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Peugeot 308 R Shown on Twitter by CEO, Will Challenge Hyper Hatches with Hybrid Tech

The hot Peugeot 308 GTi that was just revealed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed should have worn the R badge. That's how they showed it as a concept, and that's what we were told to expect. However, Peugeot Sport are saving the 308 R for an even more insane car.
Peugeot 308 R Shown on Twitter by CEO, Will Challenge Hyper Hatches with Hybrid Tech 3 photos
Photo: Twitter
Peugeot 308 R Shown on Twitter by CEO, Will Challenge Hyper Hatches with Hybrid TechPeugeot 308 R Shown on Twitter by CEO, Will Challenge Hyper Hatches with Hybrid Tech
We're talking about a production version of the 308 R HYbrid concept, shown at this year's edition of the Shanghai Auto Show.

Maxime Picat, a member of the PSA Executive Committee, recently shared two photos on his Twitter account. They show CEO Carlos Tavares "enjoying the radical performance of the #Peugeot308RHYbrid."

Honestly, this could be the biggest news to come out from Peugeot in over a year, not to mention it will upset the balance of the hyper hatch hierarchy. Can you imagine an A45 AMG or Audi RS3 Sportback being defeated by a Peugeot?

For anybody who's been following the development of the Peugeot brand, this is a complete 180-degree switch. Previously, Tavares hinted there wasn't enough money to be made in performance vehicles and nearly scrapped the 308 GTi.

As a concept, the R Hybrid boasted a maximum output of 500 PS from the 1.6-liter turbo engine and two electric motors, each one producing 115 PS.

Nobody has yet tried to stuff this much power into a hatchback or create a hardcore performance hybrid. The closest thing would be the VW Golf GTE and Audi A3 e-tron, both of which pack 204 PS.

As you can see in these low-res photos, the 308 R prototype is quite a bit wider, thanks to fender flares. However, it will probably not be the ideal track car. Hybrid tech should add at least 200 kilograms (440 lbs). Even if we get a 1.5-ton car, it's still going to be different to every other model on the market, so we're glad they went ahead with production.


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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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