Racing test: Peugeot 208 R2, the Peugeot Challenge is back

The Peugeot 208 R2 is the heir to decades of rallying and a long tradition of driver training in our country. Peugeot launches its Ibérica Cup with the support of a powerful Portuguese organiser and puts a balanced and highly effective car at the disposal of its drivers.

Peugeot is once again betting on rallying, on competition and on supporting young drivers who might one day compete at the highest level, and it is doing so by adopting the Rally Cup Ibérica 2018, the school for young talent from Spain and Portugal. With this, Peugeot Spain recovers the much-missed Peugeot Challenge, which brought so many successes to our sporting history ten years after its last edition…

The Peugeot 208 R2 is a competitive and reliable racing car, coming out of the Peugeot Sport factory.

But it is never too late if the happiness is good, as the saying goes. And much remains from the almost four decades of existence of the Challenge, which was born in 1971 as the Simca Challenge, thanks to a legendary figure of Spanish motorsport, Alicio Romero, who was Competition Director of Peugeot until 1992, and responsible for giving many young drivers – and some not so young – access to attractive competition programmes. Programmes that allowed them to boost, and sometimes establish, their racing careers thanks to the generous cash prizes and support of all kinds that the brand, under its umbrella, was in charge of managing.

The Peugeot 208 R2 is a simple but effective car, the perfect school car. It lacks a spoiler and some power, but we would be taking the spotlight away from the R5.

After 37 editions, the car park evolved from the spectacular Simca 1000 Rallye Group Z, to the Peugeot 206, passing through the legendary Peugeot 205 GTi, the 205 Rallye, the smaller 106 Rallye or the Peugeot 206 XS Group A. And hundreds of drivers passed behind their wheels, among whom shone Juan Carlos Oñoro, Spanish Gravel Rally Champion, Antonio Zorrilla (“el zorro”), two-time Challenge winner and Spanish Group I Champion, Javier Azcona, Oriol Gómez, Josep Arqué, Sergio Vallejo, Spanish Champion in 2009 and 2014, Enrique García Ojeda, Spanish Gravel Champion in 2004, Spanish Tarmac Champion in 2008 and IRC winner in 2007. Or the illustrious Borja Moratal, who was Competition Director of Peugeot Sport Spain.

Peugeot 208 R2: a very serious racing car

A Peugeot 208 R2 is a technical demonstration of how to build a very serious racing GTi, to enjoy a higher level with a stable and safe product, suitable for being driven by almost everyone. It is an excellent carrier of the racing image of Peugeot, a proud heir to a long history in rallying and in promotional categories, such as the legendary Peugeot Challenge, which has brought so much joy to fans and to its many drivers, and which now returns in the form of the best school, as the Peugeot Rally Cup Ibérica.

Tarmac tyres, but the car has settings and elements for competing on gravel and tarmac. According to the drivers, the brakes are more than enough.

Its image is racing thanks to the 16-inch Speedline alloy wheels with 195 mm tyres in a 50 profile, but it carries little more cosmetically. No double exhaust outlet, no rear spoiler… it certainly does not live on image alone. Under its bonnet hides an interesting 1,598 cm³ naturally aspirated engine producing 185 CV at 7,800 rpm, which for this occasion receives modifications affecting the valve timing, with specific electronics, a reworked cylinder head and a four-into-one exhaust system to achieve a sharper power curve and additional horsepower, not to mention a truly compelling sound that is essential for the crowd to turn their heads as they pass on every stage.

Interior fully adapted for competition use, with a driving position lowered as far as possible to reduce the centre of gravity.

The engine works in conjunction with a five-speed manual gearbox with sequential shifting, a fully competition-built gearbox with a robust single-lever mechanism that shifts up by pushing in the opposite direction to the direction of travel, and down in the direction of travel, just as the gearboxes and cars of the World Rally Championship operate in their top category. Its handling is a real pleasure, thanks to the speed of engagement and the precision of every shift, not to mention very short ratios that allow the engine to be used to its best advantage. Undoubtedly on some stages a sixth gear will be missed to relieve the engine and reach a higher top speed, which in this configuration barely allows it to exceed 180 km/h, according to our calculations.

One of its great qualities is its speed through corners, with a rear end that is very planted and helps in every manoeuvre.

In any case, this car’s ideal terrain is stages with medium and slow corners, the kind of… “second+++, third closes, brake and back on the power…”. And there, the Peugeot 208 R2 is among the best in its class.

More power, maximum fun

The engine of the Peugeot 208 R2 responds very well at mid-range and is brutal at the top of the rev counter. In addition, it is very easy to keep it in the 6,500–7,500 rpm band, the maximum power range, and it costs nothing to reach the fuel cut-off, nearly 8,000 rpm. The corners come one after another and each one gives more and more confidence. And so it is easy to enjoy the chassis and find the limits of grip.

With a 1.6-litre naturally aspirated engine, it delivers 185 CV at 7,800 rpm, well exploited thanks to an efficient five-speed sequential gearbox with mechanical shifting.

Our luxury instructor on this occasion was none other than Alberto Sansegundo, a great driver, an excellent person and the long-suffering co-driver who endured our stage like a brave and good co-driver, “almost” without raising objections. Although, yes, always reminding us that one must be gentler with the steering wheel on the approach to corners and that, to round off the paellas, one must pull on the enormous handbrake lever… Because the work piled up on me a couple of times, and one of two things: either I was short of hands, or I had too many levers. But the toy and the opportunity to drive it well were worth the attempt to emulate the drivers of this exciting championship.

With Alberto Sansegundo during our first contact. A great experience.

The best thing about this Peugeot, without doubt, is the magnificent balance achieved in the chassis thanks to its refined technical evolution which includes harder dampers and springs, anti-roll bars of larger section and a much-evolved rear axle, which, being a simple and economical twist-beam axle, manages to contain lateral loads and keep the wheel perpendicular to the ground. The whole is outstanding and yes, surely a little more power would be welcome, and also a spoiler to give it a bit of the WRC look… all in good time.

Peugeot 208 R2 Technical Specifications

Peugeot Rally Cup Ibérica: an emerging championship

The managers of Peugeot Spain and Sport&You at the presentation of the Peugeot Rally Cup Ibérica.

The Peugeot Rally Cup Ibérica has many attractions for anyone who wants to start competing in rallies or take the leap into a well-organised discipline that offers an appealing calendar which will allow the participants to gauge their potential well. Because they will even be able to measure themselves against the best of the world championship… in a way. We say this because the calendar opens with the Rally de Portugal, which counts towards the World Rally Championship, and passes through the Rallye de España. In between are some of the best rallies held in both countries, such as the Rally de Ferrol, the Rally Princesa de Asturias, the Rali de Castelo Branco and the Rali Casinos do Algarve.

The Peugeot Rally Cup Ibérica is held in both countries with the essential support of Peugeot Sport and the powerful Portuguese organiser Sports & You, which acts as the technical and logistical manager of the championship.

For drivers who opt for the Peugeot Rally Cup Ibérica, Peugeot has planned to distribute €120,000 in prizes, as well as a major special prize for the winner, who will drive a Peugeot 208 R5 in a rally to be held next season. The car can be bought for 58,000 euros for competition and is also offered for hire through the Portuguese team.

2018 Calendar

Vodafone Rally de Portugal (1st leg, 17 – 20 May)
Rali de Castelo Branco (30 June – 1 July)
Rally de Ferrol (20 – 21 July)
Rally Princesa de Asturias (14–15 September)
RallyRACC Catalunya-Rally de España (1st leg, 25 – 28 October)
Rali Casinos do Algarve (17–18 October)

Peugeot 208 R2 Image Gallery

Technical specifications of this car

HatchbackPeugeot 2089 versions · from 22,520 €