Peugeot unveils L500 R Hybrid concept

Peugeot has taken the wraps off its futuristic L500 R Hybrid concept to mark the 100^th Anniversary of the brand’s Indy 500 win in 1916.

Driven by Dario Resta, the Peugeot L45 won the mythical Indianapolis 500 race at an average speed of 135km/h.

One hundred years later, the Peugeot L500 R Hybrid is created as a tribute to the L45 and is capable of reaching 100km/h from a standstill in just 2.5 seconds, and takes just 19 seconds to cover 1,000m.

Developed by Peugeot Sport teams, the 368kW (500-bhp) plug-in hybrid petrol powertrain features two electric motors (one front and one rear) plus a 199kW (270 hp) petrol engine, yielding peak torque of 730 Nm.

Style-wise, the sleek lines run from the lion badge on the radiator grille toward the driver to end in a streamlined rear feature (a nod to the car’s century-old ancestor) highlighting the three distinctive rear lamp claws that form part of Peugeot’s design identity today.

According to Peugeot, the L500 R HYbrid racing car is designed to be one with its driver, where driving sensations are amplified by a driver compartment deliberately designed to form an individual floating capsule enclosed in the bodywork.

Through a prospective concept, the Peugeot i-Cockpit technology takes a radical motorsport stance, with a small steering wheel embedded in the structure and two holograms showing information in dual disc displays. In their relentless quest for aerodynamic, the Peugeot teams reinterpreted the original L45 two-seat architecture to produce a single seater that offers a virtual co-pilot an amplified real-time racing experience through a virtual reality headset.