Peugeot 9X8 Le Mans Hypercar racer revealed
Peugeot has released the first set of images of its new 9X8 hypercar, with which it will make its Le Mans return next year. The racer features a 680hp hybrid powertrain – and unusually, no rear wing.
- Peugeot 9X8 to compete in the WEC from 2022
- Will run without a rear wing
Le Mans Hypercar rules gave Peugeot “freedom to invent”
Peugeot last competed at Le Mans in 2011. It will campaign a pair of the Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) machines in the FIA World Endurance Championship next year, taking on the Toyota GR010 Hybrid.
The new LMH rules feature controls on key bodywork areas and cap the total powertrain output at 680hp but give manufacturers considerable freedom to showcase differing designs and technology. Performance balancing will be used to try to create a level playing field between the LMH and LMP2-based LMDh machines.
Peugeot Sport technical chief Olivier Jansonnie said that the new LMH rules gave his team “freedom to invent, innovate and explore off-the-wall ways to optimise the car’s performance, and more, especially its aerodynamics.”
Rear wings have long been one of the key aerodynamic devices used to generate downforce, but Peugeot Sport says that the high aerodynamic efficiency of the 9X8 allows it to run without one. Jansonnie explained: “The regulations stipulate that only one adjustable aerodynamic device is permitted, without specifying the rear wing. Our calculation work and simulations revealed that high performance was effectively possible without one.”
