Suffice to say that from its almost unsettlingly wingless backside to an engine that runs on the waste from wine production (if you ever needed an excuse to drink wine, supporting endurance racing and renewable fuels has to be a good one), the 9X8 already feels like a feat of futuristic engineering and unfettered thinking. Not only that, but also the 9X8 gets a 900V electrical system that Jean-Marc Finot, senior vice-president of Stellantis Motorsport, confirmed to Autocar “would, either as an 800V or 900V system, make it into a Stellantis road car soon”. Even the cockpit of the 9X8 now bears more relation to a road-going car, while the distinctive triple-light ‘claw’ design of Peugeot road cars is a key design feature on the 9X8.Īs for potential technology that’s likely to trickle from race to road? Well, for a start, the intriguing aerodynamics on the wingless hypercar could have ramifications for Peugeot and other Stellantis brands. That hasn’t changed and, in fact, the new LMH and LMDh regulations mean that the WEC’s fastest racers have a more direct relation to road-going cars than any preceding Le Mans prototype. You don’t need us to tell you that motorsport has always been one of the best Petri dishes for the development of automotive safety, performance, efficiency and more.
How will road-going Peugeots benefit from the 9X8? Size and weight are also strictly regulated to ensure a competitive field, as is much more.
The 9X8 uses a twin-turbocharged 2.6-litre 90deg V6 that can provide that magic 670bhp all on its own, but the engine is then neutered as soon as the 268bhp electric motor on the front axle kicks in to ensure that the 9X8 never goes over the regulatory maximum power output. However, that four-wheel drive isn’t allowed to function below 75mph – one way of levelling the playing field between the LMH cars and the Le Mans Daytona Hybrid (LMDh) cars, which work to the same performance and Balance of Performance regulations (and also aim for a lap time of roughly 3min 30sec around Le Mans) but are rear-wheel drive only and must use one of four pre-approved chassis. This is the set-up that Peugeot has chosen for the 9X8. The cars must send their combustion power to the rear wheels, while an electric motor with up to 268bhp is allowed to drive the front axle for four-wheel drive. Peak combined power output is limited to 670bhp. Manufacturers can use their own chassis, which needn’t be from a road-going car, although that’s allowed if a suitable one is available. Its technical details are, of course dictated in large part by the LMH regulations. The 9X8 is swoopy, loud and, yes, wingless (more on that below). Not only that but also, with the launch of the Peugeot Sport Engineered range, starting with the handsome 508 PSE, Peugeot now has a sporting badge that it’s pitching as a leader in electrified performance. So why reverse that decision now? The merger of the PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles to create the giant Stellantis organisation certainly played a part. There’s also the small matter of five World Rally Championship constructors’ titles and three Pikes Peak victories in the past few decades.īut in more recent years, Peugeot withdrew from top-flight motorsport. Let’s not overlook its successes on the Dakar Rally in 2016, 20, never mind three wins at the hallowed Le Mans 24 Hours, in 1992, 19. Peugeot is far from a newcomer to top-flight motorsport. Why has Peugeot come back, and why isn’t it at Le Mans this year? Even Lamborghini will join the bundle from 2024. With Alpine, Ferrari, Porsche and Toyota also now among those either already racing in the WEC or confirmed as joining for 2023, it’s safe to say that the FIA’s plan has worked. The Hypercar class was designed specifically to encourage manufacturer participation, with costs cut by some 80% over the prodigiously expensive LMP1 class and the machinery designed to more closely relate to road-going performance cars. Racing Lines: Silverstone delivered a typical British GP classic.Jonathan Palmer to open EV-friendly race track in France.Racing lines: A ride in the Aston Martin Valkyrie.Ferrari's 2023 Le Mans contender tests on track.Racing lines: Porsche's Adam Smalley aiming for Le Mans seat.
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