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Peugeot 408 Pictures

2010 Peugeot SR1 Concept

And Peugeot’s Geneva exhibit is a very important exhibit indeed, as the new Peugeot SR1 concept car will be shown to the public for the first time, a car which features Peugeot’s new design direction for the new decade!

2010 Peugeot SR1 Concept Interior

New Peugeot LogoAnd there you have it. The huge wide mouthed grille is now gone, replaced by a slimmer and sleeker version. The car also features a restyled version of Peugeot’s logo, shown on the left. It’s a very good looking coupe indeed, and the hard top can be taken off for open top driving pleasure. Looks like some sort of a baby Aston Martin with an inverted grille.

Powering the SR1 concept is a combination of motors, producing a total of 313 horsepower peak output. It is a hybrid, using HYbrid4 technology that combined a 218 horsepower 1.6 liter THP turbo engine at the front and a rear electric motor (yes, all wheel drive) making 95 horses. The SR1 can also run on the electric motor alone, turning it into a zero emissions vehicle. Peugeot claims 57.7mpg on the Euro combined cycle.

Peugeot SR1 Concept

The SR1’s chassis is built with a one piece body incorporating a tubular structure. The mechanical components and suspension bits are then mounted onto this tubular chassis. You get double wishbones with drop links at both front and rear, and there is also four-wheel steering using motorised links on the rear suspension wishbones to control the rear wheel angles.

Look after the jump for hi-res photos of the new SR1.

(Photos from Peugeot SR1 Pictures)

Currently there are two engines planned, the 1.6-litre turbo petrol and the 2.0-litre HDi diesel (Euro V). As for transmissions, Peugeot plans to have a six-speed manual and auto available at launch. We are not certain if the automatic will be built by Getrag.

Little else is known about the car expect that it will be 4.29 metres in length, about 100mm longer than it’s main competitor, the Audi TT.

Given the current financial times, it’s a great sign to see a car company not give in to the usual financial dilemmas and ditch its spirited cars.

In fact, Peugeot hopes to reinstate the sports car feel back in the brand with the help of the RCZ which will act as the halo car for the French brand.

Specifications: (updating)

Established in 1810, Peugeot was started by the Peugeot brothers as a steel manufacturing plant. In 1889, Armand Peugeot introduced the first Peugeot automobile, a three-wheeled steam-powered car, which led the company to manufacture cars on a broader scale. Peugeot is now the second largest automaker in Europe and one of the biggest automobile companies in the world.

Since the establishment of Peugeot steel foundry in 1810, Peugeot logo has become a widely recognized brand image. The first Peugeot logo was designed by Justin Blazer in 1847 for the saw blades and steel products of the company. The Peugeot logo symbolized ‘the three qualities of the Peugeot saw blades: the toughness of the teeth, the flexibility of the blade, and the speed of the cut’. In 1858, the Peugeot logo was registered as the trademark of Peugeot Bros. To distinguish the quality of its tools, the company created three different versions of Peugeot logo for its products. A lion, with or without an arrow in the Peugeot logo was used for high quality products; a ‘crescent moon’ in Peugeot logo was for second category products; and a hand was added in Peugeot logo for third category products.

On some cars “unofficial” lions made their appearance: ‘the Baudichon lion in 1923 and the Marx lion in 1925. In 1932, the Lion graphic in the Peugeot logo, was modified to suit the advertising and exhibition needs of the time.

Following the launch of the 203 car, the Peugeot logo experienced another renovation of “the heraldic lion”. It reared up on its hind legs to adopt the familiar posture of the lion on the coat of arms of Franche-Comté that commemorated the company’s birthplace.

In 1965, the Peugeot logo endured another change with just the lion’s head retained on a triangle shield and later in a square. Ten years later, to reinforce its logo, Peugeot restored its heraldic lion with a refined design: the “Lion fil”.

In 1998, further amendments were done in the Peugeot logo. The paws in the lion and the color blue were introduced in the Peugeot logo’s design to symbolize power and balance and the long-term vision of the brand, respectively. It was also done to signify the brand’s value (sure, dynamic, and esthetic).

But the evolution of Peugeot logo did not stop there. To better reflect the brand’s ambitions, the “Blue Brand” version of the Peugeot logo was established in 2003. The newly modernized and metallized Peugeot logo had black added to the blue to show the lion’s shadow.

For more than a century, Peugeot has introduced innovative automobiles and products. Undoubtedly, Peugeot logo is a perfect example of the company’s pioneering pursuits.