The car that will form the basis of Peugeot’s Intercontinental Rally Challenge attack in the future, the 208 Type R5, will be unveiled at the Mondial de Paris – the Paris Motor Show – on 27 September.
Built as the replacement for the all-conquering 207 Super 2000, which helped Peugeot to three IRC manufacturers’ titles and three IRC drivers’ crowns, the car conforms to the FIA’s (motorsport’s world governing body) new-for-2013 R5 technical regulations and is expected to appear in the IRC from the middle part of next year. The new rules are intended to reduce the cost of competing without diluting the spectacle created by S2000 machinery.
“The regulations impose, among other things, a maximum price for certain parts and technical limitations such as a minimum weight of components of the chassis and engine,” said project leader Bertrand Vallat. “We are aiming for performance which is slightly higher than S2000.”