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1988 Peugeot 405 T16 GR Pikes Peak
232 - Pikes Peak 1988. Juha Kankkunen/ Peugeot 405 Turbo 16. 2me

1988 Peugeot 405 T16 GR Pikes Peak

1988 Peugeot 405 T16 GR Pikes Peak

One of the most famous hillclimb cars in Pikes Peak history is the Peugeot 405 T16 driven by Ari Vatanen to record-winning time of 10:47:77.

This 405 was unique at the the time because of its four wheel steering a feature never before done in a rally or hillclimb car. It was based off the earlier 1987 Peugeot 205 T16 Pikes Peak which was too short for long, open hillclimbs.

The engineers with Peugeot used a carbon-kevlar version of the 405’s body overtop of a completely new chassis that made of sheet steel and tubular steel. The engine sat very low infront of the right rear wheel with the turbo charger on the opposite side.

The Grand Raid version of the car was originally built for the Paris-Dakar Rally and was modified with a huge rear wing and rear-wheel steering for its mountain-climb duty.

After it’s incredible debut at Pike Peak, Peugeot again returned and won the event outright in 1989 with driver Robby Unser.

In Detail

type Racing Car
released at 1988 Pikes Peak Hill Climb
built at France
production 1
engine XU 9T Inline-4
position Mid, Transverse
aspiration Garrett Turbocharger
ignition Thomson Ignition system
block material Alloy
valvetrain DOHC, 4 Valves per Cyl
displacement 1905 cc / 116.25 in³
bore 83 mm / 3.3 in
stroke 88 mm / 3.5 in
compression 7.0:1
power 447.4 kw / 600 bhp @ 7000 rpm
specific output 314.96 bhp per litre
bhp/weight 681.82 bhp per tonne
torque 735 nm / 542.1 ft lbs @ 4500 rpm
redline 8000
body / frame Carbon Body on Steel Monocqoue w/Rear Subframe
driven wheels 4WD
wheel type 5-Spoke
front tires 16
rear tires 16
front brakes Ventilated Discs
rear brakes Ventilated Discs
front wheels F 225 x 50 cm / 88.6 x 19.7 in
rear wheels R 270 x 45 cm / 106.3 x 17.7 in
steering 4-Wheel Rack & Pinion
f suspension Double Wishbones w/Twin Coil Springs
r suspension Double Wishbones w/Twin Coil Springs
curb weight 880 kg / 1940 lbs
weight distro 63 % / 37 %
wheelbase 2888 mm / 113.7 in
front track 1430 mm / 56.3 in
rear track 1430 mm / 56.3 in
length 4250 mm / 167.3 in
width 1760 mm / -1.0 in
transmission 6-Speed Manual
tran clutch Carbon Clutch
top speed ~211 kph / 131.03 mph
fuel capacity 35 litres or 9.24 gal.
key drivers Ari Vatanen
race victories Pikes Peak International Hillclimb 1988