Peugeot 308 GTi Driver Runs from Mobsters in Muscle Cars with a Monkey as Copilot

This next commercial, called "Peugeot 308 GTi I Push The Limits," looks like a scene pulled straight out of a Fast and Furious movie. I mean, it's not only a car chase of epic proportions but also something nobody has seen before.

The French hot hatch looks out of place next to classic American muscle cars, including a classic Camaro driven by some bald baddies.

The idea implied here is that the driver of the 308 GTi or his pet monkey offended the Russian mob, who are now after them with intent to kill. But the swift and agile hot hatch is more than a match for any Cadillac Escalade posse.

Looking past Peugeot's intention to sell lots of hot hatches, we noticed there's a really clever idea behind this ad. You see, every time somebody films a movie in Paris, Peugeots are depicted as crummy old boxes that crash all the time, especially as police cars.

So we can imagine a clever marketing wiz said "right, time to show those yank tanks who's boss."

The film showcasing the performance of this 270 horsepower toy is directed by Noam Murro, who worked on 300: Rise of an Empire.

An unexpected star of the film is Crystal the monkey, one of the funniest and most famous capuchin monkeys in Hollywood. You might remember the cheeky bastard from A Night at the Museum or The Hangover.

In case the video managed to convince you to buy a Peugeot 308 GTi, we want to share a few specs with you guys. For starters, this is the only serious contender in the segment with a 1.6-liter turbo engine, available with either 250 or 270 PS. The high cost of making such a powerful little engine means you will have to pay €37,200 in France for the privilege of ownership. That puts it between the €34,000 Golf GTI and the €42,000 Golf R. Over in the United Kingdom, the car will be available later this month starting at £26,555 in base form, while the 270 version will cost you £28,155.