The Peugeot 9X8 is a sports prototype racing car built by French car manufacturer Peugeot for the Le Mans Hypercar category in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Peugeot states the 9X8's name to be a combination of multiple elements: the 9 symbolizes the brand's high-performance models, the X represents all-wheel drive and electric drive technologies, and the 8 corresponds to the brand's contemporary models.[5]
Development
On 13 November 2019, Peugeot announced its return to the WEC and 24 Hours of Le Mans for 2022 in the new Hypercar category. This debut was subsequently delayed, with Peugeot stating that "Team PEUGEOT TotalEnergies’ PEUGEOT 9X8 Hybrid Hypercar will not race at the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans and will instead make its racing debut in the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC) this summer".[6] The car eventually made its debut at the 2022 6 Hours of Monza on the 6th of July.
Succeeding the 905 and 908, the 9X8 was designed to take full advantage of the freedoms allowed by the new regulations for the Hypercar category. The first area to benefit from the new regulations is aerodynamics; the vehicle is allowed to have only one adjustable aerodynamic element without the FIA specifying what it should be, thus allowing Peugeot to do without the rear wing.[7][8] The 9X8 is powered by a 500 kW (670 hp) twin-turbo 2.6 L V6 engine mated to a 7-speed sequential gearbox driving the rear wheels, while a 200 kW (270 hp) electric motor drives the front wheels.[5]
Peugeot's on-track testing program began in December 2021 and has since visited Algarve International Circuit, Circuit Paul Ricard, MotorLand Aragón, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, and Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, with the 9X8 clocking up more than 10,000 kilometres over the course of 25 test days.
In April 2023, a Lego Technic 1:10 scale model of the 9X8 was announced. The set consists of 1,775 pieces and was released on May 1, 2023.[9]
Competition history
In the World Endurance Championship, the two Peugeots use numbers 93 and 94, as a reference to Peugeot's overall victory at the 1993 24 Hours of Le Mans.[10]
2022
Paul Di Resta, Loïc Duval, Mikkel Jensen, Gustavo Menezes, James Rossiter and Jean-Éric Vergne were nominated to share driving duties and form the crews of the two-car entry in the 2022 6 Hours of Monza, with the composition of each trio due to be confirmed at a later stage following the conclusion of the car's testing program. The two 9X8s were then set to contest the remainder of the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship, including the 2022 6 Hours of Fuji and season finale, the 2022 8 Hours of Bahrain.[11]
2023
The 9X8 saw its first full season in the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship. Rossiter would not return to the lineup and Nico Müller would instead share the driving duties for the full year in the #94. The wingless concept proved most effective at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans and 2023 6 Hours of Monza. Despite qualifying towards the back in the former, Peugeot would take the lead in the evening hours of the race before suffering heavy damage requiring repairs. At Monza, the 9X8 would score its first podium in the FIA World Endurance Championship by finishing 3rd.
2024
Peugeot returned to contest another full season in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Both lineups would be shuffled, and Stoffel Vandoorne would replace an outgoing Gustavo Menezes for the season.[12] At Qatar, the 9X8 would see arguably its most competitive race, as the #93 car would contest for the race win against the Porsche 963s of Porsche Penske Motorsport before eventually retiring and later being disqualified for running out of fuel on the final lap and failing to join parc fermé at the end of the race.[13]
On 25 March 2024, Peugeot presented an updated version of the 9X8 with an added rear wing; the previous version of the 9X8 proved mostly uncompetitive due to its dependency on ground effect, especially harmed by uneven road surfaces like at Sebring (where WEC did not race in 2024). Peugeot also abandoned equal tyre widths, switching from 31 cm tyres all around to 29 cm tyres at the front and 34 cm at the rear like all its competitors.[14] The new concept made its first competitive appearance at the 2024 6 Hours of Imola. It scored its first podium at the 2024 8 Hours of Bahrain.
Complete World Endurance Championship results
(key) Races in bold indicates pole position. Races in italics indicates fastest lap.
* Championship still ongoing.
References
- ^ "PEUGEOT 9X8 HYBRID HYPERCAR: ULTIMATE DESIGN". Stellantis North America. 20 January 2022. Archived from the original on 18 July 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
- ^ Gaudy, Geraldine (7 June 2021). "Peugeot 9X8 (2022). Découvrez l'hypercar hybride au V6 biturbo !" [Peugeot 9X8 (2022). Discover the hybrid hypercar with V6 biturbo!]. L'argus (in French). Archived from the original on 23 August 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
- ^ Watkins, Gary (27 November 2022). "Peugeot to complete first 24-hour test with 9X8 before Christmas". Motorsport.com. Archived from the original on 6 February 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- ^ a b c d e "Entry List 2023" (PDF). 24 Hours of Le Mans (in French). Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 June 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
- ^ a b "Nouvelle Peugeot 9X8 Hypercar | Néo-performance par Peugeot Sport". www.peugeot.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
- ^ "Peugeot Sport Confirm No 9X8 Hypercar Debut Until After Le Mans | dailysportscar.com". www.dailysportscar.com. 25 February 2022. Archived from the original on 25 February 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
- ^ "24h du Mans : où en sont le programme Peugeot et la 9x8 ?". Auto moto : magazine auto et moto (in French). 18 August 2021. Archived from the original on 20 September 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
- ^ Géraldine Gaudy (20 July 2021). "Peugeot 9X8 (2022). Découvrez l'hypercar hybride au V6 biturbo !" (in French). L'Argus. Archived from the original on 23 August 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
- ^ Ong, Jay (14 April 2023). "LEGO unveils the Technic Peugeot 9X8 Le Mans Hypercar (42156) ahead of its 24 hour Le Mans debut". Jay's Brick Blog. Archived from the original on 25 April 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
- ^ "What do Hypercar race numbers mean?".
- ^ "WEC: Peugeot 9X8 Hypercar to debut at Monza". Federation Internationale de l'Automobile. 20 May 2022. Archived from the original on 2 July 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
- ^ Klein, Jamie (19 January 2024). "Peugeot Reveals Alteration to Driver Crews – Sportscar365". sportscar365.com. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
- ^ Kilbey, Stephen (2 March 2024). "Penske Leads Porsche 1-2-3 In Qatar | dailysportscar.com". www.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
- ^ Watkins, Gary (25 March 2024). "Peugeot reveals revised 9X8 Le Mans Hypercar with rear wing". motorsport.com. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
- ^ "Season 2022 Results". FIA World Endurance Championship. Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
- ^ "Season 2023 Results". FIA World Endurance Championship. Archived from the original on 18 January 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
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