Autoblog

It was a record setting day yesterday at Road Atlanta, with all four classes setting qualifying records including a blistering 1:06.242 by Stephane Sarrazin in his Peugeot 908 HDi to take the top overall spot. Peugeot has continually proved that it has a fast car, taking the last two pole positions at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but it was Audi on top at the end of that race. Allan McNish will be putting plenty of pressure on the Peugeot team, who qualified just .085 seconds behind the Peugeot in his Audi R10 TDI. In P2, Penske racing not only captured pole with a record qualifying time of 1:07.061, but also grabbed the top three spots. It was all Corvette Racing in GT1, but it will be a close race between the two Corvette who were separated by only .047 seconds. Finally, Risi Competizione qualified first in GT2 for the second straight year.

Coverage of the event starts today at 11:00 AM EST on SPEED TV today, with the green flag waving at 11:15. A NASCAR race splits up the coverage from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. EST, but you can still watch the race on AmericanLeMans.com (as well as look up live timing and scoring) or listen in on XM channel 166. Full details of the qualifying and driver quotes can be found in the press release after the jump.

[Source: AmericanLeMans.com]

Peugeot has been showing diesel hybrid concepts at auto shows for the past several years, and the latest is the new Prologue HYmotion4. Unlike the previous versions that were based on the 307 and 308 C-segment hatchbacks, the Prologue is an all-new vehicle. Also unlike the previous concepts that used a hybrid system where the engine and electric motor ran in parallel on the same axle, this one uses the company's new HYmotion4 system like the RC concept we showed you earlier today. And unlike the four-door coupe RC, the crossover-bodied Prologue flips the powertrain arrangement front to back. The CUV has a 163-hp 2.0L four-cylinder turbodiesel twisting the front wheels while a 27 kW motor sends torque to the rear axle. The combined output when both the diesel and motor are running is 200 hp with 221 lb-ft going to the front wheels and 148 lb-ft to the back. Like the RC concept, front-, rear- and all-wheel-drive modes are available. Since rear-drive is electric only and the motor output only 27 kW, that mode is only available up to 30 mph. The diesel engine up front sends power through an automated 6-speed manual gearbox that allows for manual shifting. Peugeot also claims the electric motor is activated during shifts to provide uninterrupted power flow and smoother operation. Whereas the RC concept uses lithium-ion batteries, the Prologue uses a cheaper nickel-metal hydride battery pack sitting under the rear seat. Altogether, the Prologue is claimed to achieve 57.4 mpg (U.S.) with carbon dioxide output of 109 g/km.


[Source: Peugeot]

The RC HYmotion4 concept is one of several hybrid concepts using a new through-the-road hybrid system being shown in Paris by Peugeot and Citroen. Unlike the hybrid systems used by current production vehicles, this one has no direct mechanical connection between the electric and internal combustion drive systems. The Peugeot RC has a turbocharged 1.6L four-cylinder in the back driving the rear wheels with 218 hp and 206 lb-ft of torque, while additional propulsion comes from a 70 kW electric motor situated between the front wheels. This way, the RC can operate in either rear-, front- or all-wheel-drive modes. That means it can also operate using internal combustion, electric only or blended modes, respectively. The 3,141-lb four-door coupe accelerates from 0-62 mph in just four seconds when both gasoline and electricity are flowing. The electrons are stored in a lithium-ion battery pack of indeterminate size, but having the electric motor at the front instead of the rear axle means that more kinetic energy can be recaptured through regenerative braking. According to Peugeot, the RC can get 52.3 mpg and output CO2 emissions of just 109 g/km. It's a trick system for sure, but there's no word on whether it's ever going to be produced.


[Source: Peugeot]

Peugeot's new, Paris-bound hybrid concept car is called the Prologue, and based on how Peugeot describes it in the press release that accompanied these three photos, it shows us where the French automaker is headed stylistically and technologically. The Prologue is a perfectly normal-looking 5-door hatchback with a new, less-horrific take on the gaping-maw look with which the Peugeot range has been saddled in recent years. Now it just looks angry, instead of like a boxer about to spit out his mouth guard. The Prologue's hybrid powertrain is apparently good for 200 horsepower and emits 109 g/km of CO2 per kilometer. We'll have the final word on the Prologue -- an epilogue, so to speak -- from the Paris Motor Show next month.


[Source: Peugeot]

At the finale of the European Le Mans Series at Silverstone, Peugeot is rolling out the 908 HY, a hybrid version of the 908 HDi FAP that made the LMP1 battle at this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans a very interesting affair. The 908 HY might well be what we see at Circuit de la Sarthe next June is the ACO regs for 2009 allow it.

Under that silver livery set off by blue lightning bolts, the 908 HY incorporates a KERS; a 60kW electric motor/generator; ten lithium ion battery packs split into two locations; and a power converter that manages the energy transfer between said battery packs and the electric motor. In addition to light-duty, EV-only operation, the 908 HY can run its diesel V12 solo or it can combine the two --- the electric motor's power can be summoned to provide added boost, either on demand or automatically. According to Peugeot, the electric motor supplies 80 more horsepower for 20 seconds or so. Oh, and lest we forget, the hybrid system also saves fuel without diminishing the 908's already impressive performance capabilities.

The Peugeots at Le Mans this summer were fast, but when the checkered flag waved, it was Audi atop the podium once again. You know French automaker desperately wants to win Le Mans and knock its German rival off the top step, and this evolution of the 908 HDi FAP might well be the car to do it -- if the rules let it in, and if it can hold up for the duration of the race. Here's hoping the 908 HY makes the cut in the eyes of the ACO, because watching Peugot go for the brass ring should provide plenty of excitement for motorsport aficionados. Thanks for the heads-up, Richard.


[Source: Peugeot via Supercars.net]

Peugeot is a long way off from its ambitious target of selling 4 million units annually by the end of the decade. This year its sales projects put it at 2 million, but chief executive Jean-Philippe Collin has a plan in place to reach the targets set out by parent company PSA.

The plan involves expansion on two fronts. Firstly, Peugeot plans on developing new models to compete in segments where it currently does not compete. Collin figures the French automaker currently competes in 72% of market segments, but wants to get that figure up to 90%. Despite Peugeot's sportscar racing program, the company is not prepared to build a pure sportscar any more hardcore than the upcoming 308 RC Z sports-coupe. It is pursuing government funding to develop a diesel-hybrid drivetrain, however, which might be key to its expansion.

Peugeot is also planning on pursuing new markets, namely in China, Russia and South America. However, while a return to the North American market is being considered, especially in light of the weak American dollar, Collin maintains that such a move would still be several years off.

[Source: Automotive News Europe – subs. req'd]

Click above for a hi-res gallery of the Peugeot RC...

With the semi-annual auto salon returning to Paris this fall, you can expect France's major automakers to make a big splash this year. Peugeot is preparing to unveil a new concept car, and has given us a bit of a heads-up in the form of a few images and some teasingly cryptic details.

With the name of the actual car not yet released, Peugeot is referring to the show car as the RC, adopting the same thematic nomenclature as the RC Spade and RC Diamond concepts from 2002 and the 908RC concept sedan from the last Paris Motor Show in 2006. Like those concepts, this one is not meant to directly preview a production car in the pipeline. However, it does foreshadow Peugeot's new design direction. The four-door concept's styling melds smooth flowing lines and sharp creases to make for a stunning shape, and moves the huge lion emblem farther south, not unlike the Audi R8's grille. The echoes of Ingolstadt aren't new for Peugeot, with many asserting that the 308 RC Z borrowed too heavily from the Audi TT. As for propulsion, Peugeot insists that "respect for the environment and driving pleasure can be compatible", and so have fitted the RC with an unspecified hybrid powertrain producing a maximum of 313 hp and emitting only 109 g/km of CO2 in gasoline mode and, of course, zero in electric.

Check out the press release after the jump and the gallery below to view the teaser shots of the upcoming Peugeot hybrid concept, and stay tuned as we close in on the Paris show for more details.

[Source: Peugeot]

As we reported yesterday, Peugeot was clearly the fastest in qualifying for this weekend's running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The record-setting runs of all three 908 HDi diesel-powered LMP1 cars places Peugeot's entire field of entries 1-2-3 on the starting grid. That's impressive considering two of Peugeot's car crashed during the past two weeks of practice. Audi is hoping that its team's experience, quicker pit stops and more fuel efficient R10 LMP1 cars will eventually carry it past the Peugeots, despite starting fourth, fifth and seventh on the 55-car grid. And thanks to the speed of Lola Aston Martin driver Stefan Mücke whose petrol-powered car earned the sixth spot on the starting grid, not all the front runners will be diesel-powered.

As for classes other than LMP1, the next fastest LMP2 class was dominated by the Porsche Spyders not surprisingly, while LMGT1 is being led by the #63 Corvette Racing C6.R. The Corvettes will be chased this year by the particularly fast #50 Larbre Competition Saleen S7 and some slower but determined Aston Martin DBR9s from Aston Martin Racing. Finally, LMGT2 will be another great battle between Porsches and Ferraris, with the #76 Imsa Performance Matmut Porsche 911 GT3 RSR on pole for the class. Remember the amazing GT2 class finish of last year's race between Flying Lizard's Jorg Bergmeister in a Porsche 911 GT3 RSR and Risi Competizione's Jaime Melo in a Ferrari 430GT? If not, watch it again here as a reminder of why Le Mans is absolutely amazing. Also check out this great post at UltimateCarPage that has a detailed breakdown of all 55 cars with an image of each one and a list of their drivers.

[Source: 24 Hours of Le Mans, UltimateCarPage, Photo by JEAN FRANCOIS MONIER/AFP/Getty ]

The 76th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans takes place this weekend, and just like last year, Audi and Peugeot will be duking it out in front with their diesel-powered LMP1 cars. The Audi R10 is a proven race machine, both durable and fast, but the Peugeot 908 has often times proved faster. Late yesterday at the first qualifying session for the endurance race, the 908 proved to be the fastest by far when it shattered the lap record at Le Mans by 7.8 seconds! The car was being driven by French driver Stephane Sarrazin, who man-handled the 908 around the track in 3 minutes and 18.513 seconds. A truly amazing feat, though what's more incredible is that the next five fastest times also beat the previous lap record, two of which were Audi R10s. Unfortunately, the second and third fastest times behind the fastest Peugeot 908 were two more Peugeot 908s. The Peugeot cars are clearly faster than the Audis so far in qualifying, but that was the case last year and Audi pulled out a win just like it has the past four years in a row. Unlike the Le Mans Series races where Peugeot has won the first three races so far this year, Le Mans is about endurance and Audi has proven seven out of the last eight years that it can last longer than the rest.

[Source: Reuters, Photo by Ker Robertson/Getty]

Le Mans has seen its fair share of spectacular crashes, perhaps most notably the Mercedes CLR-GTR that caught air and did several flips before landing outside the guard rail back in 1999. While not as outrageous as the Mercedes, Peugeot caught some air as well this past weekend at the 24 Hours of Le Mans test when Marc Gene lost control of his 908 Hdi and hit the wall at over 120 mph. Luckily, Gene was able to walk away from the crash and will be able to drive in the race in less than two weeks. Footage from the crash can be seen after the jump.

Thanks for the tip, Mark!

[Source: YouTube via LeMans.org]