Peugeot's pikes peak racer poses an incredible power-to-weight ratio of 1:1

The recently unveiled 208 T16 Pikes Peak - piloted by nine time WRC champion - will trade dirt tracks to become the 'King of The Peak' with a car that boasts a power output of 875bhp from a car that weighs 875kg.

"Your imagination is the only limit when you set out to design a car for Pikes Peak. Designing this car was a tremendously rewarding experience, even though we still had to take the 'time' factor into account," said a grinning Jean-Christophe Pallier, the Peugeot Sport engineer tasked with the 208 T16 Pikes Peak project.

The high altitudes of the hill climb present a unique technical challenge as explained by Peugeot Sport Director, Bruno Famin, "In the case of a normally aspirated engine, you basically lose one percent of the available power every 100 metres you climb."

This is a fundamental parameter that has to be taken into account for this race which starts at an altitude of 2,865 metres and finishes at 4,301 metres.

By the time they reach the start line, certain engines automatically shed some 30 percent of their potential. Peugeot Sport's solution to the problem is a derivative of the bi-turbo V6 which was designed for endurance racing. 

With a trimmed weight of 875kg and a power-to-weight ratio of 1:1, the car's handling is as agile as possible, thanks to the erfined weight distribution of the tubular-framed machine. The engine sits in a mid-rear position, like famous Group B rally cars of the 80s and endurance racing prototypes.

The 208 T16 Pikes Peak effectively shares its genes with those of the Le Mans 24 Hours-winning 908 in several areas including the running gear, brakes and aerodynamic features like the air-intake and the two metre wide rear wing which was originally used for the first generation 908 HDi FAP.

The 208 T16 Pikes Peak's hallmark rear wing and front splitter are not only extremely spectacular, but they are also awesomely efficient, in addition to bestowing the car with a truly beast-like stance.

Lastly, the Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak sits on bespoke Michelin tyres which provide the four driven wheels with invaluable grip. To tackle the 156 turns that stand between Sebastien Loeb and the Colorado clouds, Peugeot believes the most successful driver in rallying history will most definitely benefit from one of the most potent purpose-engineered cars ever designed for motorsport.