Peugeot’s Audi TT rival, the RCZ sports car, may not be replaced when the current model reaches the end of its life cycle, PSA Peugeot-Citroën CEO Carlos Tavares said.
Although the Peugeot and Citroën brands will get a larger range of sporty models in the future, the RCZ will most likely be dropped from Peugeot’s lineup. “Our brands need sports cars, but they’ll be more sporty derivatives than bespoke models,” PSA boss Carlos Tavares told Auto Express. “RCZ has a little while to run yet,” the executive added.
Tavares didn’t give additional details, but the RCZ’s discontinuation could have a lot to do with the model’s sales and profit margins. Building a standalone sports car is not cheap, and more often than not the investment in such a model is not recovered as sales are relatively low. Still, that is bad news for enthusiasts, as the RCZ is probably the most desirable car in Peugeot’s current lineup – especially the range-topping RCZ R model.
However, Tavares said both Peugeot and Citroën will continue to be involved in racing. While the latter is involved in the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC), Peugeot will return to Dakar next year with the 2008 DKR. As for the DS brand, it’s too early to talk about racing, Tavares said. However, when and if it does go racing, it will likely choose GT racing rather than DTM, he added.
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