2006 Peugeot 207 RCup Concept
Worried about the current state of the FIA World Rally Champion (WRC)
series? Are you jaded because many of the star manufacturers like
Mitsubishi, Skoda, Citroen and Hyundai have pulled out, leaving only
privateers plus Ford and Subaru behind? Fret no more, as French
automaker Peugeot showed a spicy new rally car concept at this years Swiss
Motor Show thats based off their all-new
207 subcompact, a production vehicle that was also shown for the first
time in Switzerland.
The subcompact 207 is one of Peugeots most important cars, hands
down, no exceptions. Though the 207 is a subcompact, no larger than the
Toyota Yaris or Honda Fit, its got some enormous shoes to fill, as the 206, the car
that it replaces, was the most popular car in the French firms near
100 year history. In fact, the eight year old predecessor is still such
a strong seller around the globe that Peugeot will continue to produce
it alongside newer cars like the micro-sized 107 and 1007 hatchbacks.
To stress the importance of the new car, Peugeot has been
emphasizing this particular model by producing a couple of fun versions. The first in the series, and acting as a preview to the 207s
gaping-mouth grille was the three-wheeled 20Cup concept car, an
open-roofed, windshield-less racer with a single rear wheel. To
bolster the effort, Peugeot will also be presenting the 207 RCup
(playing off the name of the performance version of the 206 called the
RC), a preview at the WRC-spec rally car that will be hitting the
Special Stages in far off lands sometime next year.
While it may look like a standard 207 with a white and red
paint scheme, beneath the skin it features a tubular spaceframe that has
stretched the car in all dimensions in accordance with the WRC rules.
The larger width and track are present for the purpose of giving the
207 road-hugging grip, which in turn are expressed through extra-flared
fenders and fascias, constructed from ultra-lightweight composites.
Meanwhile, Peugeot aerodynamicists have added air-extraction ducts in front of all wheels to lessen the dependency on oversized spoilers for
downforce. The 207 RCup rides on wide, 235/40R18 rally-style magnesium
wheels, with a ride height thats a mere 3.9 inches above the ground.
To get a good look inside the RCup, youll have to open the doors
because the car has extremely dark tint on the windows. Inside, its a
complete racer, with tubular frame roll cage, racing seats and
four-point harnesses to keep driver and navigator strapped in place.
Also, like most production-based racing cars, the RCup features the
same dashboard and instrument cluster as the 207, but no stereo,
carpets or cupholders. All surfaces that the driver contacts - the
steering wheel, sequential shifter and handbrake - are trimmed in
suede, while the center console has been gutted, and fitted with
relevant switches, gauges and other rally car vitals such as the
controls to the AWD system.
In the same way that the 207 RCup abides to all the WRC rules and
guidelines, in construction materials and dimensions, its power comes
from an FIA-sanctioned, naturally aspirated 2.0-liter gasoline engine
with four valves per cylinder and dual overhead camshafts, but no
variable valve timing or turbocharger, as with the production model.
Nevertheless, the 207 RCup still generates an impressive 280-horsepower
and has a redline of 8,500 rpm. That should make for one very fast car,
concept, race or otherwise.
In the old glory days of 1980s rally car racing,
homologation vehicles, production cars that are closely related to the actual race
cars in performance, appearance and technology, were mandatory. The latter-day equivalent of
the 207 RCup, the Audi Sport Quattro and Peugeots own 205 Turbo appeared
on the roads in extremely limited numbers. Unfortunately, since the mid
80s, the FIA dropped this rule, a burden to the manufacturers, and as
a result, these fascinating machines became an extinct breed. Nothing
new has sprung up in the FIA rule book concerning homologation
vehicles, so, the 207 RCup Concept will most likely remain just what its name entails: a concept.