The pride of the Peugeot 208 family

[Plex]

Sebastien Loeb’s Pikes Peak monster is the granddaddy of the whole Peugeot 208 collection.

When it comes to versatility, the Peugeot 208 takes some beating. Here’s how Sebastien Loeb’s Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak stacks up against its little brothers…

Peugeot 208 GTi Peugeot Sport
The 208 GTi Peugeot Sport follows on from the T16, R2 and Racing cup versions of the 208. By incorporating lessons learned from those editions, not to mention the key strengths of the standard 208 GTi model, the 208 GTi Peugeot Sport went from concept to reality in less than three months.

Utilising a 1600cc petrol engine tuned up from 200 to 300bhp, the car weighs 990 kilograms and features a six-speed gearbox with paddle shifts, uprated brakes, 18” wheels, enhanced aerodynamics, plus a 100-litre fuel tank to cope with the demands of long-distance events, such as the Nurburgring 24 Hours.

Peugeot 208 R2
Peugeot’s rally car for the people, the 208 R2’s design balances performance with reliability making it an ideal choice for competitors in one-make and national rally championships and for less experienced drivers. With power coming from a 1600cc petrol engine, the front-wheel-drive machine gets adjustable suspension and a sequential gearbox.

Peugeot 208 T16
Built to the new R5 technical regulations, which have been billed as the future of rallying, the 208 T16 is the long-term replacement for the 207 Super 2000, currently Peugeot’s flagship rally car. The 208 T16 is, in essence, a price-capped World Rally Car with a turbo engine and four-wheel drive. Costs are controlled through the requirement to use a number of production-based components that can be interchangeable in certain areas of the car’s design. Testing of the 208 T16 is currently ongoing with sessions taking place on gravel and asphalt. A competition debut is planned for later this year or early 2014, just as soon as the car has been homologated.

Peugeot 208 RallycrossRX
While this isn’t an official Peugeot factory effort, the 208 rallycross derivative is appearing the FIA European Rallycross Championship with Michael De Keersmaecker and Andy Scott among the drivers. Rallycross takes the view that most things go when the regulations are taken into account and that’s certainly the case with these supercharged Peugeots, which run a 600bhp, 2.0-litre turbo engine and four-wheel drive.

Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak
With a bi-turbo V6 motor generating 875bhp, the Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak puts out even more power than a Formula One car. Weighing a mere 875g, that’s a power-to-weight ratio of 1:1. The engine is housed in a mid-rear position of the tubular-framed chassis, a bit like the famous Group B cars of the 1980s,

Many of the design features of the 208 T16 Pikes Peak are derived from the 908 HDi FAP Le Mans car, such as the air-intake and dramatic rear wing, which measures two metres in width and helps – along with the undertray – to keep the car rooted to the ground at speeds of up to 240kph.

Can you fit into the clothes of a champion? The overalls Sebastien Loeb will wear during Pikes Peak can be yours with our exclusive competition.

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