The month of July promises to be an action-packed one for Peugeot Sport and its newest rally project – the 208 Rally 4.
The car will make its competitive debut at Portugal’s Castelo Branco Rally this week, with a brace of cars run by PT Racing and Racing Factory taking part in the sealed-surface meeting near the border with Spain.
This will be followed by quick-fire outings at Rallysprint Pribram in the Czech Republic on July 24/25 and Rally Di Roma from July 24-26 – the opening round of this year’s European Rally Championship.
Arguably, the real focus of the 208 Rally 4 is the one-make Rally Cup Iberica and Rally Cup France competitions. These are scheduled to get underway with Rali do Alto Tamega, which runs on August 28-30, and Mont-Blanc Rally, which is pencilled in to the diary for September 4/5.
Peugeot Sport has shifted almost 100 of its new-generation 208 Rally 4s, with demand predicted to rise as lockdown restrictions across European nations continue to be eased and rallying comes out of an enforced hibernation.
“We have been doing everything in our power to make sure that our customers can start competing, and winning, in the shortest timeframe possible, while at the same time offering technical support both as they prepare their programmes and on events,” said Mayeul Tyl, who is the current manager of the Peugeot and Citroën Racing Shop.
A year in development, the 208 Rally 4 is powered by a heavily modified version of PSA’s three-cylinder PureTech petrol engine.
The engine produces 205bhp, and this power is sent to the front wheels via a SADEV engineered five-speed sequential gearbox. Other technical highlights include a mechanical limited-slip differential to maximise grip, especially in wet conditions, and three-way adjustable suspension.
In terms of cost, a complete build for a general asphalt or gravel-spec car will set customers back €66,000 before extras, including a bespoke asphalt or gravel kit (€8,990) and an ‘Equipment Kit’ (€3,990) comprising a helmet net, intercom, Tripmaster, co-driver footrest, light pod, jack system and a mounting and strap to accommodate a second spare wheel.
“After more than a year of development work everyone is delighted to see that the new Peugeot 208 Rally 4 is being delivered to our customers,” added Peugeot Sport director François Wales.
“We can’t wait to see it in action across the world on international, national and local events.”
