Theoretically, Peugeot can now blow the doors off your BMW M5 with its 500 horsepower hot hatchback. The French fed the already well-built 308 R way too much testosterone, and that resulted in this monstrous, electrically assisted super-car slayer. Headed to the Shanghai Auto Show, the 308 R HYbrid is, unfortunately, still in concept guise, with chances of it hitting production remain slim.
The Peugeot 308 R HYbrid relies quite a bit on the last letter in its name to produce the aforementioned, ludicrous power output. Under the hood sits a 1.6-liter THP petrol engine borrowed from the RCZ R sports coupe, sending all of its 270 bhp of power to the front wheels. Two e-motors – one linked to the six-speed gearbox up front, the other on the rear axle – each add a further 115 bhp, fed by a 3kWh lithium ion battery that can be recharged from the mains. Both systems collectively account for 500 bhp of maximum power – in a hatchback! Torque is rated at a planet pulling 730 Nm, slightly more than a BMW M5.
The 308 R HYbrid sits on a track 80mm wider front and rear than the 308 R, and wears 235-section tyres wrapped around some tasty 19-inch rims. Kerbweight stands at 1,550kg, and the 308 R HYbrid can sprint to 100 km/h from a standing start in 4.0 seconds flat. Top speed is limited to 155 mph, while economy is rated at 94 mpg (27.2 km/l), while CO2 emissions, officially, stands at 70g/km. The weight distribution is 60 percent to the front and 40 percent to the rear, with a weight/power ratio of 3.1 kg/PS.
The Peugeot 308 R HYbrid dons a two-tone livery, with blue up front and matte black at the back. The blue paint, in particular, has been developed using fluorescent pigments and glass particles. Stylistically, it features more aggressive bodywork than the 308 R, apart from a distinctive, new grille. Inside, the R HYbrid gets four individual sports seats and a dashboard covered in a digitally woven fabric. The 308 R HYbrid also lets one drive in a pragmatic, 300 bhp ‘road mode’ – which disables the front electric motor – or even on electric power alone, with the battery getting juiced up through regenerative braking.
