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 In recent years Peugeot has developed the good habit to spice up their displays with nice collections of concept and show cars. This year was no exception with Peugeot showing up with no less than four recent concept vehicles at the AutoRAI.
Most relevant of those is the 307 (or 3 "heart" 7 as it is spelled on the car) CC, another retractable convertible version of a hatchback car in the style of the popular 206 CC. Where the Nissan Micra C + C "copy" has to have it from its quaint looks the 307 CC is an elegant and stylish car and a good addition to the 206 CC since it's bigger and offers more room for passengers in its interior. No wonder that the production version of this car will be shown at the 2003 Geneva Motor Show, and that version won't differ that much from this concept.
The 307 CC concept was unveiled at the 2002 Paris Motor Show and introduced as a full four-seater coupe cabriolet, unique in its class. The exterior distinguishes itself by the extremely angled windscreen, the diode-lit rear lights and third brake light, the chromed strips running along the sides of the car and the chromed bars in the front and rear bumpers. Combined with the red metallic paint job it all integrates into a tasteful package.
 Obviously its most important feature is its automatic fold away hardtop roof. New electro-hydraulic components have been used to ensure an even swifter transformation time: at a push of a single button the coupe evolves into a convertible within 25 seconds. Also all four side windows can be lowered simultaneously with a push of a button to completely open up the top part of the car. For safety two pop-up rollover bars are hidden at the rear headrests which eject out as soon as a possible roll over is detected.
In the interior the front and rear seats have been lowered by 40 mm compared to the regular 307 to generate more space. Also the rear seats are placed more upright to make room for a boxed section which aids the rigidity of the car, houses the rollover bars and functions as a bracket for anchoring the roof mechanisms on the structure of the car.
The production version of the 307 CC will be powered by a 2.0 litre 4-cylinder engine offering 138 hp. Also the 180 hp version of the 206 RC will be offered in this car as an option (and is fitted in this concept). Suspension and transmission are standard 307 components.
The 307 CC is a fun addition to the Peugeot range and again shows the subdued, balanced styling so characteristic for this French manufacturer. It doesn't always work out well (see the 607 saloon) but in this case it renders an attractive car.
 Less relevant but nonetheless serious is this H2O fire engine concept. Presented at the 2002 Paris Motor Show as a fully functional little fire engine for small communities, narrow streets or reconnaissance it's actually a test bed for Peugeot's fuel cell technology.
The H2O is basically an electric vehicle powered by batteries. Special about it is that its batteries are charged by a fuel cell system which uses hydrogen and oxygen as energy source and therefore only emits water (chemical formula H2O) as a waste product, which explains the name of this car. Of course water is also associated with fire fighting, which makes the combination between a fuel cell car and a fire engine a bit more logical (or at least creative).
Fuel cell technology is seen as a possible replacement for the current combustion engine technology. When the resources of oil run out sometime this century fuel cells would be a welcome alternative since the amounts of hydrogen and oxygen are virtually limitless and emissions are extremely environmentally friendly. Currently this technology is still very expensive and impractical, mostly because pure hydrogen is very combustible (think of the hydrogen filled Hindenburg Zeppelin). A lot of development work is still needed to make this technology practical, affordable and user friendly for regular application. But the work done by Peugeot and a number of other manufactures seems to make day to day use of this energy source more feasible as time progresses.
 The front half of the H2O represents typical Peugeot saloon car styling but rear half is completely fire engine. Apparently the H2O has been developed in collaboration with fire-fighters and is fitted with all the equipment firemen might need, including a tank filled with extinguisher fluid (water?), a ladder, pumps, smoke extractors and all sorts of output sockets and connections.
The interior is equipped with a communication system, a touch screen, a GPS system and a screen for displaying maps of buildings. The seats are finished in Neoprene with in between the controls for the ladder. The insides of the doors have metal frames with compartments for storing fire extinguishing equipment. It all seems very purposeful.
However serious this concept might present itself, it can't disguise its playful nature. It's a fun eye-catcher for shows, introducing fuel cell technology in a semi-practical fashion. And that's better than all those boring converted vans and test cars we've seen with this technology so far.
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