24h Le Mans
Hypercars under the microscope | Eight illustrious manufacturers will line up in the top class at the 93rd 24 Hours of Le Mans (11-15 June 2025). As readers will recall, the Peugeot 9X8 initially had no rear wing. A bold design choice that probably didn’t receive its just reward. In its 2024 guise, the Lion has bared its teeth but is still all too timid when faced with more ferocious rivals.
When the Peugeot 9X8 was introduced in July 2021, there was no mistaking its identity with its “claw effect” signature headlamps and lights. The brand’s emblem, modernised in 2021, stood proudly front and centre. But the Lion caused a stir for quite a different reason. Peugeot broke the prototype mould by building a Hypercar devoid of a rear wing! The brand’s drivers were among those taken aback by such originality. Loïc Duval (#94 Peugeot 9X8) had a first-hand view in 2022: “We saw the car covered up and we were unsure which side to lift to reveal the front end, so it was quite surprising. But we never felt that a rear wing was missing when at the wheel. This initial version could generate aerodynamic load in other ways.”
The Peugeot designers adopted this avant-garde approach in response to the Hypercar rulebook that demanded equal tyre widths at the front and rear (31 cm). A subsequent change to the regulations to permit different tyre widths between the front (29 cm) and rear axles (34 cm) rendered the first, wingless, version of the 9X8 obsolete. Peugeot went back to the drawing board. A wing was added, a new flat bottom designed and the outer envelope totally revised. The crash structure and chassis survived the overhaul that produced the 9X8 2024 that appeared just over a year ago for the Italian round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. With its very flat front hood and its impressive mane, Peugeot’s cat has lost none of its sleek looks but is still struggling to hold its own in a scrap.
Peugeot Sport Technical Director Olivier Jansonnie sums up the situation. “We negotiated an important step in 2024. After a year of hard work, we saw some real progress on the track confirming that the decisions made post-2023 on a technical and human level were the right ones. […] The bar has been set even higher in 2025. We face fierce competition and demands are sky-high. Reliability will more than ever be a decisive factor in such a closely fought endurance race. There can be no weaknesses if we are to be in the mix at the front of the field.” So far, the Peugeot 9X8 has not been in a position to tussle for the top spots. Despite undeniable progress, the car is still lacking on certain points.
In keeping with the LMH rulebook, the 9X8 2024 has a rear wing. It has retained the 2.6-litre twin-turbo V6 engine coupled with a 7-speed sequential gearbox. This powertrain is boosted by an MGU (Motor Generator Unit) capable of delivering 200 horsepower to the front wheels, giving the French manufacturer’s prototype all-wheel drive. The MGU’s 900-volt high-density battery is the result of a partnership between TotalEnergies and Saft. The aggregate output transmitted to the four wheels comes to around 750 horsepower, for a total weight of 1,030 kg (the minimum requirement). Add 90 litres of racing fuel and a top-notch driver and the car is ready to take to the track.
“With the 2024 aero package, the balance is slightly different and we have less drag, which is very important for a circuit like Le Mans,” says French driver Duval. “We have been on an upward trajectory since the beginning of the year. The 9X8 is easier over the bumps, that’s for sure. We haven’t quite reached the level of the very best, but we’ve moved up a grade. We’re also getting much more out of the car now.”.
Peugeot has won the French endurance classic on three occasions, firstly with the 905 in 1992 (Blundell-Dalmas-Warwick) and 1993 (Hélary-Bouchut-G. Brabham), and then with the 908 HDi FAP in 2009 (Wurz-D. Brabham-Gené). A Top 10 spot would constitute a successful race for the Lion today. With the sheer number of generally faster rivals, Peugeot’s drivers are forced to battle in the middle of the pack. And yet, in 2023, the changeable weather conditions and an ultra-sharp strategy saw the 9X8 lead the 24 Hours of Le Mans field. A feat that the team was, sadly, never in a position to repeat last year. In 2025, Hypercar racing has attracted even more manufacturers and the competition will be tougher still. Since the season began, Peugeot has struggled to emerge from the pack to claim a podium spot. Will the fourth round of the world championship provide a wake-up call for the French outfit? One thing is certain: Peugeot TotalEnergies will play every card in its hand in its efforts to come up trumps. We’ll know by 4.00 pm on Sunday if the race-winning models of the nineties and noughties have found a worthy successor.
Don’t miss the other episodes in our “Hypercars under the microscope” series in which we analyse the prototypes in the high-quality field.
Next up, Ferrari 499P.
In case you missed them: Cadillac V-Series.R, Alpine A424, Aston Martin Valkyrie and BMW M Hybrid V8.
Watch all the action from the FIA World Endurance Championship, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, live or on demand with the FIA WEC TV official app! Don’t miss a thing! Check out the app for further information.
