Peugeot takes wraps off new 9X8 Hypercar

Peugeot has taken the wraps off the new 9X8, its latest-generation Hypercar challenger which is poised to make its competitive debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) in 2022.

 Powered by a hybrid power unit which drives through all-wheel drive transmission, this hyper-efficient prototype fits perfectly with Peugeot’s Neo-Performance strategy which is geared to both its road and racing cars delivering responsible performance.

The work of Peugeot Sport’s engineering team and Peugeot Design dovetailed like never before to produce the 9X8 which heralds a new era in motor racing due to its flowing lines, the absence of a rear wing and the strong brand identity it exudes. The innovative technical solutions it packs and its catlike stance stand out as unmistakable Peugeot hallmarks.

The Peugeot 9X8 – the brand’s latest endurance racing contender – is a direct successor to the Peugeot 905, winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1992 and 1993, and the Peugeot 908, which won the French classic in 2009.

The “9” continues the series employed by the manufacturer for its recent topflight endurance racing cars, namely the Peugeot 905 (which raced from 1990 until 1993) and the 908 (2007 until 2011), both of which became icons of the brand.

The “X” refers to the Peugeot Hypercar’s all-wheel drive technology and hybrid powertrain which embodies the brand’s electrification strategy in the world of motor racing.

The “8” is the suffix used for all of Peugeot’s current model names, from the 208 and 2008, to the 308, 3008, 5008 and, of course, the 508 which very recently passed through the hands of the engineers and designers who crafted the Hypercar to become the first car to sport the Peugeot Sport Engineered label.

Since the announcement in September 2020 of Peugeot’s involvement in endurance racing’s new Le Mans Hypercar class, the factory in Versailles, near Paris, has been working feverishly on the 9X8.

As planned, the car’s rear-mounted, 2.6-litre, bi-turbo, 680hp, 90-degree V6 – the internal-combustion engine part of the Peugeot Hybrid4 500KW powertrain – has been clocking up kilometres on the bench since April.

Meanwhile, the front-mounted 200kW motor-generator unit, seven-speed sequential gearbox and battery are in the process of being assembled in keeping with the bench-testing validation schedule. The powerful, technologically-sophisticated, high-voltage (900 volts), high-density battery is being codeveloped by Peugeot Sport and Saft, a subsidiary of TotalEnergies.