Wild 600kW Peugeot E-T16 Concept revealed

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of its World Rally Championship success in the infamously brutal Group B era, Peugeot has revealed its vision of the ultimate E-208 at the 2026 Paris motor show. Dubbed the E-T16 Concept, a nod to the 205 T16 that won those WRC titles in 1985 and ’86, it’s packed full of high-performance technology and crushing performance.

On the face of it, it might seem strange that Group B rally cars, famous for turning swathes of unburnt fuel into spits of flame, would inspire a wave of high-performance electric cars. First there was the Audi Hoonitron, then the Renault 5 Turbo 3E, and now the Peugeot E-T16 Concept.

However, it all makes sense when you consider that Group B was all about pushing technology to the extremes in the pursuit of performance and, in this respect, the E-T16 is a worthy successor to the 205 T16 that won the 1985 and ’86 World Rally Championships.

A trio of electric motors, one on the front axle and one for each rear wheel, combine for a massive 600kW of power, rocketing this hyper hatch to 100km/h in 2.5sec and on to 300km/h in just 16sec.

The split rear-motor setup also allows for torque vectoring to improve handling.

Peugeot has also paid particular attention to consistency of performance, cooling the battery cells from the side, as in motorsport, rather than from underneath as is typical. This allows it to complete three full laps of the Nürburgring Nordschleife, more than 60km, at maximum speed with no loss of performance.

The lithium-nickel-manganese battery pack is 85kWh, delivering a WLTP range of 400km, and the 800-volt electrical architecture allows for a 10-80 per cent charge in 15 minutes.

Giant 380mm brake discs sit at each corner, attached to a vertical hydraulic handbrake in the cabin for appropriate rally antics, with 275mm-wide front tyres and meaty 315mm rears, while weight is kept to a relatively lithe 1600kg.

Peugeot has also taken the opportunity to preview the next generation of its ‘i-Cockpit’ cabin layout.

The original iteration infamously put the steering wheel low in the driver’s lap and raised the instruments in an attempt to improve vision, though many drivers found them obscured by the steering wheel rim.

No such dramas here, partly because of the giant 21-inch curved panoramic display, but mostly because the steering wheel is no longer a wheel but a rounded rectangle, said to be inspired by Peugeot’s 9X8 hypercar endurance racer.

Dubbed the ‘Hypersquare’, it will appear on the next-generation E-208, and Peugeot claims “outstanding ergonomics” thanks to buttons housed within the four circular cut-outs, “allowing access to key functions with a single finger movement”.

Steer-by-wire also means drivers should not need to cross their hands as they might with a conventional steering system.

Unlike the similarly evocative Renault 5 Turbo 3E, the Peugeot E-T16 is not currently confirmed for production.

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