Hype For The PEUGEOT 9X8 Hypercar
The PEUGEOT 9X8 will follow in the footsteps of the brand’s famous endurance models, the PEUGEOT 905 and PEUGEOT 908, which were the winners of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1992 and 1993, and most recently in 2009.
PEUGEOT is rolling out a genuine brand project for the 9X8 based on the concept of Neo-Performance. This will transfer technological know-how from sports performance models to production models.
The Opportunities of the LMH Regulations
As implemented by the FIA and the ACO, the new Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) regulations are set to replace the top-level LMP1 category. These have been influential in the brand adopting this approach, as it offers greater flexibility in the treatment of aerodynamic surfaces. The regulations have encouraged a radically different way of thinking and the design of innovative cars, more open to the input of the design teams.
Designers and Engineers alike have grabbed this opportunity to invent new creation processes, break the mould and create a PEUGEOT Hypercar that is set to establish a totally new genre.
Olivier Jansonnie, Technical Director of PEUGEOT Sport’s WEC programme explained: “The new Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) regulations have been designed to even out conventional performance vectors. It’s exciting because it’s now up to us to invent, innovate and find opportunities to generate performance that do not involve conventional means. This was very much the case in regards to the aerodynamics. The regulations allow just one adjustable aerodynamic component, without specifying that this has to be the rear wing. Our calculations and simulations suggested that we could achieve very high-performance levels without a rear wing.”
The lack of this aerodynamic feature freed up the design of the body shape of the PEUGEOT 9X8, affording it a fluidity that has not been seen on endurance cars for decades. This has enabled the designers, partners, and engineers, to sculpt harmonious and dynamic volumes, and to create vast surfaces connecting the side panels or opening onto the front wheel housings.
Head Turning Style
Linda Jackson, Chief Executive Officer of PEUGEOT commented: "I know the quality of work and innovation of the PEUGEOT Design and PEUGEOT Sport teams, but I have to say they have managed to surprise me with this magnificent 9X8: combining a powerful brand identity with such an elegant and innovative profile is absolutely brilliant.”
At the rear of the PEUGEOT 9X8, carefully chiselled elements house the iconic three claws of the rear lights, surrounding a wide diffuser, overhung by the playful wording: “We need no rear wing.”
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