Name the first French supercar that comes to mind – did anything pop up without looking at Wikipedia? We thought so.
France's automakers may be quite able at creating successful compact models, but success in premium segments has so far, eluded them - and a supercar is definitely out of the question.
This hasn't stopped their designers from sharpening their pencils on extravagant concepts that grace auto shows all over the world. With the latest event taking place in Paris, something exciting was definitely on the menu.
Besides the 260bhp RCZ R and the Onyx Supercar and Super Scooter models, Peugeot is also displaying a fourth concept model at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, the 2008, which hints at the firm's Nissan Juke rival that will be presented next year.
The 2008 is a follow up to the ‘Urban Crossover Concept’ revealed in Beijing earlier this year with a more vibrant color scheme, but other than that, the two models are identical.
Displayed alongside the regular versions of the mildly refreshed RCZ at the French firm's Paris Auto Salon booth is a thinly disguised prototype of a model that will soon gain the title of the most powerful production model in Peugeot's automobile range.
The study is the RCZ R and it is showcased in Paris in matt black and copper livery that echoes another Peugeot concept unveiled at the show, the ‘Onyx’ supercar.
On April 27, 2011, for the first time in the Peugeot’s history, the French car maker set an official lap record on the Nordschleife race track in Germany. And this was no ordinary feat as Peugeot established an electric speed record with a concept model, the EX1 design study, which we first laid eyes upon at last year’s Paris Motor Show.
With Stéphane Caillet, driver and tuner-technician from Peugeot’s Research & Development Centre, behind the wheel, the futuristic looking EX1 completed a lap around the Nurburgring in 9 minutes and 1.338 seconds (9:01.338) at an average speed of 138.324 km/h (85.951 mph).
It's not very often we hear about an electric car taking on the fearsome Nurburgring-Nordschleife track. A concept version of an EV is an even rarer sight on the “Green Hell”, but that's exactly what Peugeot did as it put the EX1 design study at work on the world's toughest circuit.
It wasn't just a pleasure ride, however, since Peugeot visited the ‘Ring to break the lap record for electric cars. And it did, with driver Stéphane Caillet lapping the 20.8-kilometer (12.92-mile) long track in 9 minutes and 1.338 seconds, at an average speed of 138,324 km/h (85.95 mph), in “very unfavorable weather conditions”, according to the French automaker. The previous lap record set by an electric car belonged to the Mini E racer, which lapped the German track last year in 9 minutes and 51.45 seconds.
Peugeot has a very good reason to unveil the SXC concept at the Shanghai Motor Show, as the crossover model has been designed and developed by the Peugeot Style Studios of China Tech Center. In addition, the SXC name stands for “Shanghai Cross Concept”, with Peugeot claiming that the crossover study was build to suit the tastes of Chinese buyers.
At 4,870mm long, 1,610mm tall and 2,035mm wide, the sleek crossover is a large vehicle. To put it in perspective, the BMW X6 measures 4,877mm long. The SXC features several styling cues seen in recent Peugeot concept cars, such as the SR1, HR1 and the EX1. The French firm said the study combines elements from both SUVs and saloon models.
As China’s auto market continues to grow in numbers and significance, carmakers from both sides of the Atlantic and beyond are flocking to the world’s most populous country to reap the benefits. For its part, French automaker Peugeot plans to reinforce its presence in China by launching at least one new model per year into the market starting with the new local market 508 saloon that will be introduced alongside a brand new concept model at next week’s Shanghai Auto Show.
Peugeot has lifted the covers off a second concept model on the eve of the 2010 Paris Motor Show. Billed as an urban crossover, the HR1 study is said to blend together a number of elements from various categories including city cars, coupes and SUVs, and is designed to appeal to young people with active lifestyles.
As a celebration of the marque's 200th anniversary, Peugeot has created a new concept car called the EX1 that will have its world premiere at the Mondial de l'automobile 2010 in Paris later this month.
Our first though upon seeing the all-electric prototype was that of a futuristic and nifty-looking successor to Batman's Tumbler from the Christopher Nolan films. Peugeot's thoughts are that of an "extreme dream car" which demonstrates the "exciting possibilities for electric power".
With this year's edition of the Paris Motor Show just around the corner, the product announcements on new models and concept cars keep dropping in. Today's Paris show strip tease comes from Peugeot, which will show a mysterious new concept vehicle alongside the already revealed 508 sedan and station wagon models (read more about that in our previous post here).
At this point, all we have are these three cryptic teaser photos that don't really reveal something about the car. Check out the rest of the shots after the jump and tell us what you think Peugeot is hiding here.
