‘In 2004, Peugeot decided that sensible family cars were all very well, but what the world really needed was a French Ferrari.’The result was the extraordinary 907: a V12 grand tourer with 500bhp, carbon-fibre construction.
And enough Gallic confidence to make Aston Martin distinctly uncomfortable.
It was beautiful, outrageous and completely unexpected.
Unfortunately, Peugeot never built another.
♔ Full Story
Somewhere in Peugeot’s design department, somebody had a magnificent lapse of commercial judgement.Unveiled at the 2004 Paris Motor Show, the 907 was Peugeot’s audacious interpretation of the traditional front-engined grand tourer.Ferrari had its 575M Maranello. Aston Martin had the Vanquish. Peugeot, apparently, wanted a seat at the same table.The engine: A magnificent 6.0-litre V12, created by combining two Peugeot V6 engines, producing approximately 500bhp.The engineering: Carbon-fibre construction, rear-wheel drive and a six-speed sequential gearbox. Serious machinery beneath that elegant French tailoring.The design: A sweeping bonnet with a transparent panel displaying twelve intake trumpets.Subtle? About as subtle as arriving at the Ritz in a helicopter.The surprise: Unlike many motor-show fantasies, the 907 actually worked. It even appeared at Goodwood.The commercial reality? Peugeot never put the 907 into production. The economics of challenging Ferrari and Aston Martin were rather less romantic than the engineering.♔ The Fisherley View: The 907 reminds us that production figures don’t always measure automotive greatness.
‘Sometimes, the most fascinating cars are those that escaped the accountants — briefly.’