French automaker Peugeot wants to regain its long lost “Race to the Clouds” glory with the 208 T16 Pikes Peak race car and nine time World Rally Championship winner Sebastien Loeb behind the wheel.
With a month and a half left until the Colorado event debuts, Loeb had his first opportunity to test the 875 HP beast. The Frenchman needed only a few laps in the 208 T16 to find out how fast and brutal it is, claiming he’s “never driven anything that accelerates so fast”.
“The 208 T16 Pikes Peak is a rocket! It’s so powerful! The first time you drive it, each gear change practically stuns you. The shifts are really brutal, and it takes a little time to anticipate the sudden jarring. You get used to it, but it was quite disorienting to begin with,” Loeb said.
“Due to its aerodynamic downforce and wide tyres, its braking is amazing, too. The 208 package is a combination of the best of several worlds: it’s got the downforce of a Formula 1 car, the wide tires of an endurance racing prototype and a differential, like a WRC car…” he added.
Powered by 875 HP and weighing only 875 kg (1,929 lb), the Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak is one of the main contenders at this year’s title in Colorado and probably a new course record as well. The 2013 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is set to take place on June 30.
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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