Peugeot teases Paris-bound 208 Type R5 rally car

[Plex]

Peugeot's Paris Motor Show stand will need to make room for yet another addition, with the pre-production 208 Type R5 rally car slotted in for an appearance. The successor to the 207 Super 2000 that has won six Intercontinental Rally Challenge titles, Peugeot calls the tubular-framed 208 R5 a "true competition wildcat" for asphalt and gravel stages that will go on sale toward the end of 2013, to teams competing in IRC and national rallies.

Many of the specs carry over due to category requirements of the S2000 class, so the 208 Type R5 will have a five-speed sequential gearbox putting power through two locking differentials but no center diff, to all four wheels and supported by a long travel suspension. The 1.6-liter THP engine from the 207 S2000 also makes the jump, but the four-cylinder, 16-valve motor will output 280 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Four-pot calipers are mounted at all four wheels, hiding behind 18-inch wheels for tarmac stages and 15-inchers on gravel, while minimum weight for any setup on the Type R5, as per FIA regulations, will be 1,200 kilograms.

Peugeot hasn't revealed the price, but again, per the FIA, the maximum price allowed is €180,000 ($232,807 U.S.) before taxes. There's a press release below with more details, click on the photo above for a high-res glimpse, and we'll be sure to find out more once we get to Paris.

Autoblog