A MAN AND A CAR

Paris, the new Peugeot 405 Mi 16, and Belmondo fils

MARK GINSBURG

Cars

I'm twenty-five, and I've wanted to be a racing driver since I was six years old," says Paul Belmondo, the son of French superstar JeanPaul and former soul mate of "Steph de Monac," as we cruise toward the futuristic Cite des Sciences et de f Industrie in Paris. A life devoted much more to racing than to romancing qualifies him to appraise the latest nouvelle vague, the taut, husky like Peugeot 405 Mi 16: "I race in the Formula 3000 series on the Lola Motorsports factory team in England. We're using singleseat' cars with the Cosworth three-liter engine. Next year, I'll be trying to do Formula One, which I believe is the ultimate for a driver. I mean, the Indy race is very good, but it's still under Formula One technically." In order to be considered for an FI team, Paul must raise $2 to $3 million in sponsorship pledges, and in this endeavor, having a famous name is a valuable supplement to firstrate driving credentials.

Decked out with fiberglass molding on all four sides, and a spoiler on the trunk lid, the Mi 16 is the Peugeot 405 most capable of distinguishing itself from a Mazda 626. The ground effects add a cute chunkiness to the lithe Pininfarina design, which appears to be a modest reworking of his lovely Alfa Romeo 164 body (due in the U.S. in 1990). The trunk of the 405 is very big, which is a plus, because, unlike the Honda Accord's, the rear seat backs do not fold down for additional cargo space—structural reinforcements lie just behind them, which undoubtedly contributes to the impression of a very solid, rattle-free car even over bumps and broken pavement. The rear seats can accommodate two people in comfort, although headroom is limited by a hard, fabric-covered headliner in cars equipped with a sunroof.

''Peugeots normally hold up well here; they run a long time," Belmondo said. "And, you know, they're very big in Africa too. That's one reason Peugeot does the Paris-Dakar, to keep the image strong down there," he noted, referring to the world's most treacherous and grueling car race. The Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 recently won it, after the front-running 405 Turbo was stolen during a rest stop. "They've got a long life for the engine and the suspension; the problem is always something like the ashtray falling off. It's the little things that hurt the Italian and French cars. It's a bit noisy, this car, isn't it?" he remarked, dueling with the daily road rally encircling Paris, the peripherique. "I'm used to a quieter car." (Paul drives a black Opel Omega 3000.)

If Africa is one of Peugeot's biggest markets outside Europe, the U.S. is one of its smallest. The three versions of the 405 arriving this month, the DL, S, and Mi 16, will compete head-on with unqualified successes: the Honda Accord, Acura Integra, Volkswagen Jetta (and perhaps the forthcoming Passat), as well as the redesigned Mitsubishi Galant, the Eagle Premier, and the Mazda 626. These excellent cars have sales and service networks, not to mention a presence, that dwarf Peugeot's. The 405 was intended in part to boost U.S. sales while the dollar was strong; it would have value and cachet, combined with

Swatch-like mass appeal. Only sophisticated shoppers are likely to spring for the 405, however. The Mi 16 arrives with a $21,000 price tag, pitting it against Peugeot's autumnal but grand 505, which may look like a bargain next to the 405 on the showroom floor.

"The 405 is a quick car and has a good image in France," Paul noted. "People who buy a car like this, we call them cadres; they're the ones who work in offices, but on a high level. They're not the boss, just under. People who travel a lot for their work will buy a car like this. But the problem is that the 405 is fighting against the BMW 3 series, while the 505 is a car of the past, even though it's got a nice line and is very comfortable. The French yuppies are more likely to buy a Porsche, a Mercedes, or BMW because it looks like more money. It's the same in most countries: you feel like you've got more money if you drive a Mercedes or BMW than a Renault.

"The highways and driving conditions in the States are pretty different from France," Belmondo continued. ''I remember once I was in Florida with my father and we traveled from Miami to Disney World. It felt like we were driving for days because of the low speed limit and that vast road. You have many long, straight roads," he said, moving into the passing lane. ''American cars are good for America—big highways and slow driving in air-conditioned comfort. But generally they handle badly, and brake poorly, though they're improving. In Europe even the highways have many comers which demand superior handling at high speeds; this is more of a city car. ' '

MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS: Peugeot 405 Mi 16

• Vehicle type: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, five-passenger four-door sedan.

• Estimated price: $21,000.

• Options: fully equipped; anti-lock brakes are the sole option.

• Engine type: four-cylinder, sixteen-valve in-line (DOHC).

• Transmission: five-speed manual.

• Acceleration 0—60 m.p.h.:

8.5 seconds (European version).

• Estimated top speed: 130 m.p.h.

Cars

We turned our attention to the radio,

which was not only removable but concealable too. ''This flap in the dashboard is meant to hide the radio, because car stereos are stolen all the time in Paris. But with the 405s, normally they'd just steal the whole car. If you've got a bad car with a good radio, they'll just steal the radio. When you've got a good car, they take the car.

''The only thing I don't like about the driving position is that you've got the steering wheel very low, which I never like—it's a bit like the Porsche. I prefer the seat a bit lower, with more clearance to the wheel rim. I enjoy more driving space, although having the adjustable steering column helps somewhat. Otherwise, everything in the Peugeot is quite classic now, and one sees all the gauges very clearly," he observed. ''I would say that for the Mi 16, which is the sports version, they could have put more instrumentation on it. The dashboard's all right—Peugeots and Renaults used to have funny vents and stalks sticking out, but all that has been cleaned up. The

trim is O.K., but I wish they'd give the interior a more sporting flavor." Our Mi 16, which was a European version, had cloth upholstery; leather adorns the U.S. model, and it's a welcome natural surface. The console and dashboard are composed entirely of plastic compounds, which even the most humble Japanese cars have abandoned. There doesn't seem to be much that's quintessentially French about the 405; the car is already being manufactured in England, where it competes in the fleet-car segment. Our quest to discover what might set it apart from the global competition continued...

"The gearshift lever is well placed, and the gearbox linkage feels very direct," Belmondo said. "The handling is good, very directional. If you drive the Mi 16 at normal speeds, it handles perfectly, even on the wet. By our standards, the 405 is quite a big car, but it never feels heavy. The engine feels like it's got a solid range of power output, although it is rather noisy, as I said. But

one can't ask for everything! The front end of all the Peugeots pulls a lot into a comer and makes the rear a little bit light, but makes it easy to drive, which is progress. I also like the anti-lock brakes," Paul added. "I just think it's too bad that the interior doesn't look sportier, because the car can really feel like a sports car. The exterior looks pretty aggressive, though, and the aerodynamic shouldn't be too bad."

It was getting dark, and the racecar driver had a rendezvous at his father's production office just off the elegant Avenue Montaigne. Putting to rest countless rumors, Paul had recently announced his intention to marry Carole Bougault, a twenty-six-year-old art critic who specializes in seventeenth-century painting. Paul's real home, in a life oriented more toward Lelouch than Truffaut, is the track, and his family an extended one. "There are two drivers on the Lola Formula 3000 team: myself and an Englishman named Mark Blundell. There are also two engineers, about six mechanics, one team manager, one cook, and a guy to drive the truck," he explained. "We'll race in France, Italy, England, Spain, Germany, and Hungary, and would like to go to the last race of the Japanese season for their championship, but we shall see. ..

"At this circle, we say one must never stop," Paul continued, sailing around the Arc de Triomphe at Place Charles de Gaulle. "When you slow down, it's all finished, you're dead." Cars seemed to come at us from all sides, but the silver Mi 16 was ready to pounce, and drivers headiitg toward us gave it an appreciative thumbs-up. "That scene over there is typical," he said, pointing out a diminutive white Peugeot, ubiquitous on the clogged avenues of Paris. "The lady in a 205 with a telephone, a leather interior, and an automatic shift. The big thing in Paris now is the car phone. Saabs are getting popular here too, and a lot of women are buying Suzuki jeeps." Soon the 205, its fortyish driver coiffed and composed, disappeared down the Champs Elysees into an ocean of other Peugeots. Perhaps with a little more Cocteau or Courreges, and less Economic Community, Peugeot could happily re-create that scene down Beverly Boulevard or up Madison Avenue. That its new 405 has the classic Belmondo sense of adventure has already been proven in the Paris-Dakar.

ACCOMMODATIONS COURTESY OF HOTEL ROYAL MONCEAU. PARIS.