Peugeot to Race Diesel-Powered RCZ Coupe at 24 Hours of Nurburgring

Peugeot has taken the wraps off its RCZ racers that will be on the starting grid of the forthcoming Nurburgring 24 Hour endurance race on May 15. The French automaker will take part in the famous race with two RCZs, both of which are powered by a 2.0-liter HDI turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine pumping out 200HP.

The RCZs will compete in the D1T category for vehicles powered by diesel engines with a displacement between 1.7- and 2.0-liters. More details on the RCZ racers are expected to be released over the next few weeks.

Peugeot Reveals New Lion Emblem - Evolution of the Logo from 1847 to Today

Jean-Pierre and Jean-Frédéric Peugeot turned their father's cereal mill into a steel foundry and eventually, to a motorcycle and automobile manufacturer. In celebration of the firm's 200th anniversary, Peugeot has announced a new look for its cars - previewed through the SR1 Concept that will be revealed at the Geneva Show - and a new interpretation of its Lion emblem.

The updated Lion, which is now three-dimensional and looks more dynamic and supple, will make its vehicle debut on the new Peugeot RCZ sports coupe launched in the Spring. If you hit the jump, you can read about the birth and the evolution of the Lion emblem from 1847 to today.

From Peugeot Press Release:

The origin of the Lion

The Lion emblem was first conceived in 1847 when Jules and Emile PEUGEOT, who founded the company Peugeot Frères, asked Julien BLAZER, a jeweller and engraver, to produce a logo for identifying all PEUGEOT products.

The chosen design was a Lion, as the characteristics of the Lion were very similar to those of the saws the Peugeot brothers were producing:

Strong teeth like those of the Lion.

Suppleness of the blade like the Lion's spine.

Swiftness of cut like the Lion pouncing on its prey.

The Lion quickly became Peugeot's sole registered trade mark, and could be found not only on tools and saw blades, but also on coffee grinders by 1881 (the production of which began in 1840), on bicycles from 1882 and, from 1898, on motorcycles.

The Lion becomes a part of automotive history

Although the first Peugeot production car the Type 3, built by Armand PEUGEOT dates from 1891, it was only in 1906 that the emblem first appeared on a production car.

In 1910, the two entities (PEUGEOT Frères and Armand PEUGEOT) merged to become La Sté des automobiles et cycles PEUGEOT; the two product ranges, however, co-existed until the First World War.

The last car to display the "Lion walking on an arrow" was the Bébé Lion (designed by Ettore Bugatti), presented at the Paris Motor Show in October 1912.

Subsequent models, however, used old-style lettering, on the top of the radiator grille contained inside a double "ellipse", and in some instances with lettering also on the radiator, either on its own or in a coat of arms (from the 201).

In the 1920s the Lion became a rallying call for "Peugeotistes" who used it as a decoration on their radiator caps. Two types of radiator Lions were distributed in the network, a roaring version by the sculptor Marx and one ready to pounce by Baudichon.

For its part, Peugeot bicycles and motorcycles first used the Lion "walking on an arrow" emblem against the background of a spoked wheel; later a fighting Lion facing to the right was introduced in the 1920s and, finally, the same design but with upright lettering in 1960. Tools and domestic appliances opted for the Lion "walking on an arrow" in a coat of arms or on an oval plaque for coffee grinders.

From October 1933, with the launch of the "aerodynamic" range of Peugeot vehicles 201, 301 and 601, a Lion's head re-appeared on the top of the radiator grille.

This design also appeared on the 401, first seen at the 1934 Paris Motor Show and with a tapered head design on the 402 (1935) then the 302 (1936) and the 202 in 1938.

In 1948, the 203 adopted as its figurehead a Lion on the bonnet in a more prominent style. With the launch of the 403 in 1955 another new Lion appeared on the bonnet, however, these two designs were deemed too dangerous in the event of a collision and soon disappeared in September 1958.

The launch of the 203 also marked the first appearance of the heraldic Lion of Franche-Comté and the Duchy of Montbéliard.

It was attached to the boot lid until October 1952 and then migrated to the front of the bonnet from September 1958 until the end of the series in February 1960. During this period the heraldic Lion also appeared on PEUGEOT motorcycles.

The same design of the Lion was also placed in a small coat of arms in the centre of the radiator grille on the 403 range from April 1955 to 1966 before being replaced by a larger version, which first appeared on the Pininfarina styled 404, in May 1960.

It was then replaced by a Lion (gilt or chrome-plated) leaping from its background, which first appeared in September 1968 on the 504, then was adopted by the 404, 204, 304 and 104.

Another generation, the Lion "in outline" appeared on the 604 marketed in September 1975, and then extended to the 305 (November 1977) and 505 (May 1979) before being presented on a black background in 1982 on the 205, through to the 306 in 1993.

At its launch in October 1995, the 406 stood out with its large Lion emblem which rapidly migrated across the entire "six" generation models. This led in 1998 to a new look Lion, with a stylised, angular appearance that decorated the front and rear of both Peugeot cars and scooters.

Now in 2010, the Peugeot Lion, which has been associated with the brand for the last 152 years, has evolved again with a new more dynamic look. Combining a new bi-metallic finish it is now simpler in design, with a new posture and fluidity. The first production vehicle to display this new Lion will be the Peugeot RCZ which will be launched in April.

Peugeot to Reveal RCZ HYbrid4 and 3008 HYbrid4 Production Model in Frankfurt

Together with the production version of the impressive RCZ sports coupe, Peugeot's Frankfurt Show stand will also host the world premiere of the experimental RCZ HYbrid4 prototype and the 3008 HYbrid4 crossover in production form. As their moniker suggests, the two HYBrid4 models share the same hybrid drivetrain. It combines a 163-horsepower 2.0-liter diesel with stop and start that drives the front wheels and an electric motor with 27 HP and temporarily, 37 HP, that powers the rear wheels.

The hybrid system works in parallel allowing alternate, for maximum efficiency, or simultaneous, for increased performance, operation of the HDi diesel engine and the electric motor which can produce a combined maximum output of 200-horsepower.

The French automaker claims that the system can reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 35 per cent in the combined cycle, compared to conventional engines of an equivalent power output.

The 3008 HYbrid4 that is scheduled for launch in the spring of 2011 is said to return a combined fuel economy figure of 3.8 lt /100km or 61.9 mpg US with CO2 emissions of just 99g/km.

Depending on how well the 3008 HYbrid4 is received by the market, Peugeot may also introduce a production version of the RCZ HYbrid4.

Peugeot RCZ Coupe Officially Revealed: Striking Audi TT Rival gets Petrol and Diesel Engines

*Updated Album with New Interior and Exterior Photos

Looks like the folks over at Peugeot couldn't wait for next month's Frankfurt Motor Show to fully reveal their latest creation, the all-new RCZ 2+2 sports coupe that is scheduled to go on sale across Europe in the spring of 2010. As the first full-blown photos of the new RCZ prove, Peugeot's designers stayed 99 percent faithful to the original concept car from the masculine wheel arches right up to its unique double bubble roof and rear windshield.

Overall, we'd say that the RCZ is not only the best looking Pug in recent years, but it also boasts one of the most attention-grabbing designs in the mainstream coupe segment since the presentation of the first-generation Audi TT.

And if that's not enough, Peugeot also offers customers the chance to further personalize the RCZ's appearance with a range of special options including a real carbon rooftop, roof arches in different colors (black chrome, satin finish), numerous 18- and 19-inch alloy wheels in several finishes (matt black, polished black, dark grey, diamante), black lacquered body parts at the front, carbon door mirror covers, bodywork detailing and more.

Inside, the RCZ can seat two adults up front while there's also what Peugeot describes as, two occasional seats at the rear, "fully sculpted and perfectly usable" that can be folded down to increase the standard boot capacity of 384 litres. Although the dashboard comes directly from the 308 hatch, Peugeot's designers spiced up the interior with the use of higher quality materials and unique trim options.

As you'd expect, there's a lot of 308 architecture under the skin of the RCZ which uses a revised version of the McPherson type front suspension and rear torsion beam. Compared to the so-called "Platform Two" vehicle, Peugeot says that the ride height of the RCZ has been lowered by 20mm and the centre of gravity by 40mm while the front track has been widened by 54mm and the rear track by 72mm.

The RCZ also gets a hydraulic power steering while braking power is provided by beefy discs all-around. All models will come with a Hill Assist system coupled as standard with ESP which can be turned off to fully exploit the car's capabilities.

At launch, the RCZ that will be built by Magna Steyr in Austria in a production centre that specialises in exclusive vehicles, will be offered with three powerplants all of which meet the Euro 5 standards. The most powerful engine is the 1.6-liter THP petrol unit boasting a twin-scroll turbocharger that pumps out 200 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 188 lb ft at 1,700rpm (or 203 lb ft with overboost) and is linked to a six-speed manual gearbox.

With this engine the RCZ accelerates from 50 to 75mph (80 km/h - 120 km/h) in 6.5 seconds in fifth gear and 0 to 62mph (100km/h) in 7.6 seconds. Fuel consumption in the combined cycle is 39.8mpg with UK or the equivalent 33.1 mpg US and 7.1 lt /100km with CO2 emission of less than 165g/km.

The second petrol option for the RCZ is the 1.6-liter turbocharged direct-injection engine coupled to a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox. The unit produces an output of 156-horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 177 lb ft of torque at 1,400 rpm with the French automaker announcing a combined fuel economy of 40.9 mpg UK (6.9 lt /100 km or 34.1 mpg US) for the manual gearbox model.

Last but not least is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo diesel engine matted to a six-speed manual gearbox. It delivers 163-horsepower at 3,750 rpm and a maximum torque of 251 lb ft at 2,000 rpm returning a combined fuel consumption of 52.3 mpg UK (5.4 lt /100km or 43.6 mpg US) with CO2 emissions of 139 g/km.