Peugeot Sport has released photography of its ultra-secret upcoming race entry, the specialized Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak. The car will compete in this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb at the end of June. It will be driven by nine-time WRC Champion Sebastian Loeb of France.
Although Loeb is a rookie to Pikes Peak, he is a seasoned racer. The secretive Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak will be racing in the Unlimited Division, where anything is allowed so long as it passes safety inspections. The UD is where the most exotic vehicles, and often the most powerful, are entered and competition is fierce as racers never know what they’ll be up against.
“Its proportions are very different to those of the production 208,” said Michael Trouvé, who is in charge of the silhouette design at Peugeot’s Styling Center. “This difference gives it an almost beast-like appearance. Peugeot Sport provide us with a number of technical constraints, such as the width, body height, location of the wheels and engine, and we worked to this brief to produce an extreme take on the 208.”
In other words, the already-impressive Peugeot 208.. well, it’s got nothing on this one. Although no technical specs have been released yet, you can see that the design itself is awesome.
“The cars which represent the brand in motorsport have always tended to feature sculpted forms which combine style and aerodynamic efficiency. The 208 T16 Pikes Peak is no exception, and it incorporates all the distinctive hallmarks of the 208 which itself marks a new generation of Peugeot design,” says Trouvé. “I am very proud to have played a part in this adventure, especially since we didn’t have much time to work on the car’s design, because the green light was only given in November and the project sign-off until February.”
This will be Peugeot’s first attempt at Pikes Peak, so they’re apparently ready to go all out to make it happen. A powerful new car design and one of the world’s most accomplished racers should make for a highly competitive entry. We’ll find out in June.
