The 9X8, PEUGEOT's flawless race car, showcases its unique design with excellent visuals, before making its way to the tracks in endurance races in 2022. Designed with flawless lines by PEUGEOT Design Director Matthias Hossann, the PEUGEOT 9X8, which is much more than a racing car, shows that it is already a candidate to become an icon. Fashion and supercar photographer Agnieszka Doroszewicz has created photographs that bring this flawless design to life by combining the contrasting colors of light and concrete. The photos taken for the 9X8 model were a preview of the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans race, where the light hits the vehicles at very different angles for 24 hours. The fact that no car without a rear wing has won this race since 1971, that is for half a century, represents the perfect challenge for the iconic wingless design of the PEUGEOT 9X8.
Although it is the dream of every automobile designer to design a special racing car, we can say that the probability of this dream to come true is close to zero. Race cars are almost impossible to tell apart because aerodynamic details and performance are always at the forefront of the design identity. The designers' creativity was limited to small details and body colour, but this year PEUGEOT designers managed to demonstrate in the new 9X8 where performance and stylish design can go hand in hand. Working down to the smallest details, the PEUGEOT design team has equipped it with all the modern aesthetic codes unique to the brand, while creating the new 2022X24 Hybrid Hypercar, which will appear in endurance challenges including the legendary 9 Hours of Le Mans in 8. In addition to the cat-like aesthetic stance, the flowing lines reinforced with sporty details, the stylish and reinforced side facade, of course, the characteristic three-clawed bright light signature of the 'Lion' complemented the strong design. Representing speed, the PEUGEOT 9X8 activates emotions with its attractive design.
Convergence between design and technology
For the PEUGEOT 9X8 Hybrid Hypercar, engineers and designers worked together to achieve a convergence between design and technology to create a racing car. PEUGEOT Design Director Matthias Hossann, who started his evaluation by emphasizing that they exhibited an exemplary unity, said, “We were in contact with the PEUGEOT Sport team and worked hand in hand with them. To determine the theme of the race car of the future, we first launched a competition among designers. The interest in the project was huge and we received a large number of applications, in the hope of seeing it one day compete against the most prestigious brands in the world on the most legendary tracks. After the theme was determined with the help of PEUGEOT Sport engineers, we started working together. Without sacrificing performance and in line with the new regulations, the engineers gave designers as much room for creative freedom as possible. The PEUGEOT 9X8 was developed in accordance with the DNA of the new Hypercar regulations (LMH) set by the l'Ouestve Automobile Club, organizer of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the International Automobile Federation. "This car will be a turning point in endurance racing."
3D tools and Computer Aided Design (CAD)
Stating that the PEUGEOT design team uses the most advanced technology, Matthias Hossann said, “The designers used 3D tools and CAD (Computer Aided Design) to create 3D volumes in the virtual reality visualization stages. Thanks to this technology, it is possible to share files with engineering teams much more easily. We reached the pinnacle when we showed the engineering team a finished PEUGEOT 9X8 with a VR headset. Technical Manager Olivier Jansonnie circled the car for a while with the hood. "His excitement was very important," he said.
Ambitious, creative, wingless model
The most striking aspect of this concept, and what makes it unique, is the absence of a rear wing. The rear wing first appeared in the Le Mans endurance race in 1967 and has since become the permanent standard. Since 1971, that is, for half a century, no car without a rear wing has won this legendary race. The wingless design demonstrates the assertiveness and creativity of PEUGEOT designers and engineers. A lot of effort went into the rear end when designing the PEUGEOT 9X8. Following the more streamlined original outline, a slightly pointed tail emerged, along with the very special trim we see on the rear wheel today.
The power of "Lion" is also reflected in the design
PEUGEOT's presence in motorsport stands out above all as a great laboratory of ideas for testing innovations. Motorsport offers new areas that push those involved in the process to be more original and creative. An ambassador for PEUGEOT design and an inspiration for future products, the Hybrid Hypercar 9X8 is driving the trend of cars in the range, including the new PEUGEOT 308. The new Lion Head logo, introduced in early 308 before being used on the PEUGEOT 2021, was also used for the first time on the Peugeot 9X8.
Matthias Hossann commented on this design with these words: “The technology of the PEUGEOT 9X8 is a PEUGEOT Sport product from the ground up and we had to show it in our design. We wanted to give it a unique look and style without sacrificing performance in any way. However, we decided to keep the idea of the aerodynamic body, as opposed to the geometric design of the previous generation endurance race cars. The cockpit design, based on the brand's characteristic i-Cockpit concept, draws attention in the cabin of the 9X8 as another distinctive sign of PEUGEOT's expertise and design approach. Just as in a mass production project, the attention to interior design was matched with the requirements of the exterior. The driver and on-screen viewers should feel unhesitatingly like they are inside a PEUGEOT. The entire PEUGEOT 9X8 cockpit has been designed to provide the highest level of ergonomics and intuitive handling for the driver.”
A real milestone
Observers and experts agreed that the PEUGEOT 9X8 radically diverged from previous generation racing cars and ushered in a new era. When future drivers first saw it, “9X8 is a real milestone in motorsport. It will be the before and after of the PEUGEOT 9X8 and we are lucky to be a part of it”.
“We wrote three words on the walls of the design studio where the PEUGEOT 9X8 was born; iconic, fruitful, emotional”, Matthias Hossann continued: “Every individual has embraced these concepts regardless of their participation in the developmental stages. I had everyone memorize the word iconic because I wanted a car that was both recognizable and groundbreaking, marking a radical generational change. Many quality suggestions came from our interior design competition. But one was immediately accepted as a theme. It broke the codes of previous generation endurance racing cars. The idea was that it should have been a PEUGEOT rather than a racing car. As an object that brings motorsport enthusiasts together, it would theoretically be a sports car that could be driven both on the road and on the racetrack.”
Lines that will make the difference at night
Matthias Hossann: “Our PEUGEOT design team consists of 24 Hours of Le Mans fans. Being there as spectators, they know the difficulty of distinguishing cars at the trackside at night. Some cars are recognizable by the sound of the engine, but at many points the appearance of the cars is limited to bright lines that blend into the night. We used illuminated components to make the PEUGEOT 9X8 stand out from the rest and be easily recognized day or night. Of course, as with our production cars, the three-claw light signature was the right choice. We didn't have too much trouble getting the light signature on the front of our 9X8 Hypercar, but using it at the rear was a lot of work. We integrated the three claws into separate composite components that create cavities through which air is drawn. We look forward to seeing the impact on the track.”
Agnieszka Doroszewicz, photographer of the PEUGEOT 2007X9, who graduated from the Department of Photographic Design at the University of Applied Sciences in Hamburg, Germany and has been freelancing in photo shoots and post-production since 8, emphasized that the PEUGEOT 9X8 immediately realized the potential of light signatures, “We wanted to extend our shoot over a long day and into the late hours of the night. I got a perfect association with 24 Hours of Le Mans in my photos. Daylight, artificial lighting and the bright light of the headlights combine with the powerful pattern of the car's claws. "Of course we're not at Le Mans, but we had a whole Le Mans atmosphere here," he said.
Blend of aesthetics and wild architecture
Commenting on the car during the shoot for the 9X8, Doroszewicz said, “I was invited to work in 24-hour races such as Le Mans or the Nürburgring (Germany) and Spa (Belgium). But Le Mans is the most historically attractive and definitely my favourite. The atmosphere contains excitement and tension and of course you feel the historical spirit of this race. You cannot escape it. Le Mans is one of the purest and ultimate forms of motorsport. Every photo shoot has its own challenges. We also shot this shoot in very cold conditions, but nothing could dampen Matthias and his team's passion to be involved in the entire shoot. Their presence was very motivating. Shooting was absolutely fantastic. The contrast between the aesthetics of the PEUGEOT 9X8 and the wild architecture was impressive, and the rough texture of the concrete texture perfectly evoked the world of racetracks.”
Pure hybrid technology
PEUGEOT; With the 1992 with the V1993 petrol engine in 10 and 905, and the 2009 with the V12 HDi-FAP engine in 908, he has won Le Mans with two cars from two different generations to date. PEUGEOT 9X8 marks the beginning of a new era with its technology.
With its all-wheel drive hybrid powertrain, the PEUGEOT 9X8 is similar to models in the PEUGEOT range, such as the PEUGEOT SUV 3008 or the PEUGEOT 508. hybrid system; It combines a 2.6 V6 twin-turbocharged 680 HP (500 kW) internal combustion engine at the rear and a 200 kW (270 HP) electromotor/generator at the front.
Evaluating the technology used, the project's technical manager Olivier Jansonnie said: “The endurance races are based on rules that allow us to showcase PEUGEOT's all-electric powertrain expertise. With the 9X8, PEUGEOT opens a new chapter in hybrid sports cars. The system becomes more electrified and more efficient without sacrificing performance.” Matthias Hossann said, “We wanted to highlight this technological and cultural shift with a new color theme we call Kryptonite. Shortly before the Hybrid Hypercar 9X8, we introduced our new series production 508 PSE (PEUGEOT Sport Engineering), also a hybrid. It shares many technological features with the PEUGEOT 9X8 apart from its color. Both mark the PEUGEOT brand's electric high-performance era.”
Be the first to comment