13/05/2013 11:18
Rally driver Sebastien Loeb is going to get the first opportunity to compete in the new Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak this June when he tries to win the famous Race to the Clouds in Colorado, US.
The nine-time world champion racer said after driving the vehicle in a test session that he has never driven a car that accelerates so fast, which suggests Peugeot have really impressed with the 875bhp machine.
"The 208 T16 Pikes Peak is a rocket! It's so powerful! The first time you drive it, each gear change practically stuns you. The shifts are really brutal, and it takes a little time to anticipate the sudden jarring. You get used to it, but it was quite disorienting to begin with," the Frenchman said.
He added that its pull-away performance is "phenomenal", with him finding that he's driving 150mph in sixth gear in rapid time. The car could even leave F1 vehicles trailing with its ludicrous 0-62mph time of 1.8 seconds.
Loeb wasn't just impressed by the performance of the car either. "Due to its aerodynamic downforce and wide tyres, its braking is amazing, too." he said.
"The 208 package is a combination of the best of several worlds: it's got the downforce of a Formula 1 car, the wide tyres of an endurance racing prototype and a differential like a World Rally Championship (WRC) car."
After being behind the wheel of many different vehicles during his career, he assures that the new 208 offers something wholly unique and with a great deal of potential in competition.
Looking towards the Colorado event, Mr Loeb explained that he will take the course one step at a time, as he is unsure of the car's limits and the track is not wide and doesn't have many run-offs.
Race to the Clouds tasks drivers with reaching the summit of Pikes Peak at 4,300m. The 12.42-mile course has an average grade of seven per cent and includes 156 turns.
Posted by Craig Salter