1.6 THP 156 GT 2dr Coupe

Lots of people say that she's a lovely car

Very comfortable, a true "Grand Tourer" to be proud of. Constantly being eyeballed and complimented. A "fast car" but not a "very fast" car by any means. I had the engine remapped which boosted bhp to 182 and torque to 300 Nm at a cost of £360. That torque figure is better than the 200 bhp's 275 Nm. I wish I did some motorway mileage as she pulls really well in 4th/5th/6th gears. Second gear takes her to 68 mph so fast that it's a good job the rev limiter reminds me to change up. The gearbox is a bit notchy, I've known a lot better.

Quirky stalk controls for ICE and the cruise control/speed limiter are not intuitive at all. I'm glad I don't have the fitted satnav as the forward view isn't brilliant really due to the large electrochromatic mirror. My cheap satnav just about fits in the small air conditioned glovebox for the rare occasions I need it.

Seriosly irritating is that if the ignition is off for about three minutes or so, the car goes into "Economy Mode" and everything shuts down, radio et al. You have to restart the engine and turn it off again to get the radio etc working again. This feature was truly designed by an obsessive greeny who doesn't realise that a radio uses less energy than a petrol engine.

Fully adjustable electric seats and manually adjustable steering wheel controls make for a perfect driving position. Despite certain reviewers saying that you can't reach the radio controls, well I can easily and I'm a dwarfish 5'9". I can't understand why my colleagues call me a "knuckle dragger"?

"Rosie" has a fabulous interior and has most of the expected "extras" that I need. I do wish though that the passenger seat had a memory function as people do like to be taken for a drive in her. The Mrs does get justifiably irritated when she gets her seat back.

I bought a brand new 1.6 205 GTi back in 2005. I really loved that car and only got banned once for excessive speeding. I cannot even think of a vehicle that I have owned to equal the delight of driving my GTi except for my RCZ. A Citroen BX GTi came close. I am cursed as a Francophile.

Buy an RCZ. They don't make them anymore. This surely will be a future classic car.

Viva La France!

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