Peugeot has released further images of its 9X8 Le Mans Hypercar, testing for the first time this year, confirming that the car will not feature a traditional rear wing. Earlier in the car’s development, technical director for Team Peugeot’s WEC program Olivier Jansonnie had stated that there were multiple options available to Peugeot’s engineers to ensure the car was aerodynamically balanced.
“This configuration is permitted by the ACO/FIA hypercar regulations,” said Jansonnie. “Our calculations and wind tunnel work have confirmed the pertinence of our decision to run without a rear wing. Along with the developments and settings this option calls for, we expect it to be validated as we test at different circuits with differing characteristics.”
According to the French manufacturer, the 9X8’s powertrain was successfully bench tested in full four-wheel drive mode in early December 2021, with the car making its track debut later that month.
Stellantis Motorsport Director Jean-Marc Finot confirmed that the car would not debut at the opening Sebring round of the WEC. “The 9X8 will make its race debut based on its level of readiness, reliability and competitiveness as agreed with the championship’s organizers who we will keep regularly updated as our development program progresses,” Finot said.
“We could have opted for attending selected races only without committing to the season. That would have been possible but less coherent. Instead, we have chosen an approach that will enable the team to be fully immersed in the discipline, resulting in much closer collaboration with the organizers even if the 9X8 doesn’t contest every race as our development work and the homologation process continue.”
She made you talk as a prototype… Watch her evolve into a race car.#Peugeot9X8 | #PioneeringPerformanceAgain | @TotalEnergiesRC | @Michelin_Sport | @FIAWEC | @24hoursoflemans https://t.co/CQUMrURv4v pic.twitter.com/dz1htX7P4o
— Peugeot Sport (@peugeotsport) January 18, 2022
