[WRC] Peugeot unveils the new 307 Coupé WRC!!

[TT]

Finally official pics!

http://www.wrc.com/NR/rdonlyres/A3612B67-B2AA-44E2-B4A2-556EB5C81150/26461/1gallery.jpg

http://www.wrc.com/NR/rdonlyres/3289DEFE-48FB-47AC-9284-432E6991B123/26463/2gallery.jpg

The car will be unveiled officially at Frankfurt in some days :)

[draak666]

Ugly back. The 206 was perfect.

[tekwar]

it doesnt look bad at all ! in fact i think it looks good. cant wait to see how it performs next season.

[crazidude]

Hrm it reminds me of the accord for some reason

[fedezyl]

It looks BAD ASS to me, love it!

[Ziploc]

looks like there going after subaru

everyoneelse is in a hatch

peugoet has gone the other way, and since the short wheel base was an advantage it seems teh wrong way...

jump burnsie!! ;)

shouldbe interesting to see it in action

[SFDMALEX]

Is it only me or does it look like they stole the back from some Alfa Romeo?

[fedezyl]

it looks like it's based on the 307 CC

[tekwar]

thats because it is based on that? :P

[fedezyl]

That's nice, they can cruise with the top down to the rally course and then race, a truly multi purpose car, one button a nice cabrio another push we got ourselves a rally car..

[tkach]

anybody notice the evo like paintjob ?

[TT]

anybody notice the evo like paintjob ?

It's not "evo like"... it's just that since this year, Peugeot got Marlboro as the main sponsor... as easy as that..

http://www.wrc.com/NR/rdonlyres/42EB09C6-9BC5-4BD2-9B6F-E8339D8521A5/25818/03118002GRONHOLM.jpg

[Wide]

That seems good.. IMO its better than the 206..
CC based is much better than the normal 307..
Cant wait to see hows it goin on the road..

[stracing]

oooo...ahhhh
nice!!!!

anybody notice it looks like a ferrari f1 paintjob? :P

hope tamiya releases the kit soon

[AblativE]

looks pretty cool

does this mean they r getting rid of the 206 WRC cars and replacing them with these?

i much prefer the 206

[novass]

they are gettin rid of the hatch, damn, i liked that car, especially in silver. is Mitsubishi gonna come back next year, anyone know?

[TT]

they are gettin rid of the hatch, damn, i liked that car, especially in silver. is Mitsubishi gonna come back next year, anyone know?

Sure they will, the whole season, and with Gilles Panizzi too :)

[novass]

Panizzi is racing with Mitsubishi now? ahhh, im so behind. they have really screwed up the programming here, i hardly get to see ralleyes anymore

[TT]

Panizzi is racing with Mitsubishi now? ahhh, im so behind. they have really screwed up the programming here, i hardly get to see ralleyes anymore

Yeah, there are many "moves" right now and that's also thanks to the new rule that says the third driver of a team can't have been on the podium for the past three years! So Peugeot and Citroen has to do something... Burnsie back tu Subaru, Panizzi to Mitsu, McRae or Sainz have to move from Citroen, but apparently they'd like to be together if possible, so it will be complicated...

[heath]

I remember seeing the 307 hatch rally car recently....but this I think looks sexy....but I think at this stage I still prefer the 206 rally car...just seems more stocky and muscly....this seems more frech and elegant, don't get me wrong tho I love that stuff....but not so much in a rally car...it looks a little bit like a short overweight 406. A prepubescent 406 if you will....

[yunet]

307 Coupé WRC is a little bit weird.. :(
especially the size..
206 is the best and best looking WRC car IMO~

[TT]

Here is a report of the latest tests by Marcus Gronhölm:

Reigning world champion Marcus Gronholm says he is 'pleased and excited' by Peugeot's new 307WRC after testing the car in southern France earlier this week.

Gronholm drove the new car at Chateau Lastours and thinks the new car is already as fast as the current 206 model.

"The 307 is fast and it is good," Gronholm told Austosport magazine. "It does feel bigger [than the 206] but I hope that as we make the settings better that will be less of an issue. However, it is already good."

[altezza]

Press release:
THE NEW 307 WRC – A NEW ERA OF SPORTING SUCCESS

The 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show will mark an important moment for Peugeot Sport, as it announces the arrival of its 2004 World Rally Championship contender: the 307 WRC.

Based on the 307 CC, the 307 WRC is Peugeot’s new weapon in the highly competitive, premier rally class. The 307 WRC’s challenge is to replace the ultra-successful 206 WRC car – a motorsport legend that has dominated the scene in recent years and taken Peugeot to three consecutive titles.

The new 307 WRC car has been designed and built in the greatest secrecy at the Vélizy motorsport plant. From design sketches to initial development tests, nearly 400 working days were needed by a dedicated team to bring the project to life.

A rally car boasting a number of innovations

The Peugeot 307 WRC features a number of technical innovations. The gearbox – a Hewland 5-speed – sits transversely coupled to the rear of the engine, unlike the longitudinal mounting on the 206 WRC. Another new feature is the use of the ‘XU7JP4’ engine block. This all-aluminium unit 2.0-litre engine – which is the basis of the 406 1.8 litre production engine – replaces the XU9J4 that powers the 206 WRC car. It develops a maximum power of around 300 bhp at 5,250 rpm with torque of 530 Nm at 3,500 rpm.

Total commitment from Peugeot and all its partners

The new 307 WRC programme represents an exciting challenge. Peugeot can rely on total commitment from its partners who, by associating their image with the marque’s already legendary competitive record, are working with the Marlboro Peugeot Total Team to accept the ultimate challenge – winning new titles to add to those obtained in 1984, 1985, 2000, 2001 and 2002.

http://www.uploadit.org/files/310803-33981peu-.jpg

Comparative dimensions of the 206 WRC and 307 WRC

Dimensions Length Width Wheelbase Weight
206 WRC 4.005 m 1.770 m 2.468 m 1230 kg
307 WRC 4.344 m 1.770 m 2.610 m 1230 kg

[sbbs]

Press release:

Dimensions Length Width Wheelbase Weight
206 WRC 4.005 m 1.770 m 2.468 m 1230 kg
307 WRC 4.344 m 1.770 m 2.610 m 1230 kg

Whoah! They have the same weight? The team are good at losing weight of the car... hehehe... is it the minimum weight according to the rule?

Also the dimensions aren't that big in difference also. So we'll wait and see how this car will perform. :)

[WRX]

I think it looks pretty good and I am sure they will continue to dominate. I sure wish Subaru would come step it up. Maybe with Burns back we will start to win again.

[geekdiggy]

the dimensions aren't that big in difference also. So we'll wait and see how this car will perform. :)


you got that right. they said the 307 is already as fast as the 206, and that's AMAZING for a cabriolet-based car.

i personally don't think the 307 will dominate like the 206 did only because the focus is just so god damn fast now days. plus the citroen is getting MIGHTY QUICK and will remain so with the likes of carlos sainz. subaru will have burns and solberg.

next year = interesting

307 = the end of peugeot's reign


i sure hope i eat my words on that one

[tkach]

i personaly dont understand the move to the 307 from the 206. i also cant keep up wit hall the driver moves anymore i dont have any channel that shows wrc cause in america all they wanna show is nascar and that pisses me off. but i wont get into that cause id be here all night. id really like to see what happens this year tho.

[lauriv]

From what I've read, it's as much the marketing that decides what car too use (=promote) as the sports department. The new 307 sure needs more promotion than the soon-to-be-replaced 206.
About the weight - they use extra ballast weight anyway to stay within the allowed limit of 1230 kg, so it's normal that the new car weighs the same as the previous one, even though it's bigger.
The increase in size is an advantage on fast rallies (more length gives more stability), but on most events we'll have to see... I personally liked the 206 more.

[Chingachgook]

I don't like that a rally car is built from a Coupè-Cabriolet!
It's a shame only Mitsu and Subaru have, for sale, rally-replica cars!
:shock: :shock:
The 307 is a gay car...not a rally car!

[1zippo1]

I don't really like the look.

In my oppinion, the 206 WRC looks much better. Really like the look of that one.

[AlienDB7]

I like the 206's look more than 307's too. Oh well, with the new rules and new cars, next season's WRC should be more interesting. It's been kinda boring even since peugeot (and now citreon) dominated WRC. Ford better fix the reliability issues so the car can actually finish the race. With Burns back to subaru, there should be a great fight between peugeot, citreon, ford and subaru! They sure know how to make the race more interesting :mrgreen:

tkach: you can watch WRC on Speed Channel, just check the schedule on www.speedtv.com , look for the 1hr pre-game and 2hrs highlights.

[f0racer]

I agree with draak666 the new car's back is ugly, but the front is more streamlined. I still like the 206 WRC model better.

[rp]

Well, ist not quite the mini 406-coupe that you could have hoped for, but nice none the less.

[geekdiggy]

i hope none of you are basing the 307's presence in the WRC solely on its looks. looks don't really mean a damn. the fabia looks great but it.....kinda sucks :P

like i said, gronholm said the 307 is already as fast as the 206, which is still about the fastest in the WRC (though it hasn't been modified in over a year) so the 307 could very well be seeing some more wins next year. though in the hands of rovenperra it's likely to spend more time in the air and in the ditch than on the road

[Billyjuan]

I still would take the 206 WRC any day over the 307 WRC, well if the 307 has more hp i would take the 307 heheheeh