LMP1 Class
The big news here was that the trio of Peugeots fell to the #2 Audi Sport North America car driven by Capello, McNish and Kirstensen. Hmm... the Audis winning Le Mans. Where have we heard that before? In case you were curious it was Audi, Pug, Pug, Audi, Pug, Audi. The drama continued all the way to the end with both the #2 Audi and the #7 Peugeot finishing on the same lap.

LMP2
Though not as exciting as some of the other classes, the LMP2 did feature the first Le Mans appearance by the Porsche RS Spyder. And how did the RS Spyder perform? The #34 in pimptastic purple won first, piloted by Van Merksteign, Verstappen and Bleekemolen. Sadly, the #41 Porsche piloted by Nielsen, Elgard and Maasen came in second. Why is that sad? Because their names are so much easier to spell.

LM GT1
The big showdown in the GT1 class was between the Gulf Oil Aston Martin and the Yellow Corvettes for class dominance. This year it was the 009 DBR9 of Brahbham, Garcia and Turner taking down the #63 C6R of O'Connell, Magnussen and Fellows for a second GT1 victory in as many years. As with the Audi-Pug race, this one also finished on the same lap. For the scorekeepers, that's Aston, Vette, Vette, Aston.

LM GT2
The GT2 was quite the happy story for us as the Risi Competizione Ferrari F430 GT driven by Salo, Melo and Bruni owned the Porsche 911's. Why do we care? Those are some Houston, Texas boys and right now Houston sports fans will take any victory from any Houston team. Second place went to the Ferrari F430 GT campaigned by BMS Scuederia Italia. The final for GT2 was Ferrari, Ferrari, Ferrari, Ferrari, Porsche, Porsche.

[Photo: Getty Images/AFP, LeMans.org]

Mitsubishi will be sharing all sorts of technology with the Frenchies, like information on how to better prevent overheating batteries and how to better convert electric juice to drive power, as well as supplying lithium-ion batteries. Peugeot-Citroen will in turn supply Mitsubishi with, umm... foie gras and a rusty 2CV, perhaps?
[Reuters]

How much do you have to pay for a rare European rally car steeped in 1960s and 1970s racing history from one of the most famous races in North America? More than you could ever afford, of course. But wait! An unaccountable distortion in the Vintage Race Car Reality Field (VRCRF) has produced this 1963 Peugeot 404 Baja 1000 veteran. How can we tell the VRCRF was involved? The $1,200 price tag. No, really- just barely over a thousand bucks; in fact, the seller states "No Reasonable Offer Will Be Refused!!!" so you might be able to get it for under a grand! Of course, you'll have a Sisyphean ordeal somewhat challenging road in front of you with this project, since the car has been sitting for 34 years and the engine is long gone. That shouldn't stop you, however- it's a rear-wheel-drive car, so the junkyard is overflowing with suitable engines that could be swapped right in without too much trouble. BMW M10? Toyota A? Is the suspension good? Probably not! Is anything on this car good? Who knows? Once you've got it running, however, it'll be time to head to the desert for some vintage dirt-eating adventure! Thanks, once again, to PCH ÜberTipster LTDScott.

When you're going racing in Baja California, don't you want a vehicle with "Baja" in its name? Ah, the ol' Baja Bug! Remember when you used to see them doing daily-driver duty all over the Southwest? The air-cooled Beetle in stock form is no slouch off-road- no radiator to boil over, most of the weight over the drive wheels, and so on- but put nerf bars, roll cage, and big tires on it and you'll be ready to leave tire tracks across the backs of the most elusive endangered species in the desert! To be vintage, however, you need an oval-window Beetle for your Baja Bug project...and have you priced 1953-57 Beetles lately? Fortunately for you, we've managed to find this '57 Beetle that's already well on its way to Baja-ness. You get a significant fraction of a 1776cc engine and "many other parts," and all for just $1,400! Old VWs have the dubious distinction of being the only cars that manage to get terrible rust in Southern California, so you have to figure on some pan rot to deal with. While you're shopping for your great big wheels, roof-mounted oil cooler, sixer of Primo Beer, and lid of Acapulco Gold, you'll have plenty of time to contemplate stuffing a Roots-type blower on the engine, just like yesterday's PCH Beetle!

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As a GPS navigation unit, the Drive Safety isn't too shabby. It includes a 4.8-inch touchscreen as well as text-to-speech, Bluetooth and more. It's an optional €449 accessory, which translates to about $700 United States dubya-fun-bucks. [GPS Business News]

Any Peugeot 403 stands on its own as a Hell Project, but what do you get when you restore one? You get 65 horsepower, that's what! Clearly, some added motivation is needed here, and what better choice than the good ol' small-block Chevy? Can you fit one in a 403? Yes, indeed- just ask the guy who's already done most of the work on this 1961 Peugeot 403, which is already set up for Chevy power. Hell, The General himself will sell you a brand-new crate motor today! Then all you'll need to do... hey, hold on- did we say the seller has already done most of the work? Perhaps we were a bit hasty there, but lots of stuff has been done. You get front and rear suspension, a narrowed Ford 9-inch rear, and "tons of parts in the car, more than I can list." In a break from PCH tradition, we've got a seller who appears to know what he's doing in the garage, which means you'll be in for dozens instead of hundreds of sanity-puncturing surprises as you attempt to finish the job.

Small-block Peugeots are fine and all, but all the weight is on the front of the car instead of over the drive wheels. Not good! That's why the real Project Hell Hoon goes for an air-cooled VW, for a virtually weightless car that provides tons of exciting oversteering fun. Like, say, what you'd get with this 1974 Volkswagen Beetle with supercharged 2110cc engine, on sale now with an asking price of $3,500. I've owned a few stupidly overpowered performance-upgraded Beetles, and by some miracle I'm still here to tell you that the handling and braking characteristics of such a vehicle are, uh, interesting. Yes, that's the word I was looking for! So, you've got a car that weighed 1,831 pounds new, hack 400 pounds of unnecessary crap out of it, and then you replace the 46-horsepower 1600 with a howling supercharged unit belting out four or five times as much power (when it's not burning valves or blowing cylinder heads completely off the vehicle, that is). Was the engine built right? What kind of fuel-delivery system (if any) do you get? Is your life insurance paid up?

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Actually, the car was stock. Stock as in standard, from the factory, without any modifications besides the sponsors' stickers. That is, unless you count the extra weight of the couple's luggage as a modification. But that 90 MPG figure is in Imperial gallons. In US gallons, the figure is just 75.6 MPG. Still, it's figures like this that make us scratch our heads and wonder what all the fuss of government-mandated fuel economy standards, panic of rising gas prices, and hybrid hippie hype is all about. If things were really as bad as they're often made out to be, couldn't we all just be driving 90 MPG 75 MPG French hatchbacks? Or are those Freedom hatchbacks? Oh, wait — you have to drive under 30 MPH the entire way? Well, screw that noise. Pass me the keys to the Hummer.
[ABG via TreeHugger]

In Maribor, Slovenia - Europe.
The Peugeot is the same vintage as i am, a 78'. They sure don't make em' that way anymore.
As you can see on the first pics, we found the car near a peugeot dealer sitting in the grass. Apparently it's been there for about 10 years. The car immediately jumped to life after adding a new battery and a few drops of fuel into the carb, which was amazing considering how long it's been there. It was also mostly rust free.
It started its life as a green metallic car, but we decided to paint it the the blue color that our first 504 had. I remember to that day the moment i got my finger stuck in the door of that car when i was 5 years old.
The next set of pics was made today. As you can see from the interior shot, the car served my dad as a daily driver. Now he bought a new car and the Peugeot is on weekend duty only. Sadly, he is going to sell it (just in case anybody's interested).
The Mercedes was a quick buy. I don't even know where he got it. The paint was peeling off and it had some rust spots, but mechanically it was/is in excellent shape. The rust and paint have been fixed as can be seen from the pics. It's a 79' 2.3l gasoline model with original aluminum rims. It's a rare sight to see a w123 in such a good shape here. Most of them are diesels in very neglected conditions and are run on chip fat or heating oil instead of diesel.
I don't know what he'll do with it, but i hope he doesn't sell it.

Anyway that's it.
Best regards
nicjasno

We really dig the Dangel 4x4 conversions for the Peugeot 504, and we'd totally drive one... but we Norteamericanos can't get them, thus sparing us the agony joy that is French four-wheelin' action. Or so we thought, prior to Kleinlowe sending us the tip on this Dangel-ized 1981 Peugeot 504 wagon (go here if the ad disappears). As Kleinlowe says "check out the angle of the Dangel," and we have to agree there's something a little off about the extreme nose-high stance of this car. Does it have any engine, much less the turbodiesel the seller claims? And a station wagon! Reet! Best of all, the seller states "As far as I can tell this is the only one in the USA" like that's a selling point! Better brush up on your French Parts Guy slang, because you'll be needing it!

A diesel- even a turbocharged diesel- is just too slow for serious Hell Project hoonage; what's the point of wrenching for years on a project if you can't wrap it around a tree 50 yards from your garage? That's why you need a tiny sports car with a big rip-snortin' Detroit V8. But not a British sports car; ever since the Cobra, we've seen all manner of British machines getting all sideways and backwards with Ford and Chevy V8s. What you need is a Japanese sports car with a V8, and what better choice than this '68 Datsun Fairlady (go here if the ad disappears)? Just $1,500! What are you waiting for? It's got $6K in "professional chassis work" already, yet there's "much work left to do." We don't doubt it, and we also don't doubt that the 302/5-speed combo won't give you a deadly respectable power-to-weight ratio if when you finally get it running. Just be sure you understand that "this is NOT a running car!" and everything will be all right. Thanks to Brian B for the tip!

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There's no law that says you have to run dinosaur juice in your diesel; vegetable oil or animal fat works just fine! Oh sure, some worrywarts will tell you that you need to use some kind of witches' brew of methanol, lye, and who-knows-what-all and make actual biodiesel, but that's only if you want to run the stuff in an unmodified diesel engine. However, this is Hell, where nothing is unmodified! Not only that, most of the cars in Hell are French... like, say, this '79 Peugeot 504 diesel, which can be purchased in running condition for only $1,500. Put in a bunch of filters and fuel heaters and start making friends with the manager of your local donut shop, because you're breaking free of the oil companies' stranglehold! We suggest adding turbocharging and intercooling, because there's no reason you need to be slow while you're saving the planet, right?

A veggie-oil diesel looks pretty good on the greenhouse-gas balance sheet, all right (assuming you're using played-out cooking oil as fuel; once you start pouring fresh veggie oil into the tank you get into a maddening internal debate about how much carbon was generated making the oil), but it still spews out all manner of icky particulates in the exhaust- which is hell on folks with asthma- not to mention lots of unpleasant nitrogen compounds due to the high compression and combustion temperatures inside a diesel. But there's an alternative, you green-minded Hell Project demon, you: electric power! How about a full-hybrid vehicle, in which a small internal-combustion engine charges the batteries of an electric drive system, just like a railroad locomotive? You can optimize the ICE engine with fuel-delivery and camshaft trickery so's it runs at optimal efficiency, and plug the car into household current (or, greener still, solar panels on your roof, thus relieving you of the maddening internal debate about the "remote polluting" effect of electrical generation via nonrenewable resources) so the generator hardly need run at all! Of course, you wouldn't want to drive some glorified golf cart or you wouldn't be reading this site, so we've found just the car for you: this '74 Austin Marina, already converted to a full-hybrid powertrain! Yes, it's a British car with an aircraft starter motor and a 7HP gasoline engine running a generator (we'd suggest a propane conversion on the engine, for seriously low smog output). Hmm... British... electric... Malaise Era... what could go wrong? The car is in pretty nice shape, so you might not have to spend more than many months a week or so chasing super-rare Austin parts for it, and best of all is the price: only 600 bucks!

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You love wagons, we love wagons, everyone loves wagons! But old Detroit station wagons are a dime a dozen, and parts obtainment is just too darned easy. You need something European, preferably from a defunct manufacturer and packed with weird engineering. We've definitely got you covered here, and we're sure that once you lay eyes on this 1961 Borgward Hansa 1100 Wagon" (go here if the ad disappears) you'll be a believer in a boxer-four-powered 47-year-old hearse-esque German wagon! Don't worry about the body, because it's "almost free of rust," and your Subaru-driving friends will be envious of your wagon's engine: "Subaru bought the blueprints and maybe some tooling too. I am told it uses a VW 36 horse cam and crank." Imagine the fun of getting this engine of dubious ancestry running again (normally we'd advise swapping in a turbocharged Subaru mill, but it would be a sin to dump an engine this hopeless rare). Best of all, the Project Car Hell meme continues to gain fresh territory: "Need a small hearse to carry you off to project car hell?" You bet you do!


They made Borgwards in Mexico into the 70s, so you might be able to get some parts for that Hansa without having to pay vast amounts for shipping, which means you could be taking the easy way out with that car. How about a machine that wasn't even sold in North America, a machine that will raise, then dash, your hopes repeatedly as you scour the world for parts, all the while taunting you with the fact that it was built by one of the world's major manufacturers and should be easier than this? Come on down to eBay and drop a big bid on this 1971 Peugeot 304! There's no reserve price, and the top bid is sitting at $100 with only a couple days to go. Come on, a 37-year-old front-wheel-drive French sedan that's been sitting since 1990... for a hundred smackers? You can't go wrong! We're a bit put off by the seller's punctuation and spelling (where's the traditional eBay CAPS LOCK, not to mention the requisite "i saw restored one a thees go for $$$49000$$$ dollars resently" statement?) but the spare transmissions, heads, etc. compensate for that drawback. And hey, the seller says "it was every bit as reliable and efficient as, and much more "substantial" than, my 77 Honda Accord," so you figure it will be a bulletproof daily driver once you've got it running again!

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Based on the same platform as the Peugeot 308 hatch, there seem to be a lot of choices for the drivetrain (the 308 variants can be had with any of eight engines, including a 175 horsepower 1.6-liter inline-four gas engine and a 2.0-liter HDi diesel good for 126 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque). While we wait for the full details we're just going to sit back and enjoy the very French proportions. [Peugeot via CarScoop]

Big American pushrod V8s are always cool when installed in a European car- just look at the Jensen Interceptor or Facel Vega to see what we mean. However, the nature of Project Car hell is such that you need to drop your crude-yet-potent cast-iron powerplant into a car whose designers never imagined such a combination in all their wildest opium dreams. You could just pick out the car and do the entire swap from scratch, but it's far more insane fun to start with someone else's half-finished project! Say, this 1967 Peugeot 404 (go here if the ad disappears), which has been equipped with a 280Z front subframe and is- in theory- set up for a small-block Chevy engine. Holy power-to-weight ratio, a 404 with a rip-snortin' 383 crate motor would sure be something, eh? Or you could forget about the Chevy and put a Chrysler 383 in there! Let your imagination run wild... and you'll have plenty of time to do that, what with all the fabricating and parts chasing you'll be doing with this project.

A psychotic V8 Peugeot would be a welcome edition to the garage, but sometimes you and your entourage need to make a good impression when you roll up to Nickel Nick's Hot Slots Casino in North Las Vegas, and we mean the kind of impression that only a one-of-a-kind custom limousine can deliver. Forget those stretch Hummers or even a stretch Ferrari, folks, because now you have the opportunity to buy this custom limo assembled from 1976 and 1982 Corvettes (go here if the ad disappears)! We'll admit it needs some work (and we don't just mean a couple of hours of quick Bondoization), and you might want to take a good hard look at the frame welds before taking it out on a public street... but look at this thing! Imagine it with a roof made of something sturdier than duct tape and trashbags and an interior fully decked out with a full bar, Sno-Cone machine, cocktail-table Missile Command arcade game, and Max Mosley Edition™ swagger-stick storage locker! You'll have class and plenty of it when you and your crew roll in this baby, no doubt about it! Of course, since it's already set up for a V8 engine, you won't have too much trouble putting a Maximum Torque Specialties Cadillac 500 under the hood. Got to be a Cadillac engine in a Corvette limo, right?

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We saw a Hell Project Mercedes-Benz 6.9 just a couple weeks back, but when you run across a JFG car for just $1,500... well, you know it's PCH material. This 1978 Mercedes-Benz 6.9 (go here if the ad disappears) is such a car. Just a grand-and-a-half? How can you go wrong here? This car's Craigslist ad features one of our all-time favorite descriptive lines: "Has mysterious problem." Just ponder that one for a moment; is there any problem that such a fiendishly complex machine might have that isn't mysterious? In this case, the transmission is kaput... but don't worry, because the seller has found one that you can get for just $450 (which, via some logical leap we can't quite follow, is described as being "comparable to finding a gold bar." The paint looks bad, the interior looks good, and it's cheaper than most 15-year-old Sentras!

That "Mysterious Problem" statement about the 6.9 was PCH Gold, but our next entrant may have managed to top it. How would you feel about a car that "Had been owned by Jacque Abot foremost French car mechanic in northern
California but unfortunatly the timing belt has broken and bent two valves"? That's right, folks, even the best French car mechanic in the region gave up on this 1989 Peugeot 405 Mi16! (Go here if the ad disappears) He probably ran away screaming! However, the seller knows of another sucker mechanic who is willing to push the rock up the hill a few times and try to get that powerful-but-hopeless 16-valve engine running again for just $1,000. But the news isn't all bad, because this rare machine (sold just two years before Peugeot gave up on North America) "Has new suspension, springs, ignition switch, wheel bearing and battery."

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We predict success for the first diesel electric hybrid racecar, it'll be able to combine the excellent fuel economy and torque characteristics of both diesels and hybrids and would be positioned to take advantage of any future rule changes that benefit hybrid technology. F1, for example, is actively working to bring power added by regenerative braking to the sport [Via Motor Authority]

Our favorite is the pilfered Prius. By using just three wheels rolling resistance is sure to be reduced, as is weight, due to the absense of safety equipment. To top it all off, the lack of a tail pipe may mean the Chinese have beaten Toyota, offering the first all-electric, plug-in Prius on the market. [Via CarScoop]

Peugeot 308 SW Press Release

This year's Geneva Motor Show will be the stage for Peugeot to unveil the new, innovative and practical 308 SW, which will replace the 307 SW.
Launched in April 2002, the Peugeot 307 SW offered a stylish and innovative alternative for customers who, for practical reasons, found that a hatchback vehicle lacked the flexibility and size they required and were uninspired by the design of conventional estate cars and medium size MPVs. Since its launch in the UK, the 307 SW has sold over 40,000 vehicles.

Like the 308 hatchback, the 308 SW builds on the strengths of its predecessor but develops them even further. For example, the panoramic glass roof is now 27% larger (total area of 1.68 m2) and extends beyond the heads of the second row passengers, the modularity is easier to operate and improved and it now has a very practical opening rear tailgate glass.

A lot of attention has also been paid to the modularity of the 308 SW so that it can be adapted simply and efficiently, according to the requirements of its occupants. The rear seats in the second row are all individual, easy to remove, identical in size and offer a multitude of combinations.

To enable seven occupants to be carried, two occasional rear seats can be fitted in the third row.

Access to the rear load area is either via the rear tailgate or the opening rear tailgate glass. With the second row seats in place it can accommodate up to 674 litres (573 dm3 VDA) under the rear load cover. With the seats removed it provides a total volume of 2,149 litres up to the level of the roof (1,736 dm3 VDA).

The 308 SW is based on platform 2 of the PSA Peugeot Citroën group and compared to the hatchback, the wheelbase of the 308 SW has been increased by 100 mm and the rear overhang by 124 mm.

With regards to secondary safety, the structure (thanks in particular to the presence of three impact absorption beams) has been designed to provide optimal protection, combined with the ability to absorb the maximum amount of impact energy in a controlled manner. In addition, the SW can be equipped with up to seven airbags, including a steering column airbag.

The 308 SW is available with a wide choice of modern, high performance, economical and environmentally-friendly powertrains.

The use of the latest technology in both the petrol and diesel engines, combined with the car's efficient aerodynamics, weight saving measures and the use of Michelin Energy Saver tyres, reduces the fuel consumption, compared to the 307 SW, by up to 10% .

With regards to road holding, the suspension set-up and wheel size options have been borrowed from the 308 hatchback but revised to meet the special requirements of the SW version.

The 308 SW range will go on sale in the UK in June and more information concerning specification and prices will be announced nearer the launch date.

[Source: Peugeot via World Car Fans]

I was tempted to pull out the Econoscope apparatus and add it to Wanky the Safety Cat, in order to enhance my driving safety.

Citroen Berlingo

With the Berlingo, Citroën created the leisure activity vehicle segment and launched a new concept in compact vans. Its innovative qualities appealed to private and professional customers alike, making it a huge commercial success. It has been the clear leader in the leisure activity vehicle segment in Europe (17 countries) since 2003. Worldwide, Citroën has sold more than 1,760,000 Berlingos (cars and LCVs) since launch in 1996.

The New Berlingo will go on sale in second-half 2008. It will be sold alongside the current Berlingo model, which will be available in some countries as an entry-level offering called "Berlingo First". This strategy will enable the Marque to better meet the highly diverse needs of its customers.
New Citroën Berlingo car: The comfort of a saloon and the practicality of an MPV

Adapting to all situations, the Berlingo meets customers' growing needs for freedom and versatility in use.

The New Berlingo retains the ultra-functional, family-friendly character of the original and strengthens its personality with dynamic, upmarket styling that also identifies it immediately as a Citroën. It boasts saloon-like levels of comfort - acoustics in particular - and MPV-style practicality (tailgate with opening window, three independent removable seats in row two, a redesigned Modutop® and an overhead storage rack). It is also a great car to drive, thanks to a longer wheelbase and C4 Picasso running gear.

And with its 110 bhp HDi diesel engine fitted with a particulate filter (DPFS), the New Berlingo carries the Airdream environmental signature that denotes the greenest models in Citroën's range.
New Citroën Berlingo LCV: Practical and functional, yet strong on styling and comfort

The compact van version of the New Berlingo is big on load volume, payload and versatility, which are key features for professionals. It has a huge loading area (3.3 m3, up to 850 kg of payload and 1.8 m of useful length) that can take two Europallets width-wise, and is available with an Extenso® modular cabin, able to transport loads up to 3 metres long and increase useful load to 3.7 m3 or seat three people at the front.

The New Berlingo also offers passengers saloon-like levels of equipment for comfort and driving pleasure, including hill start assist, a height- and reach-adjustable steering wheel, C4 Picasso running gear and ESP. The New Berlingo is a modern working tool that confers prestige on its owners through its robust and dynamic styling.

The launch of the New Berlingo follows those of new Jumper, new Jumpy and Citroën's latest compact van, Nemo. Citroën thus offers professionals the largest and most complete line-up of light commercial vehicles in its history, covering a wide range of needs, from 2.5 m3 to 17 m3 of load volume and up to two tonnes of payload.

Peugeot Partner and Partner Teepee

Launched in 1996, the Peugeot Partner has been extremely successful in both its small van and MPV versions, with regular year on year increases in global sales over the past eleven years. Capitalising on the success of the first generation Peugeot Partner, Peugeot will launch a new version of the Partner
in the second part of 2008.

With the launch of the new Partner, the first generation Partner model will, however, continue to be sold in certain countries with a reduced range of models and will be known as the Partner Origin.
The new Peugeot Partner: professional efficiency down to the last detail

With a refreshing and dynamic style which is perfectly adapted to the demands of its professional customer base, both with regards to quality, durability and efficiency, the new Partner is the perfect working companion due to its versatility and value for money. In terms of practicality, the new Partner has a maximum load capacity which will be a new reference point in the small van segment. With a length of 4.38m the new Partner has a load volume of 3.3m3 and a maximum payload of up to 850kg. The load area length of 1.8m can also be extended to 3m thanks to the new innovative Multi-Flex passenger seat, giving 400 litres of additional load space. This innovative feature allows three people to sit in the front which is the first time this option has been available in the small van segment.

Thanks to the use of the Peugeot 308 power train, the new Partner benefits from improved acoustic comfort, combined with an ergonomic driving position and excellent visibility. This all combines to give the new Partner a level of quality which will symbolise this new generation of small vans.

The new Partner puts the finishing touches to the complete enhancement and renewal of the Peugeot range of light commercial vehicles. The new and extended range which is even more innovative, offers a range of vehicles from 2.5m3 to 17m3, consisting of the Bipper, Partner Origin, new Partner, Expert and Boxer.
Peugeot Partner Tepee: the MPV that lets you enjoy the freedom of the open road

The new Partner Tepee MPV represents the next generation of a concept invented by Peugeot in 1996. The Partner Tepee is a multi-usage vehicle which is practical and which has a modern and original style both, on the inside and the outside. Its modular styling will appeal to customers requiring space and versatility. Most notably, it has a new Zenith multi-purpose roof providing even more light into the passenger compartment, three individual folding rear seats, greater interior space and driving qualities worthy of a modern hatchback car.

Adventure seekers, however, will also love its all-terrain capabilities and the personalised design of the Partner Tepee Outdoor.

[Peugeot and Citroen via Word Car Fans]

The Cave is the first part of the system, and is probably the most fun. It is a large visualization system that includes a seating buck, or a driving console. In the most common configuration, a person will sit on the seating buck, which can be constructed to emulate any style of seating arrangement, and interact inside of the car through virtual reality. Everything from adjusting the virtual mirrors and scratching your real ass can be done while in the Cave, which has no relation to Batman.

The second part of the system is a stereoscopic CADwall projection system that uses virtual reality to allow designers, engineers to see a 3D model of the French vehicle and eventually replace all real models. This robust feature allows any design issues to be addressed quickly and easily without needing a real model.

The Holobench, which Shatner is still cursing Peugeot about, could the most beneficial function of this virtual reality system. This Holobench takes the stereoscopic CADwall to the next level by allowing engineers and designers to modify, build and adjust the Peugeot (or Citroen) virtually.

The entire aim of the project is to increase overall efficiency and remain competitive amongst other countries that can pay its employees low wages to do the same amount of work the pompous French employees from Peugeot do. Peugeot is really milking the whole "this is the future," as made apparent by this cheesy futuristic-feeling video demonstration. Whatevs — we still want one for our living room. [PSA Peugeot]

The reason they believe this will all happen is that the new head of Peugeot, Christian Sterrif, is a confident person and his decisions will reflect that confidence. Let's hope he's as sure of himself as the Europeans claim, for we'd love to see this take on the TT. [MotorLegend via World Car Fans]

THE PEUGEOT BIPPER - FROM THE CITY CENTRE TO THE WORLD OF MOTOR SPORT

* Peugeot Bipper Van to be launched in May 2008
* Two engine options - 1.4 litre Petrol and 1.4 litre HDi Diesel
* HDi Diesel versions available with an electronically controlled manual gearbox
* Load volume 2.5 m3
* Payload 610 kg

The Bologna Motor Show will see the launch of the innovative Peugeot Bipper "Beep Beep" Concept Van. This is a vehicle which shares much of its character with Peugeot's LMS Championship winning Peugeot 908 HDi FAP race car.

Like the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP, which was launched onto the world's motor sport stage in Italy, the Peugeot Bipper "Beep Beep" will also be first seen in Italy.

With the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP, the Peugeot Sport team in its first year of participation in the Le Mans Series managed to win all six races of the 2007 programme and achieve a magnificent second place in the legendary Le Mans 24 Hours.

Competence, precision, efficiency, endurance and speed are therefore prized qualities within the Peugeot Sport team. They are also present in Peugeot's new Bipper van, which is just as ready to meet the expectations of the many users who will choose this new vehicle as their day to day team mate.

There are other points in common too between the 908, "winner of the 2007 Le Mans Series" and the Bipper "Beep Beep"... such as versatility and the ability to weave in and out of traffic... or indeed their diesel engines incorporating HDi diesel particle filter system (DPFS) technology, albeit delivering power of an entirely different order - plus or minus a nought in the middle - (more than 700 bhp for one and 70 bhp for the other!)

To strengthen further the links with Peugeot Sport, the "Beep Beep" shares the same colour scheme as the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP: matt black sides, red bonnet and roof and a white stripe running lengthways along the vehicle. Its sides display the stylised lion's head of Peugeot Sport, with the numbers 7 and 8 adjacent to the side windows in a reference to each of the competition 908 HDi FAP race cars. The vehicle's special gold tinted windows are designed to mimic the visors of the 908 driver's helmets.

In terms of wheels and suspension, the brakes are now 313 mm diameter discs at the front and black 18" alloy wheels are fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport 225/45 R 18 tyres.

Equipped with a standard production power unit, the "Beep Beep" features a 5-speed electronically controlled manual gearbox (the BMP5) and a 1.4 litre HDi diesel engine developing a power of 55 kW (≈70 bhp) and a torque of 160 Nm at 1750 rpm. It is also equipped with a diesel particle filter system (DPFS), also known as FAP.

With this efficient power train and, thanks to its optimised aerodynamics, its fuel consumption in the combined cycle is 62.7 mpg, with CO2 emissions of 119 g/km, the same as the production HDi model.

The Peugeot Bipper van will be on the UK streets in May 2008 and the "Beep Beep" will be watching closely the progress of the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP in the 2008 LMS championship.[Source: Peugeot]

Many of you are probably thinking you'd go with a Mercedes-Benz turbodiesel for your bacon-grease-powered machine, and others would suggest a big ol' Detroit truck. Nuh-uh... those thangs ain't available in Hell! Besides, they're boring, and you're a trendsetting stylemaster- that's why you need this 1983 Peugeot 505 Turbodiesel! Now, before you go clutching your head in both hands and moaning about French cars and their totally undeserved rep for reliability problems and part-obtainment woes, just take a look at this car. See how nice it looks? Why, the interior looks great, and the body is straight (well, the parts we can see in the photos, anyway). Any car this well-preserved is probably in tip-top mechanical condition, and a diesel with 177,000 miles is just getting started! And man, just $1500? Sold! So, you rig up a heated tank in the back to keep the bacon grease liquid, add some big filters, and tell Big Oil to kiss your Peugeot-drivin' ass!

Have any Americans ever seen, or even heard of a turbodiesel Toyota Camry? No? Well there ya go- simply by peeling 1500 frogskins off your roll, you could have this 1985 Camry Turbodiesel, thus becoming the only person in your time zone to have one. And the mid-80s Camrys actually have some character, unlike the soporific appliances they became later, so you won't suffer from Camry Ennui as you roar past all the stranded dinosaur-juice machines with your tank full of hemp oil (and your head full of another hemp product). The good news about this car is that everything other than engine-related stuff is easy to find in the junkyard (and Toyota quality as well). The bad news is... well, where the hell you gonna find Toyota diesel engine parts? Yes, Europeans, you got plenty of 'em over there... but this car's in California! The seller says the timing belt needs replacing, the injector timing is bad, and the turbo might be bad (probable translation: engine is on its last legs). But hey, nobody needs to know about it if you go swap in a Mercedes turbodiesel engine, do they? That should be, oh, about a one-weekend project, right?

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Now, you European readers are probably asking "What's the big deal about spotting an 80s 505 on the street?" It was a rare occasion when you caught sight of one of these things here even in the 80s, you see. Peugeots never sold well in the US of A; there was a brief period in the mid-70s when they sold just enough of them here to establish a firm connection between the words "Peugeot ownership" and "rapidly emptying wallet" in the popular imagination.


These days, any American under 25 looking at that emblem is going to be mighty puzzled about what the hell it stands for.


This car is actually in pretty decent shape, but the temporary registration sticker in the rear window tells the whole story; it's probably not possible to get it to run well enough to pass the smog test. Hey, isn't that another Peugeot parked in front of this one? That tells us that the hapless owner believes that Peugeots are actually great cars, in spite of the pain they cause him or her every day. Best cars ever made, monsieur!


Pretty cool-looking wheels on this car. What do you want to bet the bolt pattern uses some totally oddball proprietary spacing? I'm surprised the lugnuts aren't heptagons, requiring a special 7-sided wrench.