407 Coupe

Based on the transverse-engined and front-wheel drive 407 sedan, the Coupe is built in-house in Rennes, France - as opposed to its 406 predecessor, which was made by Pininfarina in Italy.

The Coupe comes with significant changes designed to distinguish it from its more mundane family member.

For starters, while the 4815mm wheelbase is the same, no sheetmetal is shared.

The Coupe’s proboscis and posterior jut out 5.5cm and 8.5cm more respectively the car sits 44cm lower to the ground (bringing the centre of gravity down 25mm) and the overall structure is torsionally more rigid.

There is an extended aluminium sub-frame to support frameless doors while the bootlid is composite to save weight.

Peugeot in France carried out all the styling work although it did seek out a number of proposals from outside sources.

Two V6 engines are available – a 2.7-litre HDi turbo-diesel, rated at 150kW at 4000rpm and 440Nm at 1000rpm, as well as a 3.0-litre V6 unit, delivering 155kW at 6000rpm and 290Nm of torque at 3750rpm.

Two six-speed gearboxes are employed – a conventional manual or a Tiptronic-style sequential-shift tri-mode Aisin automatic.

Like its predecessor, the 407 Coupe is a four-seater with proper full-sized adult accommodation.

Now though there’s significantly more room thanks to a passenger compartment that’s stretched by 58mm – allowing for up to 142mm more elbow space. The rear seat folds for increased boot capacity too.

Yet to make the Coupe ‘feel’ sportier Peugeot lowered and set back the 407 sedan’s driving position by 20mm and 9mm respectively.

Seven standard airbags, new, larger front seats, the availability of a leather-clad dashboard and revised colours and trim lift the Coupe’s ambience over the regular 407 range.

Mechanically much is also sedan-derived, meaning double-wishbone front and a multi-link rear suspension set-up.