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500 HP Peugeot 308 R HYbrid Concept and Test Prototype Get Video Review

If you are a fan of the French lion brand, you're probably aware that, for the past month, two versions of the Peugeot 308 R HYbrid hot hatch have been shown to the media on a French circuit.
500 HP Peugeot 308 R Does Acceleration Tests at Paul Ricard Circuit 1 photo
Photo: Screenshot from YouTube
We've shown you acceleration tests being carried out and have read a few French reviews using the magic of Google Translate. However, we thought this short video review is the best way to answer all your questions.

The 308 R HYbrid was revealed as a concept in China earlier this year. It's like a GTi from the future, as it combines the 1.6-liter turbo engine everybody knows with electric sorcery to give you 500 horsepower.

The hot hatch market is already getting out of hand, as the A45 AMG just reached 381 official horsepower and gained goodies like a front diff and adjustable suspension. The question is: will anybody walk into a Peugeot dealership with €60,000 or more to buy the 308 R? In this regard, it's a bit like the Lexus LFA.

Steve Sutcliffe got to check out both the working concept car of the 308 R and the only development testing prototype currently in existence. He says that in Hybrid mode, the car has only 270 hp and 330 Nm of torque, but the electric motors fill in all the torque gaps, including when the 6-speed changes gears. That makes it feel like a V6.

In Sport mode, the car becomes frightening, as two electric motors with huge torque work in combination with the 1.6-liter. The result is a bonkers hatchback that reaches 60 mph in under 4 seconds. I dare you to think of another Peugeot that's faster than the Porsche 997 GT3.

Of course, there are a few problems with the prototype, like the way the regenerative brakes work, but that's not important. Steve says Peugeot doesn't know where to put the car into production, how many to make or how much to charge for one. The French automaker isn't going to make a profit on this oddball, but it could be an invaluable marketing tool against the Germans. Reluctantly, Peugeot engineers gave us a ballpark figure of about €70,000, which sounds frightening at first, yet isn't that far from a well-equipped RS3 or A45.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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