Peugeot is stubbornly refusing to bring back the iconic GTI and Rallye badges on its new models, but that hasn’t stopped Stellantis Motorsport from developing a new racing version of the 208. The 208 Racing benefits from an upgraded turbocharged engine, a sharper chassis setup, and the usual high safety standards, making it an affordable entry point into the world of motorsports. While we’d love to see the 208 Racing inspire a production hot hatch, this model was exclusively designed for the FR6 Trophy. This new series, organized by the Fédération Française du Sport Automobile (FFSA), will be part of the French Rally Cup starting in 2025, with Stellantis being the first manufacturer to join.
The rally car is based on the facelifted
Peugeot 208 and adds a set of white steelies, lime green accents on the DRLs,
and a fancy livery on the white bodywork. This is enough to make us nostalgic
about the days of the Peugeot 106 Rallye, which was recently unofficially
revived in a 208-based special edition from a Swiss dealer.
Inside, Stellantis added a welded roll
cage and an automatic fire extinguishing system, both complying with the Rally4
regulations. The dashboard has been “optimized” to avoid reflections and
features a multifunction display, a kill switch (circuit breaker), and custom
controls on the center console. Furthermore, the competition-specific
electronic architecture makes it easier for teams to acquire and analyze
driving data. For the development of the 208 Racing, Stellantis Motorsport used
its expertise from the Peugeot 208 Rally4, the Citroen C3 Rally2, and the 208
Racing Cup. Under the hood lies an upgraded version of Stellantis’ turbocharged
1.2-liter three-cylinder gasoline engine, producing 143 hp.
This is 44 hp more than the production Peugeot 208, but 66 hp short of the 208 Rally4. Still, the 208 Racing has plenty of grunt for a small
hatch that weighs only 1,050 kg. Power is transmitted to the
front wheels via a short-ratio six-speed manual transmission.
The engine runs exclusively on
superethanol-E85 fuel, which is said to reduce CO2 emissions by an estimated 30
percent compared to gasoline. Stellantis Motorsport engineers have also tweaked
the suspension and braking systems using feedback from professional racing
drivers. Finally, the standard Michelin Pilot Sport PS5 tires contribute to
lower maintenance costs. The 208 Racing costs € 38,900 (US$ 42,110) before taxes,
which is much cheaper than the 208 Rally4. Stellantis has already started
taking orders and expects to start deliveries in February 2025.
Unfortunately, Peugeot doesn’t plan on
offering a performance-focused version of the road-going 208 – at least in the
foreseeable future. After all, the subcompact hot hatch segment is nearly
extinct, with several automakers exiting in recent years.
