PRV Concept
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Peugeot P4 V6 —
the PRV goes off-road

The P4 is the French army's VLTT — light all-terrain liaison vehicle. Around 1991–1992, a confidential civilian series of about fifteen cars received the ZN3J, the 170 bhp 2.8 L injected PRV V6 of the Peugeot 505. The only off-roader in the gallery, and one of the rarest PRV-powered vehicles in existence.

170
bhp · injected ZN3J
≈15
civilian cars · FAM
1991
– 1992 · civilian series
≈220
bhp · the Dakar P4s' ZN3J3
Engines

One code only: ZN3J

The civilian P4s receive the ZN3J: 2,849 cc, LH-Jetronic injection, 170 bhp — exactly the engine of the Peugeot 505 V6, also found under the bonnet of the Lancia Thema 6V. Fitted in the 4×4, the Douvrin V6 replaces the P4's usual four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines.

Peugeot P4 V6 The only PRV V6 off-roader Every known code →
ZN3J170 bhp
2,849 ccLH-Jetronic injection12 valvesCivilian seriesZN3J engine file →
Civilian P4 V6 (FAM, around 1991–1992) — exact figures and production register remain to be documented: contributions are welcome through the Contribute page.
The cousin of the sands

ZN3J3: the Dakar assistance P4

From 1987 — before the civilian series — Peugeot Talbot Sport fitted its Dakar fast-assistance P4s with a ZN3J bored out to 2,975 cc: the ZN3J3, lightened flywheel, reworked cams, specific mapping, about 220 bhp, to support the 205 T16s and 405 Turbo 16s. Citroën Sport carried the formula on into the 1990s for its own teams — some twenty units in all. Not a competition car: a fast-assistance vehicle, the PRV in the service of the winners.

The full story is in the P4 Dakar section of the Tuners page — thanks to Mahul Olivier, who ran the 2023 Dakar Classic at the wheel of a fully restored ZN3J3 P4, for bringing this chapter to our attention.

2975
CC · ZN3J3 · ≈ 220 BHP · PTS THEN CITROËN SPORT
1987
FIRST ASSISTANCE P4s
≈20
UNITS IN ALL
205
T16 AND 405 T16 SUPPORTED
The context

From the military VLTT to the civilian series

The French army's P4

Adopted in the early 1980s, the P4 (Véhicule Léger Tout Terrain) is the French army's liaison 4×4, mass-produced with four-cylinder petrol then diesel engines.

A civilian series of about fifteen

Around 1991–1992, FAM built a very limited civilian P4 series powered by the PRV V6 — an estimated fifteen cars. They are among the rarest PRV-powered vehicles in existence. Exact figures and production register remain to be documented.

The 505's engine

The ZN3J is the lion's most travelled V6: the 505 V6 (170 bhp), the Lancia Thema 6V (147-150 bhp) and the civilian P4 share the same code. No document specific to the P4 V6 is in the Library yet — if you own one, the Contribute page awaits you.

In the workshop

What the FAQ says about the P4 V6

The FAQ answers on the P4, its engine and the Dakar.

Peugeot P4 V6 The full FAQ →
P4
Did the Peugeot P4 exist with a PRV V6?
Yes — in a very limited civilian series of around fifteen examples, produced around 1991–1992 by FAM. These P4s were fitted with the ZN3J, the 2.8-litre fuel-injected PRV V6 of the Peugeot 505 (170 bhp). They are among the rarest PRV-powered vehicles in existence. Separately, Peugeot Talbot Sport used a bored-out version — the ZN3J3 (2,975 cc, ≈ 220 bhp) — as a rapid-assistance vehicle at the Dakar rally from 1987. P4 V6 file → · P4 Dakar section →
Dakar
Did the PRV V6 compete in the Paris-Dakar?
Not as a competition car, but as a rapid-assistance vehicle. From 1987, Peugeot Talbot Sport (PTS) fitted Peugeot P4 4×4s with a bored-out PRV — the ZN3J3 (2,975 cc, lightened flywheel, reworked camshafts, specific mapping, ≈ 220 bhp) — to support the 205 T16 and 405 Turbo 16 entries. Citroën Sport continued the practice into the 1990s for its own Dakar campaigns. Around twenty units were built in total. P4 Dakar section →
505
What engine powers the Peugeot 505 V6?
The 2,849 cc LH-Jetronic ZN3J, 170 bhp — the same code as the Lancia Thema 6V's.
Peugeot
Which Peugeots got the PRV V6?
Five models: 504 Coupé & Cabriolet, 604, 505, 605 — and the P4 V6, a very limited civilian series. 504 · 604 · 505 file → · 605 file → · P4 V6 file →
Injection
Which cars have a PRV V6 with electronic injection?
The norm from the 1980s onwards — some twenty models: Peugeot 505 V6, 605 and civilian P4, Renault 25 (atmo and Turbo), Safrane, Laguna, Espace, Volvo 760 and 780, Alpine GTA Turbo, GTA Le Mans and A610, the three Venturis, Citroën XM, Lancia Thema 6V, Dodge Monaco, Eagle Medallion and Premier. All vehicles →
Codes
Did Alpine, DeLorean, Lancia or Eagle have PRV engine codes of their own?
No. Every PRV V6 carries a code from one of the three partners: the Douvrin Z-codes at Renault (Z6V, Z7V, Z7U, Z7W, Z7X) and at Peugeot — shared with Citroën within PSA (ZM, ZMJ, ZNJ, ZN3J, ZPJ, ZPJ4) — and the B-codes at Volvo (B27, B28, B280). The other marques bought the engine as it was: Alpine under Renault codes (Z7U in the GTA Turbo, Z7X 744 in the A610), DeLorean under the Peugeot ZMJ (ZMJ-159 variant), Eagle and Dodge under the Z7X (711 and 715), Lancia under the ZN3J, Venturi under Z7U, Z7W and ZPJ4 units prepared by EIA. No carmaker ever struck a PRV code in its own name. Every known code →

In the Library

No document specific to the P4 V6 is in the Library yet — if you own one, the Contribute page awaits you.

On the forum

The P4 has its own section on the forum — presentations, restorations, questions to members who drive one. Peugeot P4 section →

The code behind the P4

ZN3J — the 505's injected V6, detailed on its file — and the Dakar P4s on the Tuners page.

ZN3J file →505 file →P4 Dakar → All vehicles →