The 1980’s were some very prominent years in terms of motorsport racing, especially for French automotive manufacturer, Peugeot. Many of their cars were dominating Rally Raids such as Pikes Peak and Dakar, and they also managed to have a fantastic performance during the World Rally Championship with the Peugeot 205 T16 Group B Rally Car. This car however demonstrates Peugeot’s more adventurous and creative side, the 1988 Peugeot Oxia. Designed in the La Garenne research center, the ‘Oxia’ is named after a region on planet Mars and it’s very fitting being that this extremely fast, lightweight concept car looks as though it was dropped off and left here by some aliens. The Oxia had an extremely futuristic design and interior, especially for the late 80’s, leaving many to remember seeing it at one point or another due to it’s striking appearance. If you’ve never heard of, or seen the Oxia before, you should know that in 1988 this car was designed with butterfly doors, electrically adjustable seats, and a CD player amongst a number of other things you wouldn’t typically find in a car from this era. The Oxia also had all-wheel drive, all-wheel steering, weighed only 3,029lbs, and is said to be the most powerful car ever produced by Peugeot. Overall just two Oxia’s were completed claimed to have costed a staggering $8,000,000+ dollars each. The planet Mars reference is because ‘Oxia’ is named after Oxia Palus longitude 0 and latitude 0, the possible reference for Martian time.
How many made? 2
Engine: 2.8 liter mid-mounted transverse twin-turbocharged PRV V6 engine attached to a six-speed gearbox that produced approximately 670hp.
Debut: 1988 Paris Motor Show
Top Speed: a mind blowing (for the time) 217mph. This surprised Peugeot because they were expecting a top speed closer to 187mph.
0-60mph: 2.6 seconds (claimed)
Photo credit: @lambolog
Research: @rarecarsonly