Just out of the blue Peugeot decided they wanted a hot hatchback, and just for the fun of it they decided to make it the most awesome hot hatch in the whole world. And just like that, the 500 horsepower, all-wheel-drive Peugeot 308 R HYbrid was born.

It is not an exaggeration to call Peugeot 308 R HYbrid the greatest hot hatchback of all time. The power figure alone is enough of a reason to just hand this car the hot hatch crown. But it also looks devilishly handsome, offers all the practicality of a hatchback, and thanks to the hybrid system it borrows from the 908 LMP1 – consisting of a 1.6 liter turbo four-pot and two electric motors – it is super frugal – although Peugeot does not say how frugal exactly – and delivers astonishingly low CO2 emissions of 70g/km.

Of course, handling 500 horsepower is a tall order for a small hatchback, which is why the 308 HYbrid is equipped with all-wheel-drive and fat 235/35 R19 rear tires sitting inside massively flared wheel arches that add 80mm to the width of the car. Vented hood, custom gloss black front grille, large air intake inside the bumpers, and one of the coolest rear bumpers we’ve ever seen are among the other visual highlights of the 308 R hybrid.

Inside the cabin Peugeot 308 R HYbrid features the familiar i-Cockpit instrumentation, four individual sports seats upholstered in fawn-coloured patinated leather, and cool compact steering wheel wrapped in perforated leather and equipped with paddle shifters connected to a six-speed sequential transmission. 

Capable of going from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.0 seconds, the 308 R Hybrid also boasts four driving modes including Road mode, Track mode, Hot Lap, and ZEV electric mode. Peugeot’s top brass is currently mulling over the production of this thing and the price tag it would command.