Peugeot 208 2012 News

Penelope Pitstop, Dick Dastardly and Muttley, the Slag Brothers and all the other Whacky Racers  are revived for a fun Peugeot 208 campaign in Brazil.

The path to the summit is tarmac these days, but that doesn't make the race up Pikes Peak any less thrilling or terrifying. In fact, it raises the speeds and increases the potential for danger. That makes it all the more important to have a well-sorted car for the time trial to the sky.Peugeot appears to be well on its path to a sorted and safe race car in the 208 T16, shown in these photos in a "dress rehearsal" test ahead of the race next month.Rather than testing at Pikes Peak in Colorado, USA, which is somewhat remote from Peugeot's home in France, the test was performed along a stretch of road on Mont Ventoux--itself famous for being the location of one of the most gruelling of the Tour de France's stages.Using the last 6km of the mountain's summit road, the 208 T16 tested at rather high altitudes for Europe, but with a peak of 1,909m, even the barren summit is more than 900m below the start of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Its finish line sits at 4,301m, nearly 1500m above the start."Okay, the altitude isn’t as extreme here as it is at Pikes Peak which reaches 4,301m, but it’s a valuable intermediate step," said the team's technical chief Jean-Christophe Pailler. "It allows us to see the differences in the way the engine functions, although we hope to suffer less from altitude-induced power-loss than our rivals because of the turbochargers we have chosen."Even with the elevation disparity, the Peugeot team thinks it has a car that can win. With 653kW on tap, that's not necessarily a cocky mindset. During testing, however, French rally legend Sebastien Loeb said the car is still tricky to drive. "The steering is still very, very responsive, so it can be a little hairy keeping your foot to the floor though the fast portions," said Loeb. "On wide slicks like this and at the sort of speeds I am getting up to, the slightest imperfection in the road surface really unsettles the car."Setup work continues in advance of the Pikes Peak hill climb itself. "The mechanics and engineers need to familiarise themselves with working on the car in real-life conditions. They are getting an increasingly better grasp of how it responds to set-up changes and are analysing the tiniest detail or piece of feedback from Seb to refine its settings. It’s a learning process for everyone," said Pailler.Sections of the actual Pikes Peak course will become available starting June 8 through 16. Practice and qualifying begin during race week, June 24, with the event itself scheduled for June 30.www.motorauthority.com 

Sébastien Loeb, possibly the most competent driver in any field of motorsport (we’re yet to see him in an F1 car, though), goes for his first test drive of Peugeot’s 652 kilowatt 208 T16 Pikes Peak mo

It arrives in Europe mid year with two distinct body styles; three and five-door with an extensive range of petrol and diesel engines including an all new three cylinder petrol unit and the latest generation of stop & start (e-HDi) diesel engines. Peugeot has rewritten the rule book with 208 with a desire to reinvent the principles on which the success of icons like the 205, 206 and 207 were built and to 're-generate' them. By achieving average CO2 emissions of 34g/km lower than the 207, the 208 takes the lead in its segment. Its latest generation engine technology and the use of the innovative e-HDi micro-hybrid stop & start system on virtually all versions, add to the vehicle's improvements in terms of weight reduction and aerodynamics. The 208 introduces a new range of three cylinder petrol engines, 1.0  and 1.2-litre VTi, which are particularly efficient.  Weight, aerodynamics and of course the PSA Group's technological expertise with innovation in terms of both HDi FAP diesel, VTi and THP petrol engines, are factors which place the 208 as a leader in the segment. The diesel range kicks off with the 1.4 HDi with 50kW/160Nm and a five-speed manual gearbox capable of 3.4-litres/100km. There's a 1.6 turbodiesel too. It's not known what specification 208 will be brought to Australia.

A replacement for the 207, it arrives mid next year in Europe -- later in Australia. It will be available in two distinct body styles: three and five door. Peugeot says the new model is not merely an evolution of 207 but is infact a clean slate design with new ambitions. Consequently, 208 embodies the most ambitious specification overhaul ever undertaken by Peugeot. Perhaps the biggest change is to weight with the new car 110kg lighter on average compared to the 207 -- and as much as 173kg. The kick off weight is 975kg and accompanied by slippery aerodynamics, the 208 should be a considerable step up on its predecessor. It's shrunk externally in length and height - itself a major move away from the mainstream which nearly always sees cars of specific segments grow with each new model.af 0.29, CdA of 0.61), and Peugeot has been able to increase interior spece despite smaller external dimensions. There's a new look with a less confrontational grille. The body panels have a sculpted, athletic look giving the 208 a much more modern appearance. The two body styles have been given entirely different treatments. The interior continues the promise of innovation just like the exterior style. Under the bonnet, carbon dioxide emissions are as much as 34g/km lower than the 207. It uses the latest generation engine technology and e-HDi micro-hybrid system on virtually all versions. With five models, four of which are equipped with the new generation Stop & Start System (e-HDi). Petrol and diesel models will be available. The 208 introduces a new range of three-cylinder petrol engines, 1.0 and 1.2-litre VTi, which are particularly efficient and capable of better than 3.5-litres/100km.

...and will even have a three-cylinder engine, according to European sources.Not that you can tell much with all the horrid black plastic screening covering this 208 prototype when it was caught by Carparazzi.