Less than a year after the presentation of the concept and five months after the first test of the vehicle on the track, the Peugeot TotalEnergies team presented its new endurance racing car: the Peugeot 9X8. The new all-wheel-drive, hybrid-electric hypercar will make its racing debut in July at the fourth round of the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship in Monza, Italy. The countdown is in full swing for Peugeot.
When Peugeot travels to Italy on July 10 for the 6 Hours of Monza, the company will enter a new era in endurance racing. The Peugeot 9X8 brings a new design to the FIA WEC, following Le Mans winners' footsteps of the Peugeot 905 and Peugeot 908.
This powerful hypercar, which is immediately noticeable due to the lack of a rear wing, complies with the ACO and FIA Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) category regulations and is more accessible than the LMP1, just as competitive. The model showcases Peugeot's detailed design, characterized by feline lines, a clean silhouette, a strong brand identity, and the same familiar three-clawed light signature found on the manufacturer's road models. Exemplifying Peugeot's technological prowess in hybridization and electrification, both critical elements of the brand's energy transition strategy, the hypercar underscores the company's commitment to excellence. Both in terms of its competitive efforts and its customers. Eye-catching design, passion for motorsport, and technological excellence are the three values that have guided Peugeot in this ambitious project. It aims to mark the return of the lion brand to endurance racing, with a particular focus on the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This extraordinary event has few rivals for evaluating and validating innovative ideas and technologies.
The Peugeot 9X8 is a prototype for racing with a powertrain developed under the direction of Peugeot Sport specialists. Its rear wheels are powered by a 2.6-liter V6 bi-turbo combustion engine with an output of 520 kW, while a high-performance electric motor with 200 kW powers the front wheels. Like the high-performance engine and the silicon carbide-based inverter was developed with Marelli. The vehicle's 900-volt high-capacity battery was developed jointly with TotalEnergies/SAFT. Michelin supplies the tires that comply with the hypercar class regulations.
The Peugeot 9X8 has a sporty design and measures 4.995 meters in length, 2 meters in width, and 1.145 meters in height. However, it weighs just 1,030 kilograms, and its tank holds up to 90 liters of TotalEnergies' Excellium Racing 100 fuel, which is up to 100 percent renewable.
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The outstanding partnership between the Peugeot design crew, led by Matthias Hossann, and the Peugeot Sport unit, led by Olivier Jansonnie, has resulted in a powerful, stylish model that breaks new ground. At the vehicle's presentation in July 2021, where the concept of the Peugeot 9X8 was unveiled, many speculated that doing away with the rear wing would prove impractical in reality. However, the interpretation of the ACO/FIA LMH regulations has led the department of Olivier Jansonnie, Technical Director of Peugeot Sport, to continue down this path. Since December, the tests on circuits with very different characteristics have confirmed this disruptive concept. The racing car presented in Portimão before the final test corresponds to the vision of the model presented in 2021.
The Peugeot 9X8 covered more than 10,000 kilometers over 25 test days. At the same time, the vehicle was homologated in cooperation with the FIA. The team around François Coudrain, Peugeot Sport Powertrain Director, concentrated on developing the powertrain in the simulator and on the track.
Completing these essential stages in improving the hypercar's reliability and performance meant that its competitive debut was delayed until after the 2022 Le Mans 24 Hours. The Peugeot 9X8 will therefore take part in the FIA World Endurance Championship at the 6 Hours of Monza on July 10, 2022, where it will line up alongside its competitors for the first time.
To deliver greatness both on and off the track, the Peugeot TotalEnergies team has teamed up with a range of international partners, all highly respected in their respective sectors, who have been instrumental in the development process. For example, the artificial intelligence specialist Capgemini and Peugeot Sport work together to optimize the efficiency of the Peugeot 9X8 - in particular, its energy management during the acceleration and regeneration phases.
Meanwhile, Peugeot Sport and Modex have combined their ideas, creativity, and passion for innovative technologies to create synergies of mutual benefit.
Iconic Italian racing clothing manufacturer Sparco provides the team with essential safety equipment for motorsport. At the same time, Danish brand Jack & Jones is responsible for the official team clothing of the Peugeot TotalEnergies team.
All partners are driven to excellence by the same passion for motorsport, innovation, and progress.
In the 2023 season, the Peugeot TotalEnergies team will participate in the hundredth edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Against a series of international competitors, either Le Mans Hybrid (LMH, i.e., the same class as the Peugeot 9X8) or Le Mans Daytona Hybrid (LMdH) compete. As a result, many observers expect next year's event as a particular highlight of long-distance sport.
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Although the Peugeot 9X8 will not be present at Le Mans in 2022, Peugeot is still attending the event this year to meet its fans before and during the race weekend itself. In collaboration with the ACO (Automobile Club de l'Ouest), an exhibition entitled "ALLURE-LE MANS" will open on May 21, 2022, at the Circuit Museum, dedicated to the detailed and successful history of Peugeot in La Sarthe. The initial prototype of the Peugeot 9X8 will be on exhibit until September.
Spectators of the 2022 race will also have the opportunity to visit the fan camp, where a particular area dedicated to the Peugeot 9X8 has been set up. There is also a merchandise store to buy official Jack & Jones team clothing. Fans can even try the Kryptonite cocktails inspired by the new Peugeot Sport color signature.
Six drivers have been named to make up the two crews for the 6 Hours of Monza on July 10: Paul Di Resta, Loïc Duval, Mikkel Jensen, Gustavo Menezes, James Rossiter, and Jean-Éric Vergne. The exact arrangement of the two trios will be confirmed in the coming weeks once the test program ahead of the hypercar's competitive debut is complete. The two Peugeot 9X8 will compete in the Fuji 6 Hours in Japan in September and the Bahrain 8 Hours in November.
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