The Rover 200 Coupé is a two door coupé that was produced by Rover and based on the Rover 200 Mark II, with most of the body panels and the bumpers unique in the range. The car was launched on 6 October 1992, at the Paris Motor Show. It was given the project code name 'Tomcat' when in development.
When introduced, the range flagship, the 220 Turbo Coupé, was the most powerful and fastest production Rover model ever built.
The range was revised in 1996, with new engines, and was renamed Rover Coupé. Production ceased in 1998.
The Rover 200 Coupé was equipped with a specially shaped split glass roof system with a central T-Bar. The twin panels could be tilted or detached independently, and the bar itself could also be removed and stored in the boot in a special protective cover. The glass was an advanced, semi reflective material, coated with titanium. Transmission of solar heat was restricted to only six per cent, eliminating the need for a sun blind.
The lines of the 200 Coupé resulted from a completely new monoside and front and rear roof panels, new front and rear bumpers and a deep front spoiler extension with large intake grille.
The interior was designed to accommodate four people, with rear seats individually styled. With the application of burr walnut veneer and quality fabrics, the interior was in the Rover traditions of elegance and refinement. Optional leather trim was also available. The Rover 200 Coupé featured infra red remote central door locking as standard. It also saw the application of ultrasonic alarm system developed originally for the Rover 800 range, giving both perimetric and volumetric protection.
A specially developed version of the established 'Torsen' torque sensing traction control systemm previously only applied to four wheel drive and some rear wheel drive vehicles (Maserati Biturbo), was developed to help optimise handling. It was standard on the 220 Turbo Coupé, and optional for the first year of production on the naturally aspirated 220 version. Critics at the time reported that the handling was marred by the power being rather clumsily transmitted through the front wheels. As a result, the handling dynamics fell short of its rivals.
At launch, three engine types gave the Coupé a broad appeal: a Honda D-Series 1.6 litre engine 111 PS (82 kW; 109 bhp), and two Rover 2.0 T-Series engines; a naturally aspirated version producing 136 PS (100 kW; 134 bhp) and a turbo version 200 PS (147 kW; 197 bhp). All versions had manual transmission as standard, with an automatic option only with the 1.6 version.
In 1994, changes were introduced to the 200 Coupé range, most obviously with a chrome grille being added to bring in line with the rest of the 200 series. Cost saving changes were also seen, such as a reduction in the amount of leather used, ignition barrel light removed and dash light dimming deleted. The alarm system received several changes to keep up with current security requirements.
Ash Grey was the standard trim colour on all derivatives, but the optional full leather trim set could be specified in either Ash Grey or Sand Stone Beige. Exterior colours initially were: White Diamond, Flame Red, Black, Quicksilver Metallic, Nordic Blue Metallic, Polynesian Turquoise Metallic, Nightfire Red Pearlescent and Tahiti Blue Pearlescent (a new colour exclusive to the Coupé, later introduced to other cars in the Rover range). In 1994, Nordic Blue and Quicksilver were replaced with British Racing Green, Platinum Silver and Charcoal. Black, pearlescent or metallic paint were optional on all models.
The 1.6 litre model was designed to appeal to the cost conscious Coupé buyer. Priced at £14,495, the 111 PS (82 kW; 109 bhp) version achieved a 0 to 60 mph time of 9.5 seconds and a maximum speed of 120 mph (193 km/h). Excessive stock of the 216 Coupé led Rover to bring out a new model, the 216 SE, prior to the new 1996 range was launched. This was dressed up with the rear body coloured spoiler and front fog lamps, aimed to generate additional sales to clear the way for the new models.
Options included:
This model featured the T series 2.0 litre 16 valve engine, later introduced into the rest of the 200/400 range in 1993. It replaced the M16 unit used in previous models. The 220 Coupé was priced at £16,670. In naturally aspirated form, the 16 valve T-Series produced 136 PS (100 kW; 134 bhp) at 6000 rpm and a top speed of 127 mph (204 km/h). 0-60 mph was achieved in 8.2 seconds.
Over the 216 Coupé, the 220 featured:
Options included:
The flagship of the range, the 220 Coupé Turbo's performance came from the T-Series 2.0 litre 16 valve engine with turbocharging producing 200 PS (147 kW; 197 bhp) at 6000 rpm and 174 lb⋅ft (236 N⋅m) The fastest ever production Rover achieved 150 mph (241 km/h) and a 0 to 60 mph time of 6.2 seconds and 30 to 70 mph in 5.7 seconds in a test by Autocar in October 1992.
Torsen torque sensing traction control, uprated suspension and anti lock brakes as standard. The differential is a completely mechanical device so by most manufacturer's standards this would not have been considered to be a 'Traction Control System'. However, the LSD was the reason why the Rover was marketed as having traction control. Anti lock braking (ABS) was standard on the 2.0 litre models. The car was priced at £18,315. Features of the Rover 220 Coupé Turbo over the naturally aspirated 220 included:
Options included:
In 1996, Rover announced revisions to the Coupé, with the range also losing the 200 model name. Two, all new, models were introduced to replace the previous models. The Coupé 1.6 was now fitted with Rover Group's own K-Series 16 valve double overhead camshaft power unit instead of the previous Honda unit. The 2.0 and Turbo models were replaced by the 1.8 VVC Coupe.
Inside, the interior was completely revamped and featured the new rounder dash as fitted to the newer shape Rover 200. The alarm system on all models was again changed and now featured Thatcham approval. The interior trim was lightened from the dark Ash Grey to a lighter Picadilly Grey. The 1.6 was fitted with cloth trim in either red or grey centres whilst the VVC came with the leather side bolsters as seen in previous models. All three models had the option of full smokestone leather.
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