[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/seb-loebs-peugeot-208-t16-pikes-peak-racer-hits-62mph-in-1-8-seconds\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/seb-loebs-peugeot-208-t16-pikes-peak-racer-hits-62mph-in-1-8-seconds\/","headline":"Seb Loeb\u2019s Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak racer hits 62mph in 1.8 seconds!","name":"Seb Loeb\u2019s Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak racer hits 62mph in 1.8 seconds!","description":"Nine times world rally champion Sebastian Loeb\u2019s been trying out his new 875bhp Pikes Peak Peugeot racer, and the flying Frenchman excitedly reports that it goes like a rocket! Indeed, it\u2019s unlikely that there\u2019s any rocket anywhere that can hit 62mph in 1.8 seconds \u2013 that\u2019s faster than a Formula One car. All he has to do now is pilot the mega-missile up the twisting, turning Pikes Peak mountain-climb course, watching out for deathly sheer drops at almost every corner. […]","datePublished":"2013-05-10","dateModified":"2013-05-10","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/#Person","name":"Isabelle Lawrence","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/","identifier":30,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/wmmmv-2013-Peugeot-208-T16-Pikes-Peak-Engine-View.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/wmmmv-2013-Peugeot-208-T16-Pikes-Peak-Engine-View.jpg","height":384,"width":577},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/seb-loebs-peugeot-208-t16-pikes-peak-racer-hits-62mph-in-1-8-seconds\/","about":["Cars","LATEST CAR NEWS","Modified Cars","Sports \/ Performance & Prestige cars","Sports, Performance & Prestige Cars"],"wordCount":549,"keywords":["Peugeot","Peugeot 208","Peugeot Sport","pikes peak","Sebastian Loeb"],"articleBody":"Nine times world rally champion Sebastian Loeb\u2019s been trying out his new 875bhp Pikes Peak Peugeot racer, and the flying Frenchman excitedly reports that it goes like a rocket! Indeed, it\u2019s unlikely that there\u2019s any rocket anywhere that can hit 62mph in 1.8 seconds \u2013 that\u2019s faster than a Formula One car. All he has to do now is pilot the mega-missile up the twisting, turning Pikes Peak mountain-climb course, watching out for deathly sheer drops at almost every corner. He\u2019s earning his paycheck for this one.The Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak racecar was built from the ground up by Peugeot Sport, who know a thing or two about rally and endurance racing, and it\u2019s clear that this is a big budget car running in the unlimited class at the famous Pikes Peak event, on June 30. Looking at the spec, power and driver, Peugeot clearly want to win this one, and with Loeb up front and 875bhp out back, I\u2019d say they\u2019ve got a very good chance of hitting the top of the peak in the quickest time.Under the wide \u2018n\u2019 menacing raw-black-carbon of the 208 T16\u2019s body lurks the very latest in motorsport-catapult technology. And even Loeb is finding it a little eye-popping.\u201cThe 208 T16Pikes Peak is a rocket! It\u2019s 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.\u201d Evocative words from the most winningest man ever to drive a rally car.This uncharacteristic driver excitement no doubt stems from the ground up every time he\u2019s strapped into the T16. Magnesium wheels fronting massive carbon vented discs, double wishbone suspension all-round with pushrod and rocker arm actuation for the torsion bars and pressurised dampers, and a handbuilt tubular steel chassis pulling it all together. Sat in the middle of all that, just behind Loeb, is a 3.2-litre, twin-turbo, V6 motor powering a 6-speed sequential gearbox and all-wheel drive. Throw in the super-wide slick Michelin tyres and as-much-downforce-as-they-could-muster, and it\u2019s little wonder that Loeb gets a little scared and a lot excited whenever he drives the T16. With 875bhp pulling just 875kg, it\u2019s entirely feasible that this thing will do 0 \u2013 150mph in a scorching 7 seconds\u2026 up a very steep hill.\u201cI\u2019ve never driven anything that accelerates so fast!\u201d said Loeb. \u201cIn the lower gears, a Formula 1 car doesn\u2019t deliver maximum power. With the Peugeot, though, it\u2019s bang, bang, bang as you move up the box from standstill. Due to its four-wheel drive transmission and turbocharged engine, its pull-away performance is phenomenal! You find yourself in sixth gear at 150mph in no time at all!\u201dYou\u2019ve got to love projects like this one, and you\u2019ve got to wish Loeb and Peugeot all the luck in the world for the win. This thing is going to be pure insanity going up the Pikes Peak run, and the rest of the field will have to come up with some pretty special cars to dash the T16\u2019s dream in the clouds. Rest assured, they will try\u2026 By Dan Anslow "},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Latest News","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Seb Loeb\u2019s Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak racer hits 62mph in 1.8 seconds!","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/seb-loebs-peugeot-208-t16-pikes-peak-racer-hits-62mph-in-1-8-seconds\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]