»
Beware Peugeot's black panther
(August 2006)
The point of any concept car is to explore new ideas and to test those ideas
in an attempt to create a solution. Enter the Peugeot 908 RC, which will
debut at the Paris Motor Show.
The 908 RC owes its name to its engine: the Peugeot V12 HDi DPFS,
which will power the racing version of the 908 in 2007. The abbreviation
"RC" is used to designate sports models in the Peugeot range in Europe. But
it also refers to the two RC concept cars which made their appearance in
2002 and whose architecture inspired the design of this latest project —
originally intended as a limousine for four occupants.
The 5.5-litre diesel mill pumps out over 520kW of power and torque in excess
of 1200Nm — little wonder it's been designed to take part in the "Le Mans
Race Series" programme in 2007.
With a 100° V angle architecture, the engine’s centre of gravity is as low
as possible, while two particulate filters are located at the end of each
exhaust system for the environment's sake.
Thanks to the rear central transverse position of the engine, the 908 RC has
a compact design, further aided by the compact six-speed electronically
controlled sequential gearbox, specially adapted to withstand the torque,
and located under the engine.
This setup allows the creation of a large-capacity boot, situated behind the
final drive assembly, so not encroaching on the interior space of the
passenger compartment.
This design also allows the driving position to be moved forward. Exterior
style With a low-lying exterior featuring a tapered design at the front,
large diameter 20 spoke alloy wheels (20’’ at the front, 21’’ at the rear),
Peugeot reckons the car looks like a big cat.
At the front, the feline character starts with the design of the headlights.
Featuring LEDs, their exterior appearance looks like a crystal, cut like a
precious stone, creating a faint outline like the pupil of an eye.
The bonnet draws its inspiration directly from the head of a big cat,
Peugeot reckons. The areas on either side of the bonnet create the effect of
the cat’s "cheeks" with the bonnet tapering down to a nose, highlighted by
the large chromed emblem of the marque.
And at the car’s pronounced "hindquarters", the LED rear lights incorporate
a polished aluminium insert that's mean to evoke the shape of a powerful
claw. The rear profile is further characterised by the shape of the rear air
diffuser, accentuated by chrome detailing and supported visually on each
side by twin exhaust pipes. Inside the 908 RC Thanks to a forward-positioned
passenger compartment and a large glazed surface area of 3m2, occupants in
the four individual seats don’t exactly get an obscured view of the road
ahead. The front windscreen stretches back behind the driver’s head, as far
as the B/C post where the glazed roof begins.
All vehicle functions (such as radio, MP3 player, satellite navigation, and
four-zone air conditioning) are controlled by means of a large touch screen
— the Man/Machine Interface (MMI). The MMI is also accessible to the rear
passengers, thanks to a multimedia screen positioned on the centre console
separating the two rear seats.
The passenger compartment features dark oak surrounds, integral
amethyst-grey leather trim, polished aluminium inserts, touches of chrome,
and a Bell&Ross clock. And on the practical front there are numerous storage
spaces, in addition to the large air conditioned glove box, in the door
panels and also in the front and rear consoles. Structure and Suspension For
the technically inclined, the vehicle is built around a pre-impregnated
carbon composite and vacuum-polymerised aluminium honeycomb structure. The
rear section is a self-supporting shell incorporating a sub-frame consisting
of a tubular structure on which the engine and suspension are assembled.
Both at the front and the rear, the car features a drop link double wishbone
type suspension, derived from the 407.
Braking is by means of four monobloc ceramic carbon composite discs which
reduce weight and improve thermal efficiency. The wheels are fitted with
Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 255/35 R20 tyres at the front and 285/30 R21 at the
rear. The car’s aerodynamics have been fine-tuned to attain a drag
coefficient of 0.556.
A two-part front air intake directs air to cool both of the engine’s
radiators and also improve the car’s aerodynamic performance by controlling
the internal and external flow by means of the black anodised aluminium
vents located upstream of the front wheels.
Air is provided to the engine by means of vents located in the rear quarter
panels.
Air is also directed from the rear wheel arches, through the two
intercoolers for the turbochargers and then out through the visible vents
behind the wheel arch.
A controllable rear spoiler incorporated into the boot lid can be raised by
the driver to improve road holding.
The flat under floor and diffuser enhance further the aerodynamic efficiency
of the 908 RC.
Reference:
iafrica
