With a power to weight ratio of 1-to-1, Peugeot’s 208 T16 Pikes Peak was basically bound to put on a show at this year’s “Race to the Clouds”. And we did expect Sebastian Loeb to win the race and even set a new course record, but we never thought he’ll be able to better the previous record by one minute and 33 seconds.
Yes folks, Sebastian Loeb completed the course in only 8 minutes and 13.878 seconds, which makes last year’s record of 9 minutes and 46.164 seconds, set by Rhys Millen, look awfully slow. Moreover, the same Millen, who finished second after Loeb’s Peugeot this year, was clocked at the 9:02.192, crossing the finish line 49 seconds behind the Frenchman.
Now the only driver that completed the Pikes Peak race in less than nine seconds, Sebastien Loeb covered the 12.72-mile course with an average speed of 87.471 miles per hour (140.771 km/h).
"I felt really good in the car, and I pushed it hard from the start to the finish," Loeb said. "I made no mistakes, and I felt the race was really good. To drive a car like this and race up here (to the top) is what makes this special. It's amazing."
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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