Peugeot has revealed an 805bhp electric tribute to its 205 T16 rally car, but there’s more to the new E-T16 concept than a trip down memory lane. Its shape, lights, cabin and steering controls also give us a look at what’s coming with the next 208.
The concept, which was developed with Peugeot Sport, celebrates the 205 T16’s World Rally Championship victories in 1985 and 1986, marking 40 years since the second of those wins. And although it’s only a concept, Peugeot describes it as road-legal and calls its three-motor creation a “Hyperhatch”, with a claimed 0-62mph time of 2.5 seconds and 0-186mph taking just 16 seconds.
Those figures belong to the concept, though (although a GTi version of the new e-208 is expected). The connection with the next e-208 is in the technology and design, including a new look Peugeot calls “Feline Future”. That starts with a rethink of the brand’s three-claw lights, which become long, slim horizontal bars at the front and rear, framing an illuminated Peugeot badge.
Peugeot design director Matthias Hossann said: “E-T16 Concept reinterprets the lines of the future Peugeot e-208, pushing every proportion to the extreme. A radical design that celebrates our heritage and transforms power and sportiness into a true design language.”
Inside, the E-T16 also previews the next generation of Peugeot’s i-Cockpit dashboard, with a wide, curved screen combining driving information and the central touchscreen. It sits above the Hypersquare steering control (don’t call it a wheel), which we’ve already seen and driven, and will also feature in the next e-208.
The concept’s Hypersquare takes inspiration from Peugeot’s 9X8 endurance racer and adds a central display for information such as speed and lap times. That screen occupies the space that would normally be used for an airbag, while the occupants are held in place by four-point harnesses. As the new e-208 will, the concept uses steer-by-wire, meaning electronic signals replace the usual mechanical steering link, with sportier settings tailored to the E-T16. Drivers can also configure the small screen and reach the main controls with a simple movement of their fingers.
Carbon-fibre bucket seats are trimmed in woven fabric and Pelinova recycled leather, made using offcuts from the leather goods industry. The seat shells connect to the centre console, with support around the occupants’ hips and shoulders, while red stripes run up the seats and red mesh across the roof lining fades into black – a nod to the red carpets of the new e-208 GTi.
There’s rather more than a sporty interior behind those acceleration claims. One electric motor sits at the front and two at the rear, giving the E-T16 four-wheel drive – like the rally car. The system can vary how much power goes to each rear wheel, as well as sharing it between the front and rear, according to the available grip.
Three preset driving modes change power delivery, the way drive is shared between the axles and the suspension settings. They include a Track mode, while a fourth mode lets the driver choose their own set-up, while there’s even an upright hydraulic handbrake, just as you’d find in a rally car.
Keeping the battery cool has been another focus for Peugeot Sport. Its “Side Cooling” system cools the battery cells through their sides rather than their bases, with the aim of avoiding the reduction in power that can occur when temperatures rise. Peugeot says the E-T16 can complete three laps of the Nürburgring Nordschleife – more than 37 miles – in Performance mode without limiting its power.
Away from the circuit, the 85kWh battery gives a maximum claimed range of 249 miles. The concept also uses an 800V electrical system, with Peugeot claiming a 10-80 per cent charge in under 15 minutes.
The bodywork has plenty of jobs to do, too. Alongside the swollen wheel arches are two large bonnet outlets, three front cooling intakes and air outlets behind the front wheels. At the back, a twin diffuser with two adjustable blades helps generate downforce, topped by a large rear wing with Peugeot’s “cat-ear” shape.
Look closer and the links to the 205 T16 go beyond the name. Winchester Matte Grey paint echoes the original’s colour, while its red pinstripe has become an illuminated line running around the whole car. Silver wheels have body-coloured inserts, and the area ahead of the rear wheel that once housed an engine air intake now contains the charging port and door-opening mechanism.
The entire rear body section tilts open, too, just as it did on the 205 T16. Only this time, instead of a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, it reveals the two rear electric motors, suspension components and a red roll cage. The opening allows quick access for suspension adjustments, with the mechanical parts sitting on a carbon-fibre platform. There’s even a storage compartment with room for two helmets!
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