PEUGEOT has been giving Audi a real run for its money on the sportscar championship racetracks of the world – now it plans to do the same on the road.

For years, the Audi TT has dominated the coupé scene, but Peugeot plans to end that with the stunning RCZ.

Anyone who has seen Peugeot’s slippery-looking Le Mans sportscars will instantly recognise the inspiration for the RCZ’s feline styling.

With its double-bubble roof and rear windscreen, two aluminium roof arches, plunging front and muscular rear end, the street prowler looks like nothing else on the road. It’s for people who live cars, love cars, and long for something with real character.

Unlike any other Peugeot, the dynamic 2+2 breaks the mould with its name, as the first car not to use the French car maker’s numbering system with a central or double-zero. But its appeal extends much further than simply a change of name and lion badge.

Built at the Magna Steyr plant in Graz, Austria, a production centre that specialises in small volume vehicle production runs, the RCZ is a car with racy exterior looks, a sophisticated, refined interior and the technology to back up its sporty profile.

As the car hits 53mph, a rear spoiler lifts out of the rear bodywork to help road holding. I am told the spoiler rises to a second, higher position at 96mph, which could be a bit of a giveaway to traffic police. But low-speed poseurs can also activate the spoiler by pressing a button on the centre console.

Riding on 18in alloy wheels, the RCZ has been built on Peugeot’s so-called ‘Platform 2’, which is rigid and well-made, delivering excellent ride and handling while keeping noise and vibration to a minimum. The platform has already been successfully used as a base for a wide range of Peugeot models, from the 308 and 308 Coupé Cabriolet, through to the 3008 crossover and 5008 compact people carrier.

As sporty as the RCZ looks, it is also surprisingly practical. The wraparound front seats are large and supremely supportive, the steering wheel is leather-trimmed with a racing-style flat bottom and the driving position is perfect for swift, involved driving.

The rear seats are called ‘occasional’, which is marketing speak as suitable for children, or small adults at a pinch, who are not planning to travel a long distance.

Usefully though, the rear seat backrests can be folded to increase the space offered by an already bigger-than-expected boot.

Continuing the theme of practicality, the test car was powered by a 163 horsepower, 2.0-litre diesel engine, delivering a satisfying combination of oodles of oomph and the prospect of 50mpg day-to-day fuel consumption. To further the cause of fuel economy, the engine also comes with a mildly irritating gear shift indicator in the instrument cluster that gives you the best moment to change gear to both improve fuel economy and cut CO2 emissions.

If the car is still not distinctive enough, you can transform it with a carbon roof panel, roof arches of different colours, and a wide range of alloy wheel designs.

I can’t wait for the convertible version.