Peugeot 308 R Hybrid Plugs in 500 Horses for Shanghai

Set to be unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show thia week, the 308 R Hybrid combines the best of both worlds. It's based on Peugeot's mainstream sedan, but upgrades with a high-performance, plug-in-hybrid powertrain. A 1.6-liter turbo four is paired to two electric motors: one at the rear axle and one at the front, linked to the six-speed transmission. The result is a combined output of 500 horsepower, netting a 0-100-km-per-hour time of 4.0 seconds flat, and covering the thousand-meter (3,281-foot) sprint in 22 seconds. All of which makes it far more radical than the conventional 308 R hot hatch concept presented at the last Frankfurt show.

Produced by the same Peugeot Sport operation that ran the company's Le Mans, Dakar, Pikes Peak and other recent racing efforts, the 308 R Hybrid also features 19-inch wheels with low-profile tires riding on a wider track, additional ventilation carved into the bodywork, a beefed-up body kit, upgraded brakes, a leather interior with four bucket seats and a two-tone metallic blue and matte black paint job.

Pie-in-the-French-blue-sky as the 308 R Hybrid seems, we doubt it'll ever see the inside of a showroom - or the outside of a convention center, for that matter. Peugeot is introducing a warmed-over 308S hatchback for the Chinese market at the same show, however, and there's already the performance-oriented 308 GT available to buyers around the world. Peugeot has only released on image of the 308 R Hybrid, but we'll be sure to update you when more images surface.