Find of the Day: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Auction off his Peugeot 504

Want to buy a car owned by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? Well, if for whatever reason the answer is yes, here's your chance. Iran's state television reported on Monday that the country's president has decided to auction off his 1977 Peugeot 504 sedan to raise money for the Mehr Housing Plan, which is aimed at providing affordable housing for low-income families.


"In a charitable move, Mr. Ahmadinejad will auction off his [Peugeot] automobile at a gathering of the Mehr Housing Plan donors," Iranian Minister of Welfare and Social Security Sadeq Mahsouli was quoted by IRIB as saying. The minister added that all proceeds will be donated to the housing plan.

"The car is put up for international auction, and the starting price will be announced soon," he concluded.

Ahmadinejad had used the white Peugeot several times during the 2005 election campaign to gather support from lower-income voters.

*Iran's state television did not release any photos of Ahmadinejad's personal vehicle. All the pictures you see here are from Peugeot's archive.

Source: Iran TV , AFP

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Meet the 90X, Peugeot’s Next Le Mans Contender

Say bonjour to Peugeot Sport's next generation racing car, currently codenamed 90X. Set to compete in the 2011 racing season, the 90X will replace the four-year-old 908 HDi, which took first place in the 24h of Le Mans in 2008.

Peugeot had entered four 908 prototypes at this year's edition of the Le Mans, but while the racers took the top four spots in the qualifying round, all four cars had problems and were retired before the end of the race. This was the first time that none of the Peugeot 908s finished the 24-hour classic. So now, the French carmaker is preparing its successor that has just completed its first track test.

"Our objective was to start track testing before the end of the year," says Peugeot Sport Director Olivier Quesnel. "I am pleased to report that we have now done that. Even so, there is still a long way to go and a considerable amount of work to be done as we prepare for 2011."

The new car meets ACO's 2011 regulations and is also a closed cockpit model, meeting the mandatory 900 kg (1,984 lbs) weight limit. A new safety feature has been incorporated in the design, a "shark fin" placed on the engine cover, meant to prevent the car from becoming airborne in the case of a high-speed spin.

"We are still exploring several options with regard to the engine and technology we will use," Bruno Famin, the Technical Director of Peugeot Sport, pointed out. "Work on the engine's development is ongoing. Endurance racing is an ideal proving ground to provide us with the opportunity to showcase all the brand's technologies" he added.

By Csaba Daradics

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New Peugeot 207 Sportium Special Edition for Britain

There's a new addition to the range of Peugeot's 207 hatchback. It's called the "Sportium" and it builds on the specification of the previous special edition ["special edition" translates to "higher-spec model" in Peugeot's language...] 207 Millesim model. Available exclusively as a hatchback with a choice of either a VTi 95HP Euro 5 petrol engine or Peugeot's new HDi 92HP Euro 5 diesel engine, the Sportium is priced in the UK from £12,595.

All 207 Sportium models come with a chrome effect finish to the front grille, color-coded body side mouldings and 15-inch (petrol model) or 16-inch (diesel model) alloy wheels.

Other standard features include power steering, six airbags, remote control central locking with deadlocks ABS, EBFD, EBA, manual air-conditioning, front fog lights, Peugeot connect USB with Bluetooth and free Nokia 5230 smart phone with Satellite Navigation and in car mounting kit.

Paris Motor Show Poll: Kia Optima vs Peugeot 508 vs VW Passat

At the 2010 Paris Motor Show, we saw three new mid-size sedans making their way to the halls of the Parc des Expositions Porte de Versailles. Two of them, the all-new Peugeot 508 and the redesigned VW Passat B7, received their world premiere, while the Kia Optima was presented for the first time in Europe.

Now, we all know you can't and you shouldn't buy a car based upon looks or preliminary specs alone. It's the whole package that counts. However, in this case, we simply want to find out which one of these new family sedans captured your attention for the right reasons.

Place your vote in the poll after the jump and be sure to have your say in the comments section.

Which mid-size sedan do you like more?

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