4
NEWS
Peugeot reveals all-new Pikes Peak weapon
French lion is pulling out all stops with a purpose-built 208 T16 piloted by a multiple WRC champion in its quest for glory at iconic US hillclimbThere are few better motorsport-based films than Climbdance, a mini-documentary of sorts that captures the raw speed and fury of Ari Vatanen’s record-breaking run in the Peugeot 405 T16 in the 1988 Pikes Peak Hillclimb.
This year Peugeot Sport is again back at the celebrated 19.9km hillclimb, which comprises 156 corners over its (now entirely paved) surface.
The weapon it will use is this wild looking 208 T16 Pikes Peak special, and there’s no shortcoming in the driving department either as nine-time world rally champion Sebastien Loeb has been temporarily lured away from Citroen to contest the annual event.
Kiwi driver Rhys Millen currently holds the course record of 9min 46.164sec in a bespoke Hyundai Genesis Coupe, but the sublime skills of Loeb and the might of Peugeot Sport may well see that time being slashed in the 91st instalment of the iconic time trial.
Peugeot’s return to the event after a two-decade-plus hiatus has generated a buzz in motorsport circles and the formidable looking 208 T16 (with its snowplough-mimicking front splitter) has been designed to compete in the premier ‘Unlimited’ class, a category that allows plenty of freedom on the technical front.
For his part, Loeb is now exploring other motorsport avenues after stepping back from a full-time commitment to the WRC after nearly a decade of domination in the premier rallying category.
Although no stranger to going at maximum-attack in real-world conditions, an added challenge for Loeb in the Pikes Peak is the strength-sapping altitude difference of 1436m as the start line is situated at 2865 metres above sea level, with the course climbing to 4301m by the time the finish line is crossed.
As for the car itself, its outlandish silhouette was penned by a team led by Michael Trouvé, who drew inspiration from the Le Mans-winning Peugeot 908 to come up with the 208 T16’s aero-optimising rear wing and front splitter.
Meanwhile, Honda (obviously another company with a strong motorsport pedigree) is also having a semi-serious crack at the Pikes Peak as it’s fielding no less than 10 vehicles across a range of classes (in addition to taking limited sponsorship of the event).
Its fastest contender will be the NSX project (based on a 1991 car), which last year set a time of 11min 42sec, well off the pace of the frontrunners.
Honda’s other entrants include the US-focused Acura TL mid-size sedan, a specially prepared Fit-EV and a CR-Z.
None of these are in danger of setting any records, but Honda is expected to fare better in the bikes and quads categories, where it has racked up victories and class records in recent years.
Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...
Share this article
Written byGautam Sharma
See all articlesOur team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Stay up to dateBecome a carsales member and get the latest news, reviews and advice straight to your inbox.
Subscribe todaySell your car with Instant Offer™
Like trade-in but price is regularly higher
1. Get a free Instant Offer™ online in minutes2. An official local dealer will inspect your car3. Finalise the details and get paid the next business day
Get a free Instant Offer
Related articles
Disclaimer
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
Love every move.
Buy it. Sell it.Love it.
®Contact
Advertise with us
Local marketplaces
International marketplaces
Scan to download the carsales app
Want more info? Here’s our app landing page
App Store and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo
are trademarks of Google LLC.