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Peugeot RCZ Sport is a customer competition version built from the body shell up as a racing car, and it doesn't even pretend to be street legal.

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Anybody who's driven an RCZ knows that under the luxury trim of Peugeot's premium coupé there lurks a very naughty little sports car - and now Peugeot has let that sports car out, in the shape of the RCZ Sport.

No Cyril, we're not talking about ripping out the back seats and plastering the body with go-fast stripes - this is a customer competition version built from the body shell up as a racing car, and it doesn't even pretend to be street legal.

It's intended for one-make series to be run in several European countries next year, with sealed engines and maximum quotas for tyres to keep the playing fields level, and serious prize money on offer.

Peugeot's competition department have been working on the RCZ Sport for more than a year, and one of the development cars has already clocked more than 8000km in testing at half a dozen circuits from tight 'n twisty Dijon to hot, high-speed Navarra in Spain.

The 1598cc THP engine (originally developed in collaboration with BMW for the Mini) uses standard crankshaft, cams, cylinder head and valves, with uprated conrods and pistons.

It breathes in through a bigger-than standard Borg Warner P154 turbocharger and the original intercooler, mounted above a special airbox, and out through a 70mm stainless-steel drainpipe. Like we said, definitely not street legal!

The Sport runs on 18" one-piece rims shod with hard-compound 25-64R18 slicks, and weighs only 1070kg ready to race - 250kg lighter than the road version.

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Peugeot quotes peak power of 184kW at 6500rpm and 290Nm from 3500-5500rpm, fed to the front wheel by a Sadev six-speed, sequential gearbox, operated via steering wheel-mounted paddles and hydraulic gear selectors for fast, accurate shifting under racing conditions

The Magneti-Marelli SRT engine management system includes chassis and engine data-logging and is wired into a centre console-mounted power box via a special Sport wiring loom.

All the soundproofing has been removed from the standard RCZ body shell and a welded roll-cage fitted, with links to the upper suspension mounts to stiffen the chassis, three quick-lift hoists and brackets for the adjustable rear-wing pylon.

The MacPherson-strut front suspension uses mostly standard components but with special Peugeot Sport dampers adjustable for ride height, camber and toe-in; rear suspension is also standard except for Peugeot Sport coil-over assemblies.

There's no brake servo; what you feel under your foot is what you get from the 355mm ventilated front discs and six-piston callipers, and stock 290mm rear discs. Front/rear brake bias can be adjusted "on the fly" via a proportioning valve that acts on the rear brakes to prevent the car's wheels from locking under heavy braking

The Sport runs on 18" one-piece rims shod with hard-compound 25-64R18 slicks, and weighs only 1070kg ready to race - 250kg lighter than the road version - complete with racing bucket seat, fire extinguisher and a battery cut-off switch.

All the soundproofing has been removed from the standard RCZ body shell and a welded roll-cage fitted, with links to the upper suspension mountings to stiffen the chassis.

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It's available to order now from Peugeot Sport for the 2012 season at €54 900 (R552 000) ex works.