Peugeot 208 T16 ready for 2013 Pikes Peak assault

Peugeot is set to take on the infamous Pikes Peak hillclimb in Colorado, USA in this 875bhp 208, driven by nine-time WRC champion Sébastien Loeb.

The team behind the 208 T16 Pikes peak has released this video showing Loeb shaking down the monster 208 on French mountain roads, ahead of the 2013 Pikes Peak event on 30 June. The car uses a mid-mounted twin-turbo petrol V6 to develop 875bhp. The entire car (complete with the rear wing from Peugeot's now-defunct 908 HDi Le Mans car) weighs in at just 875kg, meaning the all-wheel drive 208 T16 can sprint from 0-125mph in just 4.8sec.

Making a short cameo appearance in the clip is the legendary 405 T16 from Peugeot's previous Pikes Peak outing. The 405 develops 600bhp from its 2.0-litre four-cylinder motor, and set the record for the hillclimb back in 1988 with a time of 10min 47sec. The 405 T16 was driven by Ari Vatanen: footage of the car being hurled up the mountain – sometimes one-handed to allow Vatanen to shield his eyes from the sun – has become legendary thanks to the movie 'Climb Dance' documenting the event.

By Ollie Kew