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Peugeot has unveiled the 207 S16 special edition for the United Kingdom.
Based on the 207 Sport 1.6 VTi three-door, the S16 was created to celebrate Kris Meeke's win of the 2009 IRC drivers' title. As such, the car has rally-inspired graphics (which mimic those found on Meeke's IRC winning 207 S2000 rally car), a 207 RC Cup bodykit (with front and rear spoilers, aerodynamic side skirts, and a faux rear diffuser), and an interior badge signed by Meeke. Other styling touches include a mesh grille, dark tinted windows, and 17-inch Hockenheim alloy wheels.
Despite the racy appearance, the S16 does not feature any performance upgrades. Saddled with an anemic 1.6-liter VTi petrol engine, that produces 120 bhp (kW), the 207 runs from 0-62 mph in 10.7 seconds and has a top speed of 125 mph. On the up side, the engine returns a combined 47.1 mpg and has an emissions rating of 139 g/km.
Priced from £14,695 (OTR), only 250 special editions will be produced.
Jaguar Land Rover is still hard at work on series hybrid vehicles. Similar to the stance General Motors has taken with the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, Jaguar believes that the only real way electric vehicles can be made compatible with everyday life is to add a small range-extending gasoline-powered engine that's capable of keeping the batteries charged on the go.
Unlike GM, though, Jaguar has seen fit to contract its small engine work out to Lotus, which makes sense given the two British company's differing product specialties. Lotus has reportedly delivered a 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine that generates 35 kW of power, which is carried – with a little help from a UK government grant or two – inside a new 2011 XJ sedan with a lithium ion battery pack.
Motive force comes courtesy of what Autocar believes is a 145 kW (194 horsepower) electric motor with 295 pound-feet of torque. Performance specifications sound pretty good – though not quite as impressive as we might have imagined – assuming all of this is accurate, with a range of 600 miles combined fuel economy of 47 miles per gallon (57 mpg UK) and carbon emissions of under 120 grams per kilometer. Top speed would reportedly come in at 112 miles per hour.
