S-121

IIt has the look of a Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 in the guise of a Peugeot 104. Everything about the first prototype from the 2025–2026 promotion at the Sbarro Espera school in Montbéliard, France refers to Peugeot and rallying.

What if...

What if Peugeot had designed a 104 for the World Rally Championship? That was the initial idea put forward by Anthony Weck, director of the Sbarro Espera school in Montbéliard. The fourteen students therefore set to work on this project and came up with a car heavily inspired by the 205 Turbo 16, yet one that everyone recognises as a 104.

Peugeot style throughout

The S-121’s headlights are perhaps the feature that most clearly identifies the Peugeot 104. Or at the very least their surrounds, which echo the typical shape of Peugeot headlights from that era. The bodywork is reminiscent of the 205 Turbo 16, but with sharper lines. Notably, it features the very wide rear end, complete with side air intakes. And, of course, the choice of colours naturally fell on those of Peugeot Sport.

Rolling prototype

As is customary at Espera, the S-121 prototype is road-ready. For coherence, the 1.8-liter engine comes from Peugeot. Originally producing 114 horsepower, the addition of a turbocharger boosts output to over 200 horsepower. The engine is mounted in a mid-rear transverse configuration.

Teamwork

The fourteen students split into two teams of seven: one to build the chassis, the other to build the bodywork. Each team worked independently until assembly day, when everything was put together. It’s not perfect, according to Anthony Weck, but the students were starting from scratch: they didn’t know each other and had to learn everything from scratch, from design to construction. Now they’re ready to start their second project.