Peugeot 207 THP Spider: Spotted

The 207 CC was one of the most hateful Peugeots ever; fortunately this Spider is a little more appealing...

When you think of fast Peugeots there are plenty that spring to mind; the 106 Rallye, 205 GTI and RCZ R to name but a few. The French marque has also had more than its fair share of sporting success too, from the Le Mans winning 905 Evo, to the record breaking 208 T16 PikesPeak, via the Dakar conquering 3008 DKR Maxi.

Ranking among its less familiar, though equally cool, creations is this: the Peugeot 207 THPSpider. Developed from the brand's bonkers 20Cup concept and created for a one-make racing series which supported several rounds of the 2007 LMS - as well as a round of the WTCC - the 207 Spider saw action at tracks including Monza, Spa, Silverstone and the Nurburgring.

Costing €42,000 at the time - with an estimated additional outlay of €70,000 per season - the track-only car was powered by a mid-mounted version of the roadgoing 207 GTI's turbocharged 1.6-litre engine. It produced 175hp and 177lb ft of torque but, while in the road car it was encumbered by 1,250kg of needless heft - you know, windscreens and rear seats and the like - the Spider weighed in at just 720kg. According to the ad, though, this example has been fitted with something called the THP Evolution Package, which included a larger turbo and dual intercoolers to increase overall power to 230hp.

Peugeot's original aim was to use as many production components from its contemporary range as possible, so the discs, brake calipers and steering system were borrowed from the 407, the radiator and intercooler from the 207 and the steering column from the 206. But throw in the locking diff, six-speed paddle-shifted sequential gearbox and slick racing tyres, and the 207 Spider was as about far removed from Peugeot's road offerings as you could get. Official performance figures are hard to come by but, while claims of "comfortably out lapping a 720S" seem like something of a stretch, there's no doubt it'll be mighty quick.

Aside from the power boost, this car has also benefited from an extensive maintenance and upgrade program - detailed in a Readers' Cars thread, in fact - with with no expense seemingly spared, meaning most of those Peugeot parts have been significantly uprated. It comes with a large quantity of replacement parts, too. And it's the only functioning example on these shores. And just look at it!

On top of their winnings, the overall victor of the Spider Cup won a test day in the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP - the car which would go on to claim three LMS championships and one overall win at the Le Mans 24 Hours. As far as preparation for such a daunting encounter goes, there can't have been many better ways for them to ready themselves than 14 races in this fantastic machine. A decade later, and there likely still aren't many ways to access such on-track performance for such a relatively low expense.

SPECIFICATION - PEUGEOT 207 THP SPIDER

Engine: 1.6-litre, 4-cyl turbo
Transmission: Six-speed sequential
Power (hp): 230
Torque (lb ft): 215
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
First registered: 2007
Recorded mileage: N/A
Price new: €42,000
Yours for: £22,000

See the full ad here.

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stevesingo

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