Peugeot 908 RC concept (2006): first official pictures

By Phil McNamara

First Official Pictures

11 August 2006 01:11

The lowdown

Jaw-dropping luxury car design and a high-tech racing chassis collide in the 908 RC, Peugeot's showpiece concept for the upcoming Paris motor show. Part-limousine, part-Le Mans racer, the 186mph 908 is sure to be one of the most fascinating vehicles at Peugeot's hometown show in September. The four-door, four-seat limousine has an unusual layout reminiscent of the Ferrari Mondial, with an engine mounted behind the back seats. The 908's rear end is highly significant, because its 700bhp V12 diesel engine and the rear subframe supporting it will be adopted by Peugeot's 2007 Le Mans race car. And the highlights don't end there. The design also gives a sneak preview of Peugeot’s forthcoming executive car, the 608.

The imposing 908 RC is as long as a Mercedes S-class, but its proportions are far less conventional. Big Peugeots are typically blighted by long front overhangs, but the designers have cut this back by rear-mounting the transverse engine and transmission. The windscreen is drawn forward, and it arcs back over the front seats to create a vast glass bubble encircling the passenger cell. The wheelbase is a whopping 3150mm-long, up there with a stretched S-class's, creating plenty of room for four in individual leather buckets. Luggage can be stored in the nose as well as a boot behind the engine.

By Phil McNamara