Peugeot has given a design preview for the upcoming next-gen 208 in a new concept that pays tribute to the brand’s motorsport heritage.

Unveiled this week at the Paris Motor Show, the all-electric E-T16 Concept arrives exactly 40 years after the iconic 205 T16 secured its back-to-back World Rally Championship victories in 1985 and 1986.

Peugeot called the new concept an “ultimate vision” of the next-generation E-208. Created together with Peugeot Sport, it brings in the brand’s Feline Future design language, which the company says will appear first on the production version. Design chief Matthias Hossann said the concept “reinterprets the lines of the future Peugeot E-208, pushing every proportion to the extreme”.

Power comes from three electric motors: one mounted at the front and two at the rear. Together they produce 816hp, a figure Peugeot says makes this the most powerful car it has ever built. Peugeot quotes 0-62mph in 2.5 seconds and 0-186mph in 16 seconds. Torque is managed in real time between the rear wheels and across the axles. The company also says the battery cooling system is engineered to prevent power loss, and that in Performance mode the car can complete three laps of the Nürburgring Nordschleife without any power limit.

Its 85kWh battery and 800V architecture are said to deliver a WLTP range of up to 248 miles. Peugeot states that a 10% to 80% charge takes less than 15 minutes.

Styling details include a horizontal take on Peugeot’s three-claw light signature, a “cat-ear” rear wing, and a Winchester Matte Grey exterior finish that nods to the original 205 T16. Like the 205 T16, the rear body section lifts open to expose the mechanical parts.

The cabin points to the next-generation i-Cockpit, featuring a 21-inch curved screen positioned above the Hypersquare steer-by-wire control. In this concept, the Hypersquare includes a configurable central display.

The E-T16 remains a concept, and Peugeot has not revealed a production variant or a launch date for the next 208. Still, its performance figures and its connection to the E-208 GTi, which has recently entered the electric line-up, indicate the French carmaker may be weighing a more performance-focused model in the next generation, above what is currently available.