PEUGEOT 9X8 was introduced to the public as a concept about a year ago. Not long ago, the first track test took place and then TEAM PEUGEOT TotalEnergies introduced the exciting new endurance racer PEUGEOT 1X5 in Portimão, Southern Portugal. The all-wheel drive hybrid electric Hypercar is now ready to race for the first time in the 9th leg of the 8 FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC), which will take place in July in Monza, Italy.
PEUGEOT is preparing to set a new milestone in the successful motorsport history of the brand on 10 July. A new era will begin in the world of 6 Hour Endurance Races at the world famous Monza Track in Italy. Following the 905 and 908 legends that made history at Le Mans, the PEUGEOT 9X8 is preparing to bring a unique design philosophy to the FIA WEC. Standing out with its rear wing-free design, the innovative Hypercar meets ACO and FIA's Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) category regulations, which are more accessible than LMP1. Drawing attention with its unique stylish silhouette, strong brand identity and three-claw lighting signature that is the same as PEUGEOT's road models, the 9X8 perfectly reflects PEUGEOT's strategy. Showcasing PEUGEOT's technological expertise in hybrid and electrified transitions, key elements of its energy transition strategy, the 9X8 showcases both the company's competitive side and its commitment to delivering excellence to customers. offers together. These values guide the brand's return to endurance racing, which focuses on the 24 Hours of Le Mans with its approach to evaluate and implement innovative ideas, technologies.
“Motorsport is crucial to our goal of being electric-only in Europe by 2030”
“PEUGEOT's participation in the FIA World Endurance Championship is testament to the brand's creativity and passion for motorsport,” said Linda Jackson, CEO of PEUGEOT. These race cars will also play a role in the transition to electric, in the transfer of technology from the racetracks to the roads. To demonstrate how serious we are about the energy transition, we will transition our entire product line to electric by 2024. We also know that if we want to reach our goal of being electric-only in Europe by 2030, we need to excel in this area, and motorsport is crucial to that goal. Before the PEUGEOT 9X8 made its debut, engineers brought the hybrid system to one of our road cars, the PEUGEOT 508 PEUGEOT SPORT ENGINEERED. Other examples are on the way," he said.
Stellantis Motorsport Director Jean-Marc Finot said: “TEAM PEUGEOT TotalEnergies has made the PEUGEOT 9X8 Le Mans Hypercar prototype race-ready. This ambitious car reflects our brand's DNA and is the product of our sports and design departments, each supported by our specialist partners. PEUGEOT SPORT Technical Director Olivier Jansonnie said, “We are keeping the promise we made last summer when presenting our new race car. The PEUGEOT 9X8 is the physical embodiment of the concept we introduced in July 2021. The challenge we've faced in recent months has been twofold, involving building a car and assembling a team to prepare it for its extremely challenging debut. Just weeks before the first race at Monza, the PEUGEOT 9X8 continues to accelerate with tests on various tracks. But nothing can replace real racing. “We look forward to exploring the potential of our hybrid-electric Hypercar, which we developed in-house to demonstrate our capabilities in the hybrid transition and other areas.”
The result of the sporting and technological struggle
The PEUGEOT 9X8 is an all-wheel drive racing prototype with a powertrain developed by PEUGEOT SPORT experts. A 2,6 liter, bi-turbo, 520 kW, V6 internal combustion engine (ICE) drives the rear wheels and a high-performance 200 kW electric motor drives the front wheels. Like the motor, the silicon carbide-based inverter was developed with Marelli in partnership with TotalEnergies/Saft, the high-voltage 900-volt battery. However, tires from Michelin, which comply with the regulations of the Hypercar class, transfer the tremendous power of the 9X8 to the road.
PEUGEOT 9X8 with its athletic design; It is 4.995 meters long, 2.000 meters wide and 1.145 meters high. With a weight of only 1.030 kg, the 90-liter fuel tank uses TotalEnergies' 100% renewable Excellium Racing 100 fuel.
Out-of-the-box wingless design
The unique collaboration between the PEUGEOT design team led by Matthias Hossann and the Sport team under Olivier Jansonnie has resulted in a bold and stylish racing car that breaks the mold. At the unveiling of the PEUGEOT 2021X9 Concept in July 8, many agreed that a rear wingless structure was useless. The ACO/FIA's LMH regulations inspired the department, led by PEUGEOT SPORT Technical Director Olivier Jansonnie, to continue on this path. Tests carried out since December on different tracks (Portimão/Portugal, Le Castellet/France, MotorLand Aragón/Spain, Barcelona/Spain and Magny-Cours/France) have confirmed the success of this groundbreaking innovative concept. The race car, which was introduced in Portimão before the final test, also draws attention as it fully fits the innovative vision of the concept presented in 2021.
The PEUGEOT 9X8 covered more than 25 kilometers during 10.000 test days. In parallel, the car's homologation was managed in conjunction with the FIA, while the team led by François Coudrain, PEUGEOT SPORT Powertrain Director, focused on developing the powertrain on the test device, simulator and race track. The completion of these vital stages, which are key to improving the reliability and performance of the Hypercar, has delayed the race car's introduction until after the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans. As a result, PEUGEOT 9X8 will compete with the 6 Hour Monza at Italy's famous "Temple of Speed" by participating in the FIA World Endurance Championship on 10 July.
Six pilots for two PEUGEOT 9X8
Paul Di Resta (ING), Loïc Duval (FRA), Mikkel Jensen (DAN), Gustavo Menezes (USA/BRA), James Rossiter (ING) and Jean-Éric Vergne (FRA) on July 10 at the 6 Hours of Monza, Italy. were determined as the pilots who formed the two teams that will compete in the race. Teams will confirm the car in the coming weeks after the testing program is complete. The two PEUGEOT 9X8s will then continue to race in Japan's 6 Hours of Fuji in September and the 8 Hours of Bahrain in November.
Joint success of expert teams in the field
To excel both on and off the racetrack, TEAM PEUGEOT TotalEnergies has joined forces with international partners, each highly respected in their respective fields. As an example, AI experts Capgemini and PEUGEOT SPORT are working together to optimize the 9X8's efficiency, particularly its energy management during the acceleration and regeneration phases. In addition, PEUGEOT SPORT and Modex brought together their ideas, creativity, technological visions and innovation trends to generate mutually beneficial synergies. The iconic Italian racing suit manufacturer Sparco provided the team with essential motorsport safety equipment and the official team suits of Jack & Jones from Denmark, TEAM PEUGEOT TotalEnergies.
Le Mans 2022 and Le Mans 2023
In the 2023 season, TEAM PEUGEOT TotalEnergies will compete in the centennial of the 9 Hours of Le Mans in classes such as Le Mans Hybrid (LMH, same class as PEUGEOT 8X24) or Le Mans Daytona Hybrid (LMdH). Next year's event has been described by many observers as the start of the new golden age of endurance racing.
While the 9X8 won't be at Le Mans in 2022, PEUGEOT looks forward to attending the event this year in preparation and to meet fans over the race weekend. In collaboration with ACO (Automobile Club de l'Ouest), an exhibition titled ALLURE-LE MANS, dedicated to the history and success story of PEUGEOT, will open on May 21 in the museum of the track, where the original version of the PEUGEOT 9X8 will be on display until September. Spectators who come to watch the 2022 race will also be able to visit the Fan Village in a special area for the PEUGEOT 9X8 and a store where they can buy official team clothes produced by Jack & Jones.
PEUGEOT 9X8 was introduced to the public as a concept about a year ago. Not long ago, the first track test took place and then TEAM PEUGEOT TotalEnergies introduced the exciting new endurance racer PEUGEOT 1X5 in Portimão, Southern Portugal. The all-wheel drive hybrid electric Hypercar is now ready to race for the first time in the 9th leg of the 8 FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC), which will take place in July in Monza, Italy.
PEUGEOT is preparing to set a new milestone in the successful motorsport history of the brand on 10 July. A new era will begin in the world of 6 Hour Endurance Races at the world famous Monza Track in Italy. Following the 905 and 908 legends that made history at Le Mans, the PEUGEOT 9X8 is preparing to bring a unique design philosophy to the FIA WEC. Standing out with its rear wing-free design, the innovative Hypercar meets ACO and FIA's Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) category regulations, which are more accessible than LMP1. Drawing attention with its unique stylish silhouette, strong brand identity and three-claw lighting signature that is the same as PEUGEOT's road models, the 9X8 perfectly reflects PEUGEOT's strategy. Showcasing PEUGEOT's technological expertise in hybrid and electrified transitions, key elements of its energy transition strategy, the 9X8 showcases both the company's competitive side and its commitment to delivering excellence to customers. offers together. These values guide the brand's return to endurance racing, which focuses on the 24 Hours of Le Mans with its approach to evaluate and implement innovative ideas, technologies.
Be the first to comment