Peugeot’s 308 RC Z Concept

Peugeot has gone public with images of its white-hot 308 RC Z Concept car, set for a September debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show.

The 308 RC Z comes complete with show-car imperatives like deeply sculpted sides, crouched stance, and central exhaust. While clearly borrowing a page from Audi’s TT, the Peugeot’s high, prominent nose and gaping grill give it a sort of wild-edged character lacking from the more reserved German.

With emphasis placed on lightness of build, the Peugeot concept utilizes aluminum, carbon fiber, and impressively, polycarbonate in the form of a rear window. The company maintains that the fetching, (and quite feminine) double-bulge shape of the window wouldn’t have been possible in traditional glass.

Power comes from the same THP (turbo high pressure) 1.6-liter four seen in last year’s 207 RC. The engine mapping has been reworked to produce 218 hp, giving it 43 hp more than its previous output. Coupled to a 6-speed manual, Peugeot promises an “efficient compromise between performance and fuel consumption.”