The FIA’s new Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) class has been spawning some awesome super cars, with Toyota and Glickenhaus campaigning their entries this year. Things will heat up even more next year as other automakers join in such as Peugeot, which just revealed the 9X8 race car.
It’s a taut, blocky machine that bears a clear resemblance to its road-going cars, particularly with the three LED light slashes at each corner. Also noteworthy is the lack of a rear wing, opting instead for a low-profile spoiler and likely some fancy aerodynamic tricks underneath. The company didn’t disclose exactly what it’s doing, but it hinted that the rules don’t mandate a wing, just one adjustable aerodynamic piece that doesn’t have to be a wing.
The 9X8 has a hybrid powertrain. In the middle is a twin-turbocharged 2.6-liter V6 that makes 670 horsepower, the maximum combined horsepower allowed by FIA rules. It sends power through a seven-speed sequential transmission to the rear wheels. There’s also a 268-horsepower electric motor with a single-speed transmission to run the front wheels. The car is never making more than the 670 horsepower at any one time, with the electric motor filling in when the gas engine isn’t making full power. The motor also provides power generation and additional stopping power under deceleration.
Peugeot plans to enter the 9X8 in the LMH class of the World Endurance Championship next year. And since the car is an LMH vehicle, FIA rules dictate that Peugeot, just like Toyota and Glickenhaus, must build 20 road-legal variants of the race car within two years of its first race. We can’t wait to see that street model.
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