01/07/2013 16:29
A very special edition of the Peugeot 208 supermini is now the fastest car ever to climb the Pikes Peak hillclimb course, in Colorado, breaking the record at the weekend with French world rally champion, Sebastian Loeb, at the wheel.
The very special racing-only 208 was built by Peugeot Sport in under four months – the team behind the brand's Le Mans and WRC exploits – and features a 875bhp twin-turbo engine, 4-wheel drive and an incredibly grippy chassis with Michelin slick tyres.
Leob smashed the record by over 90 seconds on Sunday, crossing the line in just 8m 13.878s, and beating all of the competition in his 'Unlimited' class by very comfortable margins. This is particularly impressive because this is the first time that Loeb has ever driven the full 12.42-mile Pikes Peak track. Many of his competitors were Peak veterans.
In its 91st year for 2013, Pikes Peak is the second oldest motorsport event in American after the Indianapolis 500, and features a sometimes sheer-dropping, twisting track that climbs to the top of the Pikes Peak mountain in Colorado, right into the clouds.
Posted by Louise Clark