It's been three months to the day (September 24, 2012) since Philippe Beaugé, head of the Peugeot dealership Clara Automobile in the French city of Le Mans, first shared with uspictures and details of a newly created edition of the 208 supermini named after and inspired by the famed Rallye models.As a refreshed, the dealer-made Rallye is based on the 208 156 THP Feline model powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine churning out 154hp (156PS) while tipping the scales at a relatively low 1,090kg (2,403 lbs).
Among other changes, the Rallye package involves the removal of the soundproofing, the rear headrests and center armrests, while the prototype was finished in white, as were the alloy wheels, with the final touch coming from the tri-color racing stripes and decals on the car's profile and hood.
In the months that passed, Beaugé and his team received a positive response to the 208 Rallye, so they decided to offer the package as a separate model.
"Our small idea has been a big hit on internet blogs and in the streets. Many people told us our creation was a great idea and –much more important- a great car," Beaugé told CarScoop.
Beaugé said the first two examples have been finished and are already been spoken for with more to come.
"We’ve received many mails and phone calls from France and even from Spain, and we will continue to propose our “Rallye Kit” on the THP 155 208," he said. "Next month, we will create a black 208 Rallye…"
As for Peugeot itself, Beaugé tells us what the French carmaker thought about Clara Automobile's initiative: "You will probably want to know what Peugeot thinks about this unofficial 208 RALLYE. They told us the car was fabulous and said “why not?” about a sporty versionplaced right under the GTi."
If you scroll down, you will find a set of pictures of the first two 208 Rallye Editions before they left the showroom together with a video of the car riding alongside its predecessors, the 205 and 106 Rallye.
Thanks to Philippe Beaugé from Clara Automobiles Le Mans
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