Exclusive: Top Gear drives Peugeot 208 T16

When Peugeot asks if you want to drive its 208 T16 - the most extreme rally-thing created this century, arguably ever - there's only one answer: yes, and can we bring our mate Kris Meeke?

Yes, when Peugeot invited Top Gear magazine to give its Pikes Peak-conquering, 875bhp turbo loon an exclusive thrash around its test track, we packed all our videos cameras and put in a call to our favourite tame rallyist and noted thrasher of Bentley Continentals.

Kris, generous chap that he is, was happy to lend a hand, giving the 875kg hill-climb weapon a thorough seeing-to around the Circuit La Ferte Gaucher.

And as you can see in the video, it's fair to say the 875bhp Pug left Meeke somewhat... discombobulated. Top Gear's swear-bleeping device went into overdrive.

"It constantly blows your mind," Meeke told us when he's finally stopped bleeping. "It makes a WRC car feel like a toy. It's nuts... absolutely nuts!"

Enjoy the world-exclusive video, then read the full story in December's issue of Top Gear magazine, on sale now or to download on iPad right here.

Video: Rowan Horncastle