The Peugeot 9X8 made its endurance racing debut at the 6 Hours of Monza and while the two cars only finished in 33rd and 38th respectively, they did turn more heads than just about every other car on the day.
The French car manufacturer unveiled the competition-spec 9X8 back in late May and much to the surprise of many, it looks virtually identical to the concept unveiled in mid-2021. It has been built to comply with the FIA’s Le Mans Hypercar regulations and watching it lapped the famed Italian circuit really is a sight to behold.
Read More: The Peugeot 9X8 Is An Endurance Racer From Another Planet
Powering the 9X8 is a 2.6-liter twin-turbocharged V6 pumping out 697 hp, all of which is sent to the rear wheels. An additional 268 hp is fed through the front wheels thanks to an electric motor. While cars competing in the Le Mans Hypercar class are not as quick as the LMP1 prototypes that they’ve replaced, it is still very quick and can be seen taking some of Monza’s high-speed corners at mind-bending speeds. Making the 9X8 all the more remarkable to watch is the fact that it doesn’t have a large rear wing to generate downforce.
Peugeot entered to 9X8s at the 6 Hours of Le Mans, driven by the teams of Loïc Duval, Gustavo Menezes, James Rossiter and Paul Di Resta, Jean-Eric Vergne, and Mikkel Jensen.
While the 9X8 was off the pace to its rivals, it was an altogether successful debut for the team and came after a grueling testing program of over 25 days that saw the car driven more than 6,214 miles (10,000 km). Peugeot won’t compete in a full racing season until 2023, the same year that it will bring the 9X8 to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
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