June 30 marked a milestone in the shared motorsports history of Total and Peugeot. Nine-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Loeb conquered Pikes Peak in Colorado, USA. Dubbed “the race to the clouds,” Total and Peugeot worked with partners Red Bull and Michelin to take Loeb from 9,390 feet at the start to 14,110 feet at the finish line.

The Peugeot 208 T16 was packed with 875 horsepower and weighed 875 kg, equipped with big wings to maximize the aerodynamics effect. Loeb drove at an average speed of 145 km/h, going through Pikes Peak’s 156 turns and 12.42 miles (20 kilometers). The mythical race saw him shattering the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb record with a time of 8 minutes and 13.878 seconds, besting Rhys Millen’s 9 minutes and 46.164 second set in 2012. Further, Loeb even beat his own practice run time of 8 minutes and 15 seconds on the Colorado mountain.

“I’m really happy as that was a very good run in the end,” said Loeb. “I really didn’t expect anything better than 8m15s, so to do 8m13s was fantastic. Before the start, I didn’t really know if I should push absolutely to the maximum or if I should just push to a comfortable pace, in order to make sure of the victory. In the end, I decided to push to the limit.”

At last, the dream has become reality. Following months of team work, the savoir-faire of the engineers at Peugeot Sport and Michelin paid dividends when Frenchman Sébastien Loeb provided further evidence of his multifaceted talent with another top-flight performance. At about 17:40 (UTC), the nine-time world rally champion recorded a time of 8m13.878s for the infamous American hill climb. That was enough to win the "Ultimate" class and establish a brand new record for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado, USA, the world‟s most famous hill climb event which was organised for the 91st time this weekend.

The Peugeot 3008 is a compact, spacious and responsible crossover. It represents a new and innovative offer, not only in the Peugeot range but also in today’s car market as a whole. Manufactured in Eastern France at Peugeot’s Sochaux manufacturing plant, its concept and specification has draw on all of Peugeot’s expertise and values.

After opening Peugeot Las Piñas, Peugeot Cagayan de Oro and Peugeot Quirino earlier this year,
Eurobrands Distributor Inc. (EDI), official importer of Peugeot vehicles in the country, formally opened today the doors of Peugeot Cebu. Like all the previous dealerships before it, Peugeot Cebu aims to provide the full Peugeot ownership experience to its customers while ascribing fully to Peugeot international standards. No less than Peugeot’s Sales Director for Asian Operations, Jean Yves Dossal, was on hand to formally open the dealership. The EDI management team tasked to launch Peugeot Cebu, meanwhile, was headed by EDI President Felix J. Mabilog, Jr.

In anticipation of the growing demand for Peugeot vehicles, Eurobrands Distributor Inc. (EDI), official importer and distributor of Peugeot vehicles in the country, has committed to opening 12 full service dealerships in the country over the course of 2013. To address the public’s clamor for Peugeot to have a sales outlet in the central business district immediately, EDI recently opened its C-5 Libis temporary sales outlet.

Honed and perfected through more than a century of experience, Peugeot automobiles have become a synergy of style and technology epitomized by its tag line of “Motion & Emotion”. What started out as a manufacturer of bicycles has become Europe’s second largest selling automobile brand and the world’s leading producer of diesel engines. With such a reputation, Peugeot is surely a force to be reckoned with, and all they need is the best local partner to grow the business in the Philippines. That partner has arrived through Eurobrands Distributors, Inc. and now they are setting their sights on leading the luxury car segment.

During the The Philippine Star turnover last night, Vernon Sarne of Top Gear has gotten hold of a news nugget: one of the models that Eurobrands Distributor, the Peugeot distributor in the Philippines, is bringing in is a diesel-powered 3008 crossover.

Worldwide, there are two diesel engines available for the 3008: a 1.6-liter and a 2.0-liter. What motor will arrive in the Philippines is still uncertain according to Mr. Sarne. What's more, he has revealed that Peugeot will also be bringing in "a sedan, an MPV, and a coupe". Bringing Peugeot's Philippine total to 4 models by the brand's launch by July.

Source: TopGear.com.ph