2014 Peugeot RCZ-R - Is France's Flawed Beauty a Future Classic? 

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The inner child in me dislikes that the R version removed the moving spoiler, but in reality probably a good thing since it's one less thing to go wrong

Up until 4 years ago I worked for Peugeot for nearly 30 years so as you can imagine I saw a lot of changes. The RCZ was one of the best designs they had at the time, and the amount of Audi TT's we had traded against them certainly confirmed Peugeot really did have a winner. I do personally believe this car will definitely be a future classic.

One of the more intriguing cars from Peugeot, really considered one of these years ago, and it's aged well

I have had my RCZ-R for many years now. It’s been awesome and trouble free. The only issue has been the calipers which I stripped and put the stainless pistons in and then replaced the discs and pads. It looks great, goes well and is comfortable and economical on a run. I only use it over summer and weekends so if doesn’t get much use but has covered 76,000 miles without an issue. I think it will be a future classic as most of them are holding over 50% of their value after 10 years. The handling and power is great and with the limited slip diff they corner so well. Another great video by again and strange you should compare the weight of this car with the 360 Challenge Stradale which is another car that I own! Keep up the good reviews and people seriously go and try and drive one of these they are great.

I sit back and admire James's skill of saying all he does about a particular car in pretty much one take. The man has some clear thinking going on. No ums and ers, just facts and figures. 😊

I've had my 156hp RCZ for 12 years . Still a stunning looking car that attracts attention. Still puts a smile on face driving her.

My dream car not over the top but just perfect and different

Just bought one and I'm absolutely in love it. Goes like an absolute rocket with zero drama. Looks incredible, sounds well, has just enough refinement, and returns 45+ mpg on motorway journeys with cruise control. Cheaper to insure than my Fiesta ST as well. Okay, there isn't quite as much steering feel, but the car just feels very special overall. It's an absolute joy.

I LOOOOOVE the shape of these so much. I've wanted one of these for years, but rare in New Zealand and expensive for a nice/good one.

I live in Berlin, i see these cars many times and its just a Beauty to look at😍♥️

One stunning and ageless design.

The RCZ is SO COOL. I don't give a shit how it drives, it's one of the only modern car designs that actually stands out in any significant way. It's like a crazy person saw a first gen TT and drew it from memory, adding a huge sporting flair. It's just a crazy car and that makes it awesome by default.

This design is great. Aged so well! Still looks so daring. Just another level than most of modern, boring cars.

Rcz-R @ 300hp owner here. 100.00km's Issues in 5 years ownership : - HPFP changed ( with a waaay better one , stock one is CRAP ) -( EDIT : not needed to do transmission , was just a faulty transmission oil actuator ) - 1 starter engine + 1 battery I just got a K&N panel filter and and ECU remap on 100 octane fuel only. Car is a BEAST for a 1.6 liter and it's meant to be driven changing gears A LOT due to the very short gear ratio. AMAZING daily !!! i love her soo much :)

The 'Aldi' TT tag they got early on made me laugh Never drove an R version but have driven a few petrols and diesels and was impressed tbh, good fun to drive and handled nicely. The extended leather interior was nice :D

My girlfriend has a low-mileage, base-spec petrol RCZ (not R) the same colour as this one. She loves it and it's been super-reliable! As mentioned here, the inside is a nice place to be and the boot is cavernous too!

My neighbour used to have 2 of them. Black and white. Beautiful cars in and out. They were like a better nicer version of Audi TT.

I loved my RCZ, sure it wasn't an R but nonetheless l rarely saw another on the road, and yes, l had more conversations about that bubble roof than any other car l have owned. Future classique? Well, maybe, l would say it's a real possibility it being so rare in the first place. If you are considering buying one, l say, go for it!

You are literally the only car review channel I watch now, thank you for you attention to what people should care about on all levels, about such a wide variety of interesting cars, it’s great that I can watch you review cars I owned in my 20’s, cars I liked and never owned, cars I might buy as well as cars I dream of owning. I had a love affair with mark 2 MR2’s, so I can’t wait for you to review the new mr2 if it happens!

Soo tired of people testing Peugeot they dont wont too test it right they hate them from the start. It has very good design.

Always reminded me of the VW Kharman Ghia, a stylish cruiser/personal coupe & am sure ordinary models could offer unrivaled style for the money now.

I had a 208gti when i was younger, a 2015 plate, got it brand new. Had the same engine as this. Come with just over 200bhp as standard. Very little lag in that one though, but i must say they really did improve the engine. I got mine as a side project, pumping it full of power and getting a body kit on it. Think max power magazine days. That 1.6litre engine when fully forged and given a huge turbo got up to nearly 500bhp. Yes, nearly 500. I drove it all over the place, giving it the thrashing it needed. Even a weekend at the ring was not enough to bring it to its knees. I put 50k of very hard miles on that car. And it loved every second of it. I sold it on to a freind, its now just over 8 years old, de tuned down to about 300bhp and has recently got up to 100k miles. Still rock solid. Considering where that engine started with mini / bmw, pegeout really did massively improve it. Never knew the rczr had the same one in. They are pretty bullet proof if looked after. It's very lucky im an electrical engineer, though. As the electrical faults on my 208 were never ending, random, and the main dealer wouldn't touch the car after the mods. The rczr is now definitely on my to buy list of cars. Thankyou!

It's funny how some people speak about Peugeot being unreliable, but drive a VAG or BMW themselves. Those aren't more reliable 🤷🏽‍♂️

Having driven both an RCZ R and 308 GTI which has the same engine, the performance of that engine is one of the real highlights. The 308 was comfortably quicker than the i30 N which I also test drove when looking for a hot hatch recently. I can only assume there was something wrong with this particular car if James thought it didn't feel like all of 270bhp. Most people are surprised they only have 270bhp because of the performance on offer.

There's no sequential turbocharging here. It's a single turbo with a twin-scroll turbine.

The handling of this car is just astonishing, im hungarian, and on youtube theres a hungarian car channel called laptiming, where a couple guys take various cars around the same tight little track, and the RCZR still holds the FWD record there, just awesome.

Did you turn off and drive the car without the ESP on? Fish Brothers Peugeot Parts Direct new set of OE discs are circa £700. Pink dust is the coating applied to turbo heat shield as it degades (due to high temps) easily wiped off. The 1.6-litre turbocharged engine is NOT the co-developed engine with BMW. It is an internal PSA development with the teams of Peugeot Sport and the R & D Group and is handmade in France specific to RCZ R. With forged internal, reinforced block and gearbox. Wheels are specific to the model, as is Torsen, ride height, suspension, camber/toe settings, seats etc. The Cam chain has not been an issue in the facelift models..and not an issue if a correct oil level has been maintained, which is critical. Biggest issue on this car imo and one you don't mention is the High Pressure Fuel Pump....the initial one's fitted are substandard and fail at minimal miles. Don't think the review gives the low down on the design and bespoke nature of the car and as usual is mired in the usual snide comments and prejudgements....values are holding for a decent example at circa £16K. Future classic for sure...but let's face it what won't be......I think PH's summed it up well '£19k buys you a rare, fast, exciting and good-looking coupe which deserved a longer life cycle than it got. The complete opposite of a TT, then.'

Good to see one of these reviewed. And like your unbiased view on it. I oh so nearly bought one at one point but in the end bought an E86 Z4 coupe, which I think you are absolutely right, has so much more engagement and drama about it. When I test drove an R it felt a nice place, it felt nice all round, but not exciting. I also looked at the reliability of an N52 engine vs the Prince option and it was a no brainer...

It is a beauty. Especially in that colour.

I have the 308 GTI and after owning a mk7gti and an i30n, I can easily say it's the most underrated and performance focused hot hatch there is. Mine always surprises so many people. Would love to see you cover one

Iv got this exact model and spec, not had any issues at all over the 5 years of ownership and 75k on the clock. Out of caution of it having the same engine as the mini i change the timing chain. Been taking it on track days around the uk and the ring and planning to keep it for a long time.

I had a regular RCZ for over 5 years. It was amazing. I loved every bit of that car although it had issues no lies here, but after 80k miles still running. No breakdowns. Cheap parts, economical (156bhp). I had the mainstream hpfp issue and electrical anomalies but nothing broke the bank! I would buy it again. I wanted an R but I was afraid that the engine would fell apart as it stretched to its limits im sure.

I have the 147kw model. Hugely enjoyable. Draws near constant attention everywhere i go. Very reliable.

The looks remind me of the 1955 VW Karmann Ghia coupe, which explains why the boot is so massive, as they moved the engine to the front. Meanwhile JayEmm's description sounds more like the French equivalent of the American "personal luxury coupe", something meant to be a bit more exclusive than its platform siblings, a nice place to spend your time, goes reasonably well, low cost, with little in terms of driver interaction, feel and excitement and no drama.

Just watched your earlier RCZ vid yesterday, as one has been parked outside my house for a few days. You said then you wanted to review an R, and a day later here we are! Thanks James, great channel 👍

The brakes on the 308 GTI are much cheaper but are practically the same as the RCZ-R. However, still around 1k to change the front brakes 😅

I got a soft spot for the RCZ esp for its quirkyness and the fact that it s genuinely a rare sight and thought the package was really promising so I m fairly shocked given the engine issues and the cost of the brakes...am not familiar with UK prices but after what you and others quite regularly mention regarding other cars, esp Porsche or Ferraris, your prices commonly are the same or actually quite a bit lower than what we get here in continental Europe. I had my brakes for the Cayman done at the official dealership and that cost 1500Eur... I also expected the RCZ to be rock solid given whatever left Magna Steyr s factory is commonly known to be very good or even great in terms of build quality.

Fun fact... These were used by MSV for track tuition at Brands Hatch. A young Damani Marcano, as seen on JayEmm & Friends, did his National B racing licence test in one of these aged 16!

A '99 Mercury Cougar and an Audi TT had a 'special' night together, you can't unsee it now,

Lovely looking car 🚗

Always loved that double bubble rear window

Been a Peugeot driver for all of the ten years I've been on the road - a 307, a 206, a 308 (all boggo) and now a 61' plate 308 GT THP 200 with all the extras. I bought it for being the devil you know, and because it had electric folding wingmirrors and a panoramic sunroof. I didn't even realise it had a turbo when I got it home and so laggy/unexciting is the turbo response at normal revs it took me a couple of days for the penny to drop :) (no, I didn't know or guess what THP stands for... it's French, after all lol). It's no surprise then that the RCZ R with the even more tuned version of my GT 200 engine is much the same in character. And honestly I could say that with 33% more power on tap it wouldn't bother me. You get used to torque steer easily enough and - yes - these cars brake well. I also enjoy the driving on country roads, love the interior and am just pretty happy. No doubt mine, low mileage as it for its age, will break down at some point but that's a bridge I'll cross (yet again...) another time. Anyway, I truly would love either the Red Carbon version or a late model RCZ R and yes, as a daily driver. I'd save my 308 GT for the weekend/family trips and for project work/tuning. We also want the 308SW as a family wagon too - for the money, the best cheap 5-seat estate car and of course, better the devil you know!

"It's a Peugeot after all." In the Top Gear reviews of the 90s, Peugeot is considered a synonym for fun handling car.

Thanks Jay, that's a car I've been interested in (lusted after) since I laid eyes on it. Loved the OG Audi TT, and this appeared to take the best styling elements and put some Gallic hot sauce on them. Still love to get one on this side of the proverbial pond to try myself. Great report, well done as always.

James, you need to review the 308 GTI. 270 BHP weighing less than the RCZ-R and only 700 left on UK roads. I have one that I'd be happy for you to do a follow up to this video. Let me know

I've always loved the coupes and CC models Peugeot has made, bit of a shame they've stopped doing that. My first car was a 206 CC which I swapped to a 407 coupe V6 and I recently acquired a 207 CC with the 1.6 turbo as a summer car and I love them. Been thinking about getting an RCZ as well but I don't want to get rid of either of my cars right now and I don't have more space They're pretty rare and stand out from other cars but still have the usual parts from other Peugeots so they're easy to find parts for, and they go for almost nothing (I paid less than 2500€ for my 207 CC which the previous owner spent almost 2 grand on lowering springs and 19" rims the year before)

I reckon this will be one of the cars i initially hated but end up loving. Definitely has started looking quite better to me than i once thought. How to do the audi tt shape right design wise.

Iv had my RCZ R for over 8 years, and the only problem I have had is a faulty door lock. Owned Audi TT,s in the past & have had more issues. Won't be Selling, its a keeper, recommend Michelin 4s tyres, transforms the car

Lovely looking car and always fancied one. Opted for the more robust audi mk2 tt 3.2 though and haven't regretted it one bit

I think the only real purpose of the RCZ is to be a beautiful sight on the world's roads. And it does that beautifully.

really would love one of these, think they look amazing and are very very cool. this spec is perfection

I considered one of these, but I ended up getting a 308 GTi instead. It's got all of the drivetrain and brake goodies, but it's on a new lightweight platform that made it lighter than the RCZ, as well as a further revised engine with even less issues. The brake discs aren't too bad if you know where to look, Peugeot Wrexham run an online store, and they'll sell you genuine discs for £390 each, which isn't too bad compared to other dealers, MTEC and Godspeed also make 2-piece discs as well for a little less. Went with the Godspeed ones in my car, and they have the added benefit of being a genuine 2-piece, so you can replace just the friction part instead of the whole disc like on the OE disc. The original pads are modified Ferodo DS2500 so are worth the £240, but EBC also make fast road pads for these calipers for about half the money. On my car there's a noticeable VVTi lift at 4k rpm; according to the car you get access to the last 70bhp at 4k. So perhaps the engine tuning is a little different compared to the RCZR. As a side note, reliability has been very good. Only engine related part replaced on mine over 85k miles in 6 years, is a pre-cat lambda sensor. Had the timing chain (incl. Tensioner and VVTi sprockets) changed recently for peace of mind, but looking at the old parts it wasn't necessary. But the fact that my car has been enthusiast owned since new, and has had 6k oil change intervals, may of played a part.

The arsey zed has always been a gorgeous car.

Really interesting car. The story at the Peugeot dealership doesn't surprise me. Everyone says the main dealers are best as they quote know the cars inside out. I for one, have found specialists to be FAR more knowledgeable, and cheaper so in my mind it is a win win. There is also the advantage of supporting a local business. Great video as always, thank you

I was looking at a regular one of these when I was in the process of buying my similarly named CRZ, I probably made the right choice for my wallet as the Honda is my only car, I prefer the way it looks but I can’t deny these things are cool!

michelin in the front, some no name brand in the back. Don't think this specific example would be a good one to judge the RCZ's handling.

Such a lovely looking, purposeful car. They were never intended to be a track car and in 200ps form were not priced up to be. Really nice.

Your theme music brightens my day

Jay, thanks for this review cause this car is not sold in the USA and its cool.

Looks wise this has aged better than the 1st gen TT.

Always said if these had a German badge they'd have sold like hot cakes

These look pretty great, especially in that colour combination!

I always liked it looks, thought the big wheels would help traction, but knew its turbo laggy reputation. Looks good in a deep red.

It's a shame that the RCZ was retired before it could be revamped using the second generation 308's platform, so it would've been well under 1.3 tons for the R model with the expected improvements to acceleration and economy, as well as the i-Cockpit just to annoy the haters. Salvage Rebuilds UK bought an RCZ last year with an undiagnosed noise, a new engine had been recommended by the previous garage... it was fixed by replacing just the water pump and actuator, along with the auxiliary belt. The actuator is a nice idea in theory as it allows the engine to warm up quicker and as such helps with emissions, but I can only imagine how many vehicles - not just RCZs - with these engines have either had engine replacements or been scrapped. Also, note that most of the issues with the EP6/Prince appear to have been of BMW's making.

Peugeot actually raced these in WRC. Not very successful if I remember, but dang what a cool looking race car.

Would love to see a 308 GTi review. Most underrated hot hatch

Always liked these, still a head turner for me. I remember they did some movie promotions with Terminator with these. I just want to put on lowering springs and put a ridiculous racing wing on it.

I love the looks, particularly the earlier ones, I just wish they'd committed to it fully by putting a more characterful engine in the middle

It's a beautiful car, I see some on the road here in Spain, although a very small number.

Having owned a R model from new for nearly 10 years now, I would say that’s a pretty fair review. I’m one of the owners who can’t quite find anything comparable from an all round perspective. Whatever like is the luggage carrying ability. There’s no problems going on a fortnights driving holiday.

Great stuff as usual.

I'd buy it just for the looks very nice looking car 😂

Beautiful car this. ❤

I owned one of these R models , while it was fun when it worked it was damn unreliable , usually do 8-10k miles a year and only did 3k and 200 of them was fully working , brake discs are a joke how much they are , mild steel pistons in the callipers that seized , engine rebuild by Peugeot twice and still went wrong again, it was an absolute stunner , 1.6 with 270bhp? That’s just a talking point in itself , shame it was unreliable , great video man ✌️

I believe it’s going to become a niche classic

Mini/BMW actually used the Prince engine all the way up until 2016 in R59 Roadster, R60 Countryman and R61 Paceman! I've got the N16 Prince in my 2010 R56 Cooper LCI and never had any issues beyond the exhaust VANOS solenoid needing replacing (this is a fairly common issue, I've heard they revised the design of the solenoid a fair few times) at 48,000 miles which only cost £60 and took 10 mins to swap as it's on the front on the engine. It does however only have 120BHP so I imagine that helps somewhat in terms of reliability!

Great review as usual and your correct the diesel is the most reliable and have bullet proof engines. And 2014 2015 diesels are around the £9 grand mark and not going down in price. A future classic? Yes most certainly.

That car could have been released this year with those looks

The French still make odd and unique things every now and then - in the spirit of the Clio V6 from many years ago, around a decade ago they took a Clio and made a roadster out of it, the Renault Wind.

I've driven the 308 gti 270 for 48 hours test drive...absolute b road weapon...1200kg on 19's with Torsen and 380mm brakes...there isn't many cars that could attack UK Broads like this car

This is a nice car but I just love the Alpine A110

Is it strange that I miss the old Peugeot badge? The new one is awful 😂

It's the BMW bits that make the engine problematic. Lots in common with other BMW engine faults.

I have a 2011 GT with 200 bhp. I got it very cheap, but have spent a lot since putting an awful lot right. First thing to need replacing was a camshaft timing vanos valve, then the high pressure fuel pump started causing issues, replaced. Then the turbo blow off valve, then the gearbox oil was changed in an effort to ease the notchy gear change when cold, (it did not work), the battery then decided to call it a day, then a camshaft sensor and the crankshaft sensor, then the spark plugs, (apparently, it doesn't like Bosch plugs, they have to be from NGK), and finally, last week I had the timing chain replaced. It finally runs very well, but I am afraid to use it in case that stops being the case. No doubt the little Prima Donna will throw a fit before long and something else will start causing problems. It is nice to look at, but then, considering how much of its time is spent sitting in the garage waiting for parts and/or repairs, it bloody well needs to be.

Not being pedantic but isn't this engine variant fitted with a single twin scroll turbo, not twin turbo as you mention?

It would go a lot quicker if this guy had laid off the pies. I have a black one, 24k miles, mint condition, dry summer use only. Has been totally reliable. Mine is currently worth more than I paid for it.

I had an R56 MINI with the N14 engine and I absolutely loved it. It had a few minor issues here and there but nothing major. With a Manic tune it was very smooth and powerful with no dips in power anywhere in the rev range. I have an MK7 GTI with the EA888 which puts the N14/N18 to shame, but it was still a great motor nonetheless.

i used to have one if these in this colour. great car. surprisingly fast, and still looks modern, need to give it a tune so it has better low down torque

One of the guys at work had 2, the latter being a Moroccan Red R, I remember him having issues with the brakes too, might even have been a parts supply issue, not just the cost but couldn’t say for sure

It looks like and Audi tt and a honda crz had a baby…… I like it!!

Beautiful car

Always liked the design of this car

Surprised these are so rare. When I was in Réunion they were everywhere.

I was admiring one of these on school run in Bangkok last week.. moments later it was involved in an accident, rear ending a truck.

As ex Peugeot parts person ( mustn't say man nowadays! ) these were more than ok reliability wise,just had to avoid buying a used uncared for 156bhp model,which was problematic in the ways described.200bhp and 270bhp motors had different tensioners,and an electronic friction wheel though not perfect was a step up,being a GDi engine dont even think about running it on anything but premium unleaded as it will coke up very quickly,especially if you only do short journeys,and any money saved on fuel will be spent tenfold on cleaning away sticky carbon deposits in the cylinder head.0w30 oil regularly will also help prolong its lifespan as well as dependability.This is the only engine EP6 add suffix after,that in our particular franchised dealer JUMPED 6 teeth on the timing chain,but managed to keep running albeit very poorly!! Good attempt by Peugeot to give the customers in the market a viable alternative to an Audi TT.......But alas their timing was poor.

Peugeot 405 Mi16 was my favorite. They colud be mental if you trimed them. They went like crazy. This model was up in that category to.

i work at a dealership and we have a couple of local, regular RCZ-R customers. They don't really develop major problems. Coil packs want doing when you do spark plugs. Brembo brakes are a bit pricey but you get what you pay for. It does wish it was a TT and a lot of the interior is 308. It's alright though. I prefer the 308 GTi but preference is simply an opinion.

The 206 gti 180 had equally superb seats as did the 207 gti I believe

I had a 406 coupé until I crashed in a roundabout a year ago 😪 It was my favorite car, I search for a replacement and of course the RCZ was on the list, but not enough cash for it. I eventually ended up 2 weeks ago with a 207CC.