New Mini and 208

Bad timing, I was about to show you some more tuned cars from SEMA, but I just couldn't overlook these two cars. Mini Roadster - the first new Mini that actually makes sense to me and Peugeot 208 - probably the best car they've made for the past ten years.

Mini Roadster

Let's start with the Mini, I love the original one - small, agile and ridiculously fast in rally spec. I wasn't that psyched about the new Mini from Germany - it's big, heavy and expensive. People who buy them pay just for the badge... Sure, it's cute and if you need a shopping bag and have that kind of money, there's no problem. So why does the Roadster make sense all of a sudden? Because it has only 2 seats - never in the history of the new Mini has an adult sat in the back and felt comfortable at the same time. You can squeeze your kids in there, but if you are a real man you don't want to be seen with your family in the Mini. Now you can take only one person - your gf/bf or just a friend and look cool as hell! It also has a bigger boot so it is more suitable as a shopping bag as well.

Peugeot 208

And why is the Peugeot 208 the best car they've made for a decade? Because it's light - that's basically it. It weighs 975 kg in the lightest spec (smallest engine). All modern cars have this problem, they are just too heavy. They have to be safe and carmakers just add more and more material in the deformation zone for the car to withstand EuroNCAP test with dignity. Peugeot have gone the other way - make a smaller car, simplify, loose weight. Tiny engines - both diesel and petrol with amazing fuel consumption (e-HDi with start-stop system gets 3.4 l/100km) and more space for passangers and bigger boot than it's predecessor (even though it's 7 centimeters shorter than the 207). I am speechless...

Nürburgring record

Earlier this year Peugeot set a new electric car record around the Nürburgring. 9m 1.338s was almost a minute faster than previous record holder, Peugeot used their high-performance EX1 Concept electric car, a 340bhp all wheel drive beast. But the 'Ring demands some serious competition and to hold a lap record there is very prestigious.

 

Peugeot EX1 Concept

It didn't take long to beat that record again - by Toyota. About a week ago they let their own high-performance electric car TMG EV P001 (this really sounds like a kitchen appliance) lap the 'Ring and it did it in 7m 47.794s! This Radical-based 375bhp racer wiped the previous record so hard Peugeot's executives shed a tear...

Toyota TMG EV P001

To put this time in perspective, let me show you some other cars that lapped the 'Ring in 7m 47s - Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Lamborghini Murcielago LP-640 and Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano. And here are some other amazing lap times:

• production vehicles - Radical SR8 LM - 6m 48s
• non-series vehicles - Pagani Zonda R - 6m 47.5s (fastest road-legal car)

And the absolute record holder Porsche 956 at 6m 11.13s driven by Stefan Bellof in 1983. I will definitely come back to this legendary car later, it deserves it!