new project very soon - the restoration of a Mazda MX-5.  ‘Restoration?’  You might be thinking.  Well, I’m looking at, ideally, a model for around £1,000 with a removable hard top, rather than a soft cover.  No doubt it’ll be an import, or Eunos as they’re also known in the UK.  Almost certainly not a Limited Edition ‘Arctic’ as they go for more.  Will it have galactic mileage?  Will it be right hand drive?  Is it the coupe?  Is it a soft-top?

You can see from the questions above that when you’re considering a used MX-5 there is a range of options.  One of the reasons for this is that it is one of the best selling sports two-seaters of all time, with more than three quarters of a million sold globally and three generations (or main body variants).  The nippy little vehicle has also scratched up more than 150 awards in its’ time.

So why do I want one?  Well where else can you get a rear wheel drive, proper sporty, two-seater convertible?  Well unless you get a ‘galactic’ mileage vintage oddsmobile, the answer is absolutely nowhere at all.  The car is popular for a very good reason.

If you haven’t been in a small two-seater sports car with the roof down, I’d recommend that you give it a go.  Go to your local dealership or car supermarket and test-drive one, even if you’ve no intention of buying.  It’s like being in control of an over-sized go cart, in a way that’s incredibly fulfilling to drive.  It’s an experience (no doubt due to the wind in your hair and the low driving position) that’s enjoyable even at reasonable (legal) speeds.

How I envisage the project
Of course the first part of the project is understanding exactly what I’m going to be buying, beyond of course a second car in the shape of a Mazda MX-5.  At the price I’m looking at, it won’t be a brand new motor by any means.  It’ll be in the either 1.6 (reactive but not sprightly) or the 1.8 litre variety, which has a little more oomph to it.

I wouldn’t be surprised (or really that bothered) if it had more than 100,000 on the clock.  I’ve heard of many Mazda vehicles going beyond 250,000 - these things are built to last.  However, I won’t take my chances so I’ll have a home service with new sparks, air filter, oil change and general checks.  Of course, the main thing to look at when buying any car is the panels - if the engine is okay and the panels are too then you should be sound.

The next part of the project will be development of the battle plan.  If you’re unfamiliar with the MSA, then you’re probably not into motor racing.  I’ll tell you a bit more about my motoring club in another article, but I’m going to get my MSA license (not sure which class yet) later this year.  When I have this, the car will start to see more modifications in the form of a sports exhaust and sports cams and valves.  This could be an increase of up to 35 BHP.  I thoroughly intend to spank it around a track a short time after that.

Whilst I’m sure I’m not the next Lewis Hamilton (have you tried concentrating that hard for that long?) I can’t wait to get a few laps done on the track, or even cruise around the coast with the top down.  One thing I can’t change however is the British weather - so if you are thinking of following a similar plan, make sure to check that the roof doesn’t leak!  I’ll follow this post up when I purchase the thing (some time after the Scottish Motorshow in case I broker a deal for something else whilst I’m there), but in the meantime the planning contines - as well as the heartfelt recommendation to give a soft-top a go.