Ground effect
Peugeot will field a full ground-effect Le Mans Hypercar when the French manufacturer returns to endurance racing in 2022. The company revealed its challenger, the 9X8, early in July and presented a show car at the third round of the FIA World Endurance Championship at Monza a few weeks later.
The most striking element of the car is the lack of rear wing, the design team having established the maximum downforce levels early on in the design process using underfloor aero marrying up with the flow over the rear deck. It therefore did not need an additional downforce generator at the rear.
Also clear in the design is the relationship with the production cars, a feature that is made possible by the Balance of Performance system for the top category that does not penalise styling cues.
Elegance in design
Although only in mock-up form for the launch, the final car is expected to closely match what the company has presented, running with only a modest fin over the engine cover. The elegant design and lack of aggressive aero set tongues wagging, and arguments raged over whether or not the car would run in this form. Peugeot is confident in its figures, and while it says it will switch tactic if necessary, rival designers don’t believe the car will need a wing. Track validation will provide
