When we talk about the Peugeot 508 PSE we are talking about a sporty and striking saloon. Electrification also has its good side for automotive lovers, and that is that it allows to increase performance dramatically without affecting efficiency or consumption . All of this is achieved after years of research and development of systems that are first put to the test in competition. For this reason, Peugeot has taken control of its past with the aim of returning to one of the most iconic competitions in the world: the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It will do so with the Hypercar 9×8 , a hybrid hypercar with a futuristic design and up to 680 hp of power .
This hybrid arrives with the expectations of a firm with history, present in the World Endurance Championship with models such as the Peugeot 905 or the 908 . Those in charge of its creation, the Peugeot Sport team of engineers, have chosen to work the design to the fullest. Aerodynamics are key and that depends, in large part, on the shell of this electrified bullet. One of the most curious details is, without a doubt, the absence of the rear wing that we are so used to in sports cars, even more so in hypercars. This decision is due to the configuration of the car itself, which does not need it, since the Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) regulations no longer standardize them as mandatory.
The future is here
Everything about the Peugeot Hypercar 9×8 looks futuristic. The extremely sharp lines, the integrated mirrors and the almost minimal height of the set are striking. Nor can we ignore open fins at the top of the front and rear, through which the tires can be seen and, we understand, it achieves excellent cooling of these.
The rear is not only surprising due to the lack of a wing, which they wanted to highlight with the following inscription on the diffuser: “We need no rear wing” (We do not need a rear wing). We also see that the typical claws of production models such as the Peugeot 5008 or 208, are transferred to the competition in the rear lights, in a much more exaggerated way.
As a nod to the PSE models that we will see on the street, this Hypercar 9×8 sports the same colors that we will be able to show when driving. It is the Sélénium Gray color combined with the Kryptonite , halfway between a yellow and phosphor green, which we have already seen in the Peugeot 508 PSE. This time, in the passenger compartment it is also very present, since the yellow can be seen even from outside the vehicle.
Hybrid power
The Hypercar 9×8 is a hybrid with a clear tendency towards efficiency but a highly competitive spirit. For its return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans , the lion’s signature has fitted this hypercar with a 2.6-liter biturbo V6 block that yields 680 hp of power .
This engine has been placed on the rear axle and is supported by a second 272 hp electric drive located in front, which gives it all-wheel drive and hence the X of its name . The gearbox is a 7-speed sequential and the battery is capable of working at 900 volts, being developed entirely by Peugeot Sport and Saft.
