The 147 GTA is effectively a shorter, lighter 156 GTA. Lifted directly from the 156 sister car, the 3197cc six musters 250bhp at 6200rpm and 221lb ft at 4800rpm. That makes it more powerful than the Focus RS and the VW Golf R32, but not Renault’s mad-cap mid-engined 255bhp Clio V6.
Like the 156, the 147 drives the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox and open differential, which means getting off the line is tricky if the standard stability control and traction control has been disabled.
The brakes haul up the GTA from 60mph in just 2.6sec – matching the time set by the Focus RS – but suffer from an aggressive serve action and hyperactive anti-lock sensors. The steering is super-quick thanks to a rack that demands just 1.75 turns between locks but there is little feel about what is happening on the road and the appalling 12.1m turning circle will leave you cursing around town.
Inside, the hooded instrument binnacles and jutting centre console of the Lamborghini Miura-inspired dashboard show a real sense of style and heritage. It oozes class in a way the Focus can’t hope to match and makes the Golf R32’s cabin seem dowdy by comparison.