Peugeot cars

Video: Peugeot Gears Up For Pikes Peak With Digitally Remastered "Climb Dance"

Anybody that has ever been a fan of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb will attest that the event holds a unique place of its own amid the races in a calendar year.

For French automaker Peugeot, 1988 and 1989 were special years, as it scored back to back triumphs with Ari Vatanen and Robby Unser. The two drivers won Pikes Peak while driving a Peugeot 405 T16 Grand Raid, a car that gained notoriety for having a wheel steering system on top of its prevalent use of carbon Kevlar variant on its body to go with a new chassis made of sheet steel and tubular steel.

In tribute of those two successful runs at Pikes Peak, Peugeot released a special tribute video directed by Jean Louis Mourney called “Climb Dance”. Well, for those that haven’t seen the video, Peugeot has digitally-remastered the film, which not only means you can watch the whole thing over again, but you’re watching a version that’s more appropriate to the high-definition times of today.

Click past the jump to check out Peugeot’s new ride for the 2013 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

2013 Peugeot RCZ Magnetic Limited Edition

The British market just received another special edition in the form of the Peugeot RCZ Magnetic Limited Edition, which is offered in either black or white with leather, color-themed interior. The model is priced from £25,350 ($38,500) and will be limited to only 170 units. The model will arrive in UK showrooms soon.

The new RCZ Magnetic Limited Edition will be based on the RCZ Sport and will add a series of new features that will further distinguish it from the rest of the lineup.

The model received a pearlescent Pearl white or Metallic Nera black exterior paint combined with matte-black paint on the roof arches, and brilliant black front grille, door mirror covers and brake calipers.

For the interior, Peugeot is offering sport front seats in black leather on white models or red flame leather on black models and numerous other sports features, including: soft-touch leather steering wheel and short shifter. As standard equipment, the model offers front and rear parking aids, Peugeot Connect Navigation (RT6) audio, CD and satellite navigation system, and Peugeot Connect SOS and Assistance.

Click past the jump to read more about the standard Peugeot RCZ.

2013 Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak Racecar

Rally legend, Sebastian Loeb, is considered one of the greatest drivers in the world, having taken home nine WRC titles in his illustrious car. For a man that’s no stranger to winning, Loeb is poised to take on his next challenge: taking down Pikes Peak.

And for that, Peugeot announced that it had “borrowed” Loeb from Citroen to drive the company’s new 208-derived T16 Pikes Peak race car.

The car itself is expected to compete in the Unlimited Class of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Performance details have yet to be announced, but expect this racecar to pack in tremendous amounts of power, possibly even reaching 1,000 horsepower.

The race car looks like it’s been given copious amounts of carbon fiber to go with extended side skirts and a side-exiting exhaust. A massive rear wing also part of the design, as is an interior that’s been stripped down to accommodate nothing more than racing equipment.

A carbon-fiber racing seat can clearly be seen inside a roll cage. There’s also a digital instrument cluster, alloy pedals, and an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel with paddle shifters.

UPDATE 05/14/13: The Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak race car has been dressed in Red Bull livery. Now that’s what we’re talking about!

Click past the jump to read about Peugeot’s return to Pikes Peak and the 208 that this racer is based on.

2013 Peugeot 208 GTi Peugeot Sport

We’ve already seen three racing versions of the Peugeot 208, with the latest one being the Peugeot 208 R2 Rally Car. Well, now the French automaker is prepared to release the fourth racing variant in the form of the 208 GTi Peugeot Sport.

On the outside, you get the typical Peugeot racing livery, which includes: blue, yellow, black and red striping, a monstrous rear wing, and various sponsor stickers. You also get a set of black rims sized 18 inches wrapped up in racing tires. The entire car comes in at a svelte 990 kg (2,182 pounds).

Under the hood, the 208 GTi features a 1,600 cc turbocharged engine, which it borrows from its road-going variant. Depending on the racing regulations, Peugeot Sport will tune this powerplant to between 200 and 300 horsepower. The engine hooks up to a six-speed gearbox with paddle shifters. Keeping the 208 GTi fed with plenty of fuel is a 100-liter (26.4-gallon) gas tank, which allows this racer to stay on the track longer between fill-ups.

The GTi Peugeot Sport will make its racing debut at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in May. Unfortunately, Peugeot has not revealed any pricing details.

Magna Steyr To Present Peugeot RCZ Concept at Geneva

Magna Steyr, the same company that gave us the 3-in-1 MILA Coupic Concept last year, is coming back to the Geneva Motor Show and it appears that it’s bringing a modified Peugeot RCZ with it that it apparently has turned into an "exciting coupe concept.”

No details were given on exactly what kind of model this is going to be - no name even - but according to a company press release, the entire objective is to present the RCZ Coupe Concept with what the company calls View Top, an innovative sliding folding roof with integrated glass elements that creates a unique open-air feeling.

The inspiration behind the concept, it appears, is the aforementioned MILA Coupic Concept, a vehicle that turned heads last year for its innovative approach to multi-functionality.

“The inspiration for this concept car stems from Magna Steyr’s MILA concept series, which demonstrates the unique product design and engineering capabilities that we can deliver to customers,” explains Magna Steyr president Günther Apfalter.

“We are excited to take our original View Top design concept and bring it closer to reality by showcasing it as a concept on a sports car production vehicle.”

Suffice to say, we’re more than interested to see what Magna Steyr has up its sleeve. We’re still not quite sure what the concept is going to look like, which makes the whole thing even more interesting.

*Note: Photo is of the Peugeot RCZ R Concept

2013 Peugeot 208 T16 (Type R5) Rally Car

French automaker Peugeot has been a staple in the rally scene for as long as we can remember. So when word leaks out that they’re planning to reveal their next generation rally car, people tend to take notice.

At the 2012 Paris Motor Show later this month, Peugeot is bringing the all-new 208 Type R5, the car that’s slated to become their new prized steed at the Intercontinental Rally Challenge.

Needless to say, the 208 Type R5 has some pretty big shoes to fill in large part because its successor, the 207 Super 2000, rang up championships - three IRC drivers and manufacturers titles - during its time at the IRC.

The racer will have to adhere to regulations set by S2000 category. What that means is that the 208 Type R5 has been fitted with a number of racing components, including widened tracks, a spoiler, an increase in the wheel arches to accommodate a new set of 18" wheels. All these were done while keeping attention on the series’ minimum weight set of 1,200kg for the gravel and asphalt versions.

"Based on an optimisation of costs", explains Bertrand Vallat, the Type R5’s project leader, "the regulations impose, among other things, a maximum price for certain parts and technical limitations such as a minimum weight of components of the chassis and engine. In addition, a certain number of components of the vehicle must be similar. The hub carrier is a perfect example. All four must be identical. This makes operation considerably easier and limits costs and stocking."

The 208 Type R5 is powered by a 1.6-liter turbo engine that produces 280 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 295 lb/ft of torque at 2,500 rpm. The four-wheel drive system sends power to all four wheels thanks to a 5-speed sequential gearbox and two self-locking differentials.

As far as expectations are concerned, Peugeot is shooting for the stars, Vallat said: “The regulations impose, among other things, a maximum price for certain parts and technical limitations such as a minimum weight of components of the chassis and engine.”

“We are aiming for performance which is slightly higher than S2000,” he adds.

UPDATE 1/25/2013: The 208 Type R5 has just completed its second round of testing and it is all set to be delivered. According the Peugeot, it will open its order book in March 2013, so race teams mark your calenders!

UPDATE 05/01/13: The 208 Type R5 has been re-christened as the 208 T16 and Peugeot has released a new video of the rally car in action. Check it out by clicking on the photo above.

2013 Peugeot RCZ Arlen Ness

Peugeot has unveiled the first details on a one-off RCZ set to be unveiled at the Motor Bike Expo in Verona, Italy. This new special edition has been named after the custom motorcycle builder Arlen Ness and updates the look of the RCZ in a very aggressive manner.

This one-off edition RCZ Arlen Ness features a two-tone exterior paint that combines a bright orange with matte-black accents on the leather-wrapped mirrors, the racing stripe, the hood and that cool rear wing. The model also receives an adjustable sports suspension, Ohlins shock absorbers and high-performance Brembo brakes.

Under the hood, Peugeot placed a 1.6-liter engine equipped with a high-flow air filter and a Termignoni sports exhaust system. As a result, the RCZ Arlen Ness now delivers a total of 200 horsepower — up from the standard 156 horsepower. Official performance numbers haven’t been released just yet, but we presume it will hit a top speed of more than 149 mph.

Spy Shots: 2014 Peugeot 308 Caught During Winter Tests

The next- generation Peugeot 308 has been caught testing many times, but the latest spy shots reveal the car during its first winter test. Previous rumors suggested the new generation could drop the current 308 name in favor of a new 301 moniker, but the latest rumors say the new car will keep its 308 name.

The new 308 will be built on the same platform as the Citroen C4 and DS4, and will be lighter and more agile.

The engine lineup will once again be shared with Citroen models and will include a wide range of petrol and diesel engines, plus an all-new diesel hybrid. Peugeot will also offer the new three-cylinder family in an attempt to reduce fuel consumption as much as possible.

Even if the car is still heavily camouflaged, the new 308 will be a mixture between the 208 and the SR1 Concept car, featuring a more elegant and compact body then the current generation.

Expect the new Peugeot 308 to be unveiled later in 2013.

2013 Peugeot 2008

In the automotive industry - as in many other aspects of life - size is everything. Of course, that was until "the larger the better" mantra got sideswiped by the efficiency beast. Now, automakers everywhere are sticking their nose up at the larger than life models and switching to "compact SUVs" to boost their sales. Peugeot is just one of these automakers clamoring to get a hold of the market with their new Peugeot 2008. The model will be unveiled in March at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.

The new 2008 crossover is based on the 208 hatchback from which it borrows the front grille and the front and rear lights. Unlike the hatchback however, the ride and driving positions have been raised so that the 2008 will offer improved off-road capabilities.

Engine line-up will also be borrowed from the 208, but will add a new 3-cylinder petrol engine that will allow the 2008 to deliver a CO2 emission of just 99g/km.

UPDATE 01/07/13: This review has been updated with the official details images and specs. Hit the jump to read more about the 2013 Peugeot 2008.

Video: Peugeot Previews The 2013 208 Type R5 Rally Car With Ari Vatanen

Fans of rally racing, especially those that know the history of the sport, know who Ari Vatanen is. His political career as a Member of the European Parliament notwithstanding, Vatanen is also famous for winning the World Rally Championship drivers’ title in 1981 and the Paris Dakar Rally four times.

One of the teams Vatanen raced for was Peugeot, where he won three of his four aforementioned Dakar Rally titles. So it’s not all that surprising that when Peugeot decided to tease its new 208 Type R5 Rally Car, it tapped Vatanen to be the one to get first dibs on it.

The teaser video shows Vatanen wearing his traditional coat and tie that has come to be known as a trademark of sorts since he entered the world of politics. But upon laying eyes on the still-covered 208 Type R5 rally car, Vatanen decided to strip down to something a little more comfortable: a fire-resistant racing suit.

Our question is: how is this car different from the 208 Type R5 that made its debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show?

Hopefully, Peugeot has answers for us in the coming weeks.