Peugeot Quasar

About this model

.A supercar with the internals of the Peugeot 205 T16, turned up to 11!

By the early ‘80s, Peugeot was struggling. It was only the 1983 introduction of the 205 that catapulted them back into the spotlight, selling like hotcakes worldwide. The famous 250 Turbo 16 Group B effort followed, collecting trophies throughout the WRC calendar.

To further enhance their new image, Peugeot commissioned a concept car based on the 205 T16 platform, to debut at the 1984 Paris Motor Show. Dubbed the ‘Quasar’, this was the first concept car designed in-house at the Peugeot Styling Center in Le Garenne, a suburb of Paris.

Gérard Welter, the mastermind behind some of Le Mans’ speed demons like the WM P88 and Paul Bracq, whose resumé included the Mercedes-Benz 600 and 230 SL, joined forces to create such a car.

The basis was the 205 T16’s steel monocoque, clothed in a unique carbon fibre/Kevlar body, featuring such striking features as an exposed engine and exhaust, a sharp, cut-off tail reminiscent of the dominant Porsche 917 K, and scissor doors. Inside, the cabin was swathed in bright red leather and fitted with innovative technology from Clarion, including a digital dashboard and a central CRT monitor with navigation capabilities.

Powering the Quasar was a four-cylinder derived from that found in the 205 T16, now fitted with twin KKK turbochargers. This was mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, driving a claimed 600 bhp through a Ferguson four-wheel drive system.

The claimed weight was 900 kg, so incredible performance was expected. The Quasar, however, was never seriously considered for production and, following some assessments ahead of the stillborn Group S category, it was retired to Peugeot’s museum.

(In collaboration with @carhistorian)