Peugeot has fully unveiled its new 9X8 racing car, which will compete in the top Hypercar category of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, starting in 2022.
The 9X8 is the successor to the early ’90s 905 and late 2000s 908, both winners at Le Mans. Its most notable feature is the absence of a rear wing. According to Technical Director Olivier Jansonnie: “The regulations stipulate that only one adjustable aerodynamic device is allowed, without specifying the rear wing. Our calculation work and simulations revealed that high performance was effectively possible without one.” Peugeot’s Motorsport Director, Jean-Marc Finot, added, “We have achieved a degree of aerodynamic efficiency that allows us to do away with this feature. Don’t ask how; we fully intend to keep that a secret for as long as possible!”
Commenting on the car’s distinctive style, Peugeot Design Director Matthias Hossan said, “Given that the 9X8 is a Peugeot, the original sketch that guided our work showed a big cat ready to pounce, a stance that we have suggested by the slightly forward-tilted cabin. The general lines express the brand’s styling cues, while its sleek, bold, and elegant shapes inspire excitement and dynamism.” An effort was also made to replicate the look of Peugeot’s ‘i-Cockpit’ dashboard design within the 9X8, an area of racing cars that, until now, tended to be purely functional rather than having deliberate style.
Beneath the bodywork, the 9X8 is powered by a 2.6-liter twin-turbo V6 gasoline engine producing 671 hp at the rear, combined with a 268 hp electric motor at the front and a seven-speed sequential gearbox. The driver lineup, announced in late 2020, consists of Paul di Resta, Loic Duval, Mikkel Jensen, Kevin Magnussen, Gustavo Menezes, and Jean-Eric Vergne, with James Rossiter as the reserve and simulator driver.
