From rallying to a brief stint in Formula One through to the Dakar, Peugeot has been through it all. Since its departure from Le Mans the French carmaker has been looking for an arena in which the lads from Peugeot Sport can flex their muscles, and it looks as though the search is over…
The company announced that it will be making a return to the famous Pike’s Peak International Hillclimb, yes, a return. In the mid-’80s the firm sent a highly modified example of the 405 dubbed the Turbo 16 up the, then, all dirt course with none other than Ari Vatanen strapped in behind the steering wheel. That exercise was immortalised in the award-winning, classic film Climb Dance, in which the super-skilled driver affects the coolest one-handed sun-block manoeuvre you have ever seen.
For this year’s assault on the Peak another rally legend, Sébastien Loeb, will be twirling the wheel of the 208 T16 up the 156-turn, 20 km course that has since been tarred over completely.
Peugeot brand CEO, Maxime Picat, made no bones about the firm’s intentions: “Our objective is to win, so we needed to stack up as many cards as possible in our favour by joining forces with the very best partners for this unique project, namely Total, Red Bull, Michelin and Sébastien Loeb. Indeed, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Citroën for this one-off ‘loan’ of its exceptional champion. Citroën’s support is emblematic of the cohesion that reigns within the PSA Peugeot Citroën group.”