Tuesday 27th January 2015

Peugeot RCZ R Bimota revealed

Peugeot Italy and bike company collaborate on one-off 304hp RCZ. Can we have it?

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The Peugeot RCZ R is a very good car. Oh sure, it's not as desirable as a TT or as brawny as a 370Z but for outright fun it's definitely up there. This PB104 (Peugeot, Bimota, project number one, four wheels, simple) is Peugeot Italy and Bimota's vision of an even faster RCZ R.

Think they're patriotic in Italy?

Officially it's a one-off concept without any production plans. Aside from the bold paint job, the Bimota is distinguished by additional interior Alcantara, a TomTom Bridge infotainment system (seemingly for the passenger to use) plus helmet and race suit storage. That's motorcycle influence you see. There are GoPros front and rear too. Leathers aren't mandatory.

Of more interest are the mechanical changes to the RCZ R. Through a new turbo dump valve, intake tweaks (red air filters make more power), a racing exhaust and an ECU remap, power has been raised to 304hp from 270. A 300hp Peugeot! And perhaps more to the point, 190hp per litre! A few stories we've seen are claiming an updated braking system with 380mm front discs and four-pot calipers, rather overlooking the fact the standard RCZ R has 380mm front discs and four-pot calipers. It would appear to be standard bar the engine upgrades.

PB104 is Bimota's vision of 'motorcycling passion on four wheels'. All well and good for a bit of brand promo but you would have to hope for something more than a concept eventually. Peugeot Sport are on a good form recently with the standard R and 208 30th so dare we suggest a Rallye? Ditching the rear seats (and the race suit storage) would save some weight, Bimota has proved the power is possible and, voila, the Rallye is reborn. It could even have some stickers. Then it could even take on the FWD 'ring record. But we're getting carried away. This is an RCZ R by Bimota. Very nice.

 

[TISPKJ]

So think I am right, Ferrari buy Ducati and didnt I read that Lamborghini (vw group) bought Bimota ?
so whats it doing on a Pug ?

[thatdude]

I thought VAG / Audi own Ducati...? Anyway, I'm not sure what's going on here but if it means money for Bimota then it can only be a good thing.

I think, though, that Bimota's days of offering a typically stonking engine produced by a mainstream manufacturer wrapped up in a chassis that can actualy cope with it are long, long gone. I wish they had succedded with their V-Due project

It would be wonderful if they took a VFR1200 engine, and wrapped that up in a chassis befiting a motogp grid

[TISPKJ]

Ok could be, so reverse that then, Ferrari bought Bimota ..... saw it very recently somewhere.

ah ... looking a bit of a tw@t now, cant find on google, was it MV Agusta bought by Ferrari ?

[J B L]

Bimota is independent . It belongs to a group of investors who bought the right to everything in 2003 (according to Wiki).

Certainly not part of any big group.

Mercedes Benz now owns 25% of MV Agusta though.

[P4ROT]

Who bought who? Could someone clear this up! lol

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If you'd told me about this I would have winced, but I actually really like it. Maybe there's something wrong with me.

[GTEYE]

All I can say is, thank goodness its a one off.

[SteveSteveson]

What on earth did they do that for?

If it was a brand the public might recognize I could understand.

If it was some serious work from a small company to get a big stage I could understand.

But a company most of the public and few bikers have never heard of doing a paint and trim job makes no sense at all.

Bimota produced some of the most stunning bikes ever made, but why do this? Neither company gains anything.

[J B L]

P4ROT said:

Who bought who? Could someone clear this up! lol

Regarding Italian bikes manufacturer:

Piaggio group owns Moto Guzzi, Aprilia, Derbi, Gilera and Vespa.

Audi (VAG) owns Ducati 100%.

Mercedes Benz has 25% of MV Agusta.

A group of investor owns 100% of Bimota.

I think

[boyse7en]

Bimota is owned by Marco Chiancianesi and Daniele Longoni.

They took over the company a couple of years ago - their first public launch was the BB3 at Milan in November 2013.

Love the jewel-like quality of the brand's bikes, but they are on a hiding to nothing at the moment given the quality of factory sportsbikes.
But, that Peugeot is pretty horrid in my opinion.

[A common lawyer]

Why rip out the rear seats to save weight, then add a big heavy box? What's wrong with a bungie net? and why leave the rear headrests and rear seatbelt carrier thingies?

I'm a massive fan boy though, so I like it!

[P4ROT]

J B L said:

P4ROT said:

Who bought who? Could someone clear this up! lol

Regarding Italian bikes manufacturer:

Piaggio group owns Moto Guzzi, Aprilia, Derbi, Gilera and Vespa.

Audi (VAG) owns Ducati 100%.

Mercedes Benz has 25% of MV Agusta.

A group of investor owns 100% of Bimota.

I think

lol thanks for that. You can tell Audi owns Ducati because it has become depressingly sensible and they have begun the audification of filling every single niche possible - I'm surprised they haven't built a scooter yet tbh.

[de Piento]

So, let me get this right... this thing doesn't have two engines? 'cos that's the only reason I clicked the link. (I'm not a bikie so I don't know what Bimota is - I assumed it meant it had two motors)

[Marchutch]

1400kg?? Are you kidding me? Whats the point in all that power if it weighs the same as a small moon? My car will shortly have 30hp less than this one, but it weighs 300kg less! I know that isn't that impressive in the grand scheme of things, but I don't see what the point of making a one of special like this is, and stuffing it full of heavy kit, when it could be a modern interpretation of a Ralleye!

[MarJay]

As a motorcyclist this makes me feel unclean. No self respecting Bimota owner would buy a Peugeot.

[Veeayt]

I thought the piece was about twin-engined car

[LA167]

Lovely interior filled with Alcantara......aaaand a fking plastic centre to the steering wheel! FAIL!!

[Mark-C]

Sad to see this but (as noted above) Bimota need to find a new trick. Modern factory bikes are so good now that there is little to be gained by taking the engine out and wrapping it in something new. When I was growing up (a loose expression) you could choose Harris, Moto Martin, Spondon, Hickman and many others to sell you a frame to house your Jap 4-pot and build a better bike. At the top of that tree was Bimota (and I'd still love a Tesi just for the WTF factor).

I guess they need to find something new to do with the brand but hopefully they'll find something more befitting than this.

[soad]

Destroyer of front tyres?

Needs to be rallied...

[Rumblestripe]

The RCZ is a lovely looking thing isn't it? If only it had an Audi badge the fan boys would fawn over it. I think it does need a "bonkers" version with more power and less seats (Alcantara is a good thing I agree)

Come on Pug, stick a rocket up its ar...

[bobberz]

I really don't understand this. What does a French FWD coupe have to do with the most bonkers Italian motorcycle manufacturer? The tie-in makes no sense, whatsoever.

I've always thought of Bimota as the Italian equivalent to Indian motorcycles (from the US). Both of those companies have gone out of business, then been resurrected, so many times it's like watching Dragonball Z!