On 30 May 1916, the Peugeot L45 driven by Dario Resta won the mythical Indianapolis 500 race, at an average speed of 135 km/h.
A hundred years later, Peugeot L500 R HYbrid, a futuristic interpretation of the Indy spirit, pays tribute to the incredible “Charlatans” team that brought PEUGEOT three superb US victories on the Indy 500 speedway from 1913 to 1919.
Peugeot L500 R HYbrid hugs the asphalt to deliver its full potential right from pullaway. With its wide track, low profile (just one metre high) and light weight (1,000 kg), L500 R HYbrid is made for performance: it takes just 2.5 seconds to reach 100 km/h from standstill, and 19 seconds to cover 1000 metres. Developped by Peugeot Sport teams, the 500-bhp plug-in hybrid petrol powertrain features two electric motors (one front and one rear) plus a 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.
Because the L500 R HYbrid racing car is designed to be one with its driver, 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 brand 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. The L500 R HYbrid is a timeless Peugeot, extending to the future with its forward-looking design, overtly acknowledging the past prowess of its predecessors, and proudly showing off some of Peugeot’s present-day design identity features, such as the front light signature seen on the PEUGEOT 3008 SUV, or the striking blue and black colour scheme as a reference both to the 500-bhp petrol hybrid drivechain and to the colour of the original L45.
