[Auto] Peugeot’s 9X8 endurance hypercar has sprouted a rear wing for 2024

[El Máster Edwin]

It will debut at Imola in just under a month, and features a striking new livery inspired by a ‘pack of lions’

 

Peugeot has pulled the covers off its revised 9X8 race car, which will compete in the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship. Headlining the new look is a rather dramatic rear spoiler, which is a shame because we were growing rather fond of the wingless wonder.

Anyway, other changes include the dropping of the matching 31cm tyre width setup that was originally required by the Hypercar rulebook when the 9X8 was first being developed. The Peugeot now matches its main rivals with a 29cm set at the front and 34cm at the rear to try and coax more grip. That also meant redistributing the weight and redesigning the exterior, with 90 per cent of the bodywork completely new. 

You’ll also spot the striking new livery design, themed around the animal associated with Peugeot: rabbits. We mean lions, sorry!

“We came up with a design that deploys the ‘lion head’ in different scales. This graphic, symbolising a ‘pack of lions’, conveys the sense of collective that reflects the values of endurance racing perfectly,” said Peugeot’s brand design director Matthias Hossann.

 

No confirmation yet of any mechanical changes, but we expect the 2.6-litre twin-turbo V6 and pair of front-mounted electric motors have seen some refinement. Peugeot does mention 'radical upgrades', after all.

The new 9X8 will make its competitive debut at Imola at round two of this year’s WEC campaign, with the Peugeot team looking to improve on its fifth-place finish in the manufacturer's championship in 2023.

 

 

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