Peugeot's Onyx supercar concept looks to the future, gives material science hope

Along the 202 year long history of Peugeot, certain supercars have been quite tantalising whether you're a car enthusiast or a simple consumer. At the ongoing Paris Motor Show this year, the French marque has done it once again - creating a supercar fit for the 21st century.

As previously previewed, the sizzling Onyx hybrid supercar concept fashioned from near raw materials, has been created by enthusiasts who have been inspired by the world of competition. "Onyx has the strength of a supercar, with extremely aerodynamic lines. It is made unique by its sculpted, chiselled style and by the innovative materials and structure," said Gilles Vidal, Peugeot's Style Director.

The sharp bodywork with contrast materials and colours comes from a master craftsman. The wings and doors are a pure polished copper sheet that does away with special treatment processes to protect itself. The raw copper allows change over time, gaining a patina. The rest of the car is machined in matt black carbon fibre. Truth be told, we have come across numerous concepts, but nothing quite like this.

The 'face' houses the delicate and tapered vertical grille and full LED lamps, reducing surface area to a minimum. The design language then splits, with air ducts flowing inside the bodywork to supply air for the engine. The remainder of the design flow spreads, along the sides and the 'double-bubble' roof - a feature of the current RCZ. The rear vertical lamps adopt a 'claw' light signature - a current characteristic of Peugeot.

The 3.7-litre V8 hybrid transmits its 600bhp through a six-speed sequential gearbox to drive the 1100kg supercar via the rear wheels. The car sits on Michelin developed 20" wheels and contains a kinetic recovery system which stores recovered braking energy in its lithium-ion batteries. This energy aids acceleration, by an additional 80bhp. With less than 2kg/bhp, the Onyx achieves high performance in a style that Peugeot describes pure and elegant.

The interior is immersed with natural light and contains minimum materials, retaining only what's necessary for an uncluttered passenger compartment. Finished in a material named, Felt, the cabin is a one-piece pod, with no stitching or joins. Felt is fully recyclable and provides excellent thermal insulation besides acting as a natural dehumidifier (Isn't that cool?). The dashboard is produced from recycled newspapers pressed into wood.

"For the interior, I was inspired by an everyday object, the egg box. With remarkable economy of material, it protects very fragile items. I adapted the concept into an intuitive space, with a minimum of connected parts, to become one with the car. We sought materials fit for a supercar, then they presented themselves of their own accord by their obvious suitability. Carbon for high performance, copper and glass for tradition, felt and paper, natural and used every day," explained Julien Cueff, the interior stylist for the Onyx.