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Peugeot Reveals 500 HP 308 R HYbrid: the Mother of Hot Hatches

Cue the epic music, as Peugeot has just unveiled the most exciting hot hatch we've ever seen. It's called the 308 R HYbrid, and all you need to know about it is that it has 500 horsepower, despite boasting a small 1.6-liter engine.
Peugeot 300 R HYbrid 7 photos
Photo: Peugeot
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Currently, the most powerful hot hatch in the world is the Audi RS3, which uses a massive 2.5 turbo and yet "only" has 367 PS. So how have the French done it? Simple, they added electricity.

The same 1.6-liter THP engine used by the RCZ R is under the bonnet of this monster. But it has been coupled to two electric motors, each producing 115 PS. The total output of exactly 500 PS means this 308 is about as powerful as the C63 AMG. As for torque, it's available in abundance – 730 Nm (539 lb-ft), slightly more than a BMW M5 or M6 (680 Nm/ 501 lb-ft).

The 308 R HYbrid can hit 100 km/h (62 mph) from a standing start in 4.0 seconds, so it's slightly faster than the BMW, but that's due the all-wheel drive factor. This supercar+hatchback combo also has selectable driving modes and can run purely in electric mode.

Described as "the ultimate 308", this concept car shared most of its design with the 308 R Concept shown in 2013 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The grille is something we immediately noticed. It looks more like that of the 508 facelift, and we think it previews the 308's facelift.

The chances of such an extreme car ever reaching production are slim, bordering on non-existent. Peugeot bosses have not yet given the green light for the 270 horsepower 308 R model, despite having all the technology already available.

But the 308 R HYbrid is like a middle finger shown to the hot hatch establishment. It's like an open letter to Mercedes and Audi saying "we're coming for you, just you wait." How can you not love that?

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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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