Peugeot Sport Engineered: knowledge is power

The new 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered is the most powerful production car ever built by Peugeot. With plug-in hybrid power and four-wheel-drive, it draws on decades of Peugeot Sport’s engineering know-how. Know-how gained from hard-won victories in motorsport’s toughest contests, from sky-high hill climbs to round-the-clock races.

Peugeot Sport is a major player in world racing, from the scorching sands of the Sahara to the Circuit de la Sarthe and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It was here at its home race in 1992 – and again in 1993 – that Peugeot finished first overall with the 905, starting a winning legacy it continued with the 908 HDi FAP in 2009.

Peugeot’s Endurance story will enter another era in 2022, when the team returns to the World Endurance Championship with a spectacular new hybrid Hypercar, combining internal combustion with an electric motor powered by a ground-breaking 900V battery. It’s the same high-performance philosophy of combustion and electrical energy embodied by the new 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered.

Away from the track, endurance racing is as gruelling as the Dakar Rally. For four straight years from 1987 Peugeot Sport dominated the dusty desert race with the 205 T16 and 405 T16. More recently – with the event switching from Africa to South America – Peugeot’s drivers led the pack again, including three new victories with the 2008 DKR and 3008 DKR (2016, 2017, 2018).

In fact, pick almost any spot on Earth and the chances are Peugeot Sport has built some sort of machine to take it on. Take the World Rally Championship, which for more than half a century has wandered the world from the Australian Outback to the Arctic Circle. Peugeot’s own WRC history is legendary, with five championship manufacturer wins (1985, 1986, 2000, 2001, 2002) from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s.

And then there’s Pike’s Peak, the 13-mile Colorado hill climb. Known as the ‘Race to the Clouds’, it was immortalised in the award-winning short film Climb Dance, featuring on-board footage of Peugeot driver Ari Vatanen in his turbocharged 405 T16 – often driving one-handed, the other hand shielding his eyes from the sun as he slides his way to the summit, and to victory. A feat repeated by Sébastien Loeb in a Peugeot 208 T16 Pikes Peak in 2013.

Of course, many of Peugeot Sport’s motorsport machines were based on showroom models, some with almost mythical reputations of their own. Cars like the 205 GTI and 106 Rallye – lightweight, hot hatch icons of the 1980s and 90s. In other words, there’s always been an unbreakable bond between Peugeot Sport’s competitive creations and the company’s everyday road cars.

It’s the same today, although in a whole new world, with a whole new type of performance – symbolised by electrified machines capable of creating new sensations and experiences. Peugeot calls it Neo Performance, and it all comes together with Peugeot Sport Engineered: Peugeot's new high-performance division, and its first creations – the new 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered and 508 SW Peugeot Sport Engineered.

A showcase of 21st century tech and combining four-wheel-drive with plug-in hybrid electric technology, the new 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered produces 360hp and 520Nm of torque. The result? Almost instantaneous responses, with a 0-62mph time of 5.2 seconds, 26 miles of electric-only driving range and CO2 emissions of just 46g/km (WLTP).

With cars like this, Peugeot is paving the way for a new era in which the kilowatt is king – all the while guided by Peugeot Sport Engineering and its heritage, passion and expertise. Plus, a team of engineers, designers and test drivers developing new technologies and conquering new territories. Just like they conquered old ones, from sand dunes to circuits and almost everything in between.

To find out more, click here to visit the new 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered website, or click here to visit the Virtual Showroom and arrange a virtual tour with a new 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered specialist.