Peugeot 9X8

Peugeot 9X8
The 9X8 being driven at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans
CategoryLe Mans Hypercar
ConstructorPeugeot (Ligier)[1]
DesignersMatthias Hossann (Design Director)[2]
Vadim Gilca (Exterior Designer)[3]
Olivier Jansonnie (Technical Director)[4]
PredecessorPeugeot 908
Technical specifications
Length5,000 mm (197 in; 16 ft)
Width2,080 mm (82 in; 7 ft)
Height1,180 mm (46 in; 4 ft)
Wheelbase3,045 mm (120 in; 10 ft)
EnginePeugeot X6H[5] 2.6 litre V6 90° twin-turbo mid-engined, longitudinally mounted AWD (Peugeot Hybrid A) limited to 8,500 minutes inverse
Electric motorPeugeot Sport-conceived front-mounted Separate motor-generator unit + single-speed reducer
TransmissionSadev 7-speed sequential manual[5]
BatteryHigh-density 900-volt battery co-designed by Peugeot Sport, TotalEnergies/Saft
Power671 bhp (680 PS; 500 kW) (Petrol)
268 bhp (272 PS; 200 kW) (Electric)
FuelTotalEnergies
LubricantsTotalEnergies[5]
BrakesCarbone Industrie carbon 380/365mm with AP Monobloc 6-piston calipers[5]
TyresMichelin slicks with OZ one-piece forged alloys, 31/71-18,[5] after 29/71-18 front and 34/71-18 rear
Competition history
Notable entrants Peugeot Sport
Notable drivers
Debut2022 6 Hours of Monza
Last event2025 8 Hours of Bahrain
RacesWinsPodiumsPolesF/Laps
260401
Teams' Championships0
Constructors' Championships0
Drivers' Championships0

The Peugeot 9X8 is a sports prototype racing car built by French car manufacturer Peugeot for the Le Mans Hypercar category in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Their first sports prototype in 11 years, the car made its debut at the 2022 6 Hours of Monza.[6]

Peugeot states the 9X8's name to be a combination of multiple elements: the 9 symbolizes the brand's high-performance models, the X represents all-wheel drive and electric drive technologies, and the 8 corresponds to the brand's contemporary models.[7]

Development

On 13 November 2019, Peugeot announced their return to the FIA World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the 2022 season in the newly announced Le Mans Hypercar category.[8] Their debut was subsequently delayed, with Peugeot stating that the homologation process for the Le Mans Hypercar category went against any chance of earlier participation in the season.[9] The car eventually made its debut at the 2022 6 Hours of Monza.[6]

Succeeding the 905, 908 HDi FAP, and 908, the 9X8 was designed to take full advantage of the freedoms allowed by the new regulations for the Hypercar category. The first area to benefit from the new regulations is aerodynamics; the vehicle is allowed to have only one adjustable aerodynamic element without the FIA specifying what it should be, thus allowing Peugeot to do without the rear wing.[10][11] The 9X8 is powered by a 500 kW (670 hp) twin-turbo 2.6-litre V6 engine mated to a 7-speed sequential gearbox driving the rear wheels, while a 200 kW (270 hp) electric motor drives the front wheels.[7]

Peugeot's on-track testing program began in December 2021, later visiting Algarve International Circuit, Circuit Paul Ricard, MotorLand Aragón, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, and Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, with the 9X8 clocking up more than 10,000 kilometres over the course of 25 test days.

In April 2023, a Lego Technic 1:10 scale model of the 9X8 was announced. The set consists of 1,775 pieces and was released on May 1, 2023.[12]

Competition history

In the World Endurance Championship, the two Peugeots use numbers 93 and 94, as a reference to Peugeot's overall victory at the 1993 24 Hours of Le Mans.[13] Paul Di Resta, Loïc Duval, Mikkel Jensen, Gustavo Menezes, James Rossiter and Jean-Éric Vergne were nominated to share driving duties and form the crews of the two-car entry in the 2022 6 Hours of Monza, with the composition of each trio due to be confirmed at a later stage following the conclusion of the car's testing program. The two 9X8s were then set to contest the remainder of the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship, including the 2022 6 Hours of Fuji and season finale, the 2022 8 Hours of Bahrain.[14]

The 9X8 saw its first full season in the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship. Rossiter would not return to the lineup and Nico Müller would instead share the driving duties for the full year in the #94. The wingless concept proved most effective at the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans and 2023 6 Hours of Monza. Despite qualifying towards the back in the former, Peugeot would take the lead in the evening hours of the race before suffering heavy damage requiring repairs. At Monza, the 9X8 would score its first podium in the FIA World Endurance Championship by finishing 3rd.

Peugeot returned to contest another full season in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Both lineups would be shuffled, and Stoffel Vandoorne would replace an outgoing Gustavo Menezes for the season.[15] At Qatar, the 9X8 would see arguably its most competitive race, as the #93 car would contest for the race win against the Porsche 963s of Porsche Penske Motorsport before eventually retiring and later being disqualified for running out of fuel on the final lap and failing to join parc fermé at the end of the race.[16]

On 25 March 2024, Peugeot presented an updated version of the 9X8 with an added rear wing; the previous version of the 9X8 proved mostly uncompetitive due to its dependency on ground effect, especially harmed by uneven road surfaces like at Sebring (where WEC did not race in 2024). Peugeot also abandoned equal tyre widths, switching from 31 cm tyres all around to 29 cm tyres at the front and 34 cm at the rear like all its competitors.[17] The new concept made its first competitive appearance at the 2024 6 Hours of Imola. It scored its first podium at the 2024 8 Hours of Bahrain.

Ahead of the 2025 season, Malthe Jakobsen was confirmed to be joining the team following Nico Müller's departure.[18] After a difficult first half of the season, Peugeot recovered with a double points finish in São Paulo, later achieving their best pair of results with the 9X8 in the following race at the 2025 Lone Star Le Mans, finishing 3rd and 4th on route to the 9X8's third overall podium.[19]

Complete World Endurance Championship results

(key) Races in bold indicates pole position. Races in italics indicates fastest lap.

Year Entrants Class Drivers No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Points Pos
2022 Peugeot TotalEnergies Hypercar SEB SPA LMN MON FUJ BHR 42 4th
Paul di Resta 93 Ret 4 Ret
Mikkel Jensen Ret 4 Ret
Jean-Éric Vergne Ret 4 Ret
Loïc Duval 94 4 5 4
Gustavo Menezes 4 5 4
Nico Müller 4
James Rossiter 4 5
2023 Peugeot TotalEnergies Hypercar SEB POR SPA LMN MON FUJ BHR 67 5th
Paul di Resta 93 9 7 8 6 3 8 9
Mikkel Jensen 9 7 8 6 3 8 9
Jean-Éric Vergne 9 7 8 6 3 8 9
Loïc Duval 94 NC 5 9 9 11 7 8
Gustavo Menezes NC 5 9 9 11 7 8
Nico Müller NC 5 9 9 11 8
Stoffel Vandoorne 7
2024 Peugeot TotalEnergies Hypercar QAT IMO SPA LMN SAP COA FUJ BHR 57 6th
Mikkel Jensen 93 DSQ 9 10 12 8 12 4 3
Nico Müller DSQ 9 10 12 8 12 4 3
Jean-Éric Vergne DSQ 9 12 8 12 4 3
Paul di Resta 94 15 15 14 11 16 Ret 8 Ret
Loïc Duval 15 15 14 11 16 Ret 8 Ret
Stoffel Vandoorne 15 15 11 16 Ret 8 Ret
2025 Peugeot TotalEnergies Hypercar QAT IMO SPA LMN SAO COA FUJ BHR 84 7th
Mikkel Jensen 93 9 9 11 15 7 4 2 9
Paul di Resta 9 9 11 15 7 4 2 9
Jean-Éric Vergne 9 9 11 15 4 2 9
Loïc Duval 94 12 12 Ret 11 6 3 10 10
Malthe Jakobsen 12 12 Ret 11 6 3 10 10
Stoffel Vandoorne 12 12 Ret 11 3 10
Théo Pourchaire 10
Sources:[20][21]

References

  1. ^ Goodwin, Graham (30 March 2023). "The A-X Of Hypercar & GTP: Part 3, Lamborghini To Podium Engineering". dailysportscar. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  2. ^ "PEUGEOT 9X8 HYBRID HYPERCAR: ULTIMATE DESIGN". Stellantis North America. 20 January 2022. Archived from the original on 18 July 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  3. ^ Gaudy, Geraldine (7 June 2021). "Peugeot 9X8 (2022). Découvrez l'hypercar hybride au V6 biturbo !" [Peugeot 9X8 (2022). Discover the hybrid hypercar with V6 biturbo!]. L'argus (in French). Archived from the original on 23 August 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  4. ^ Watkins, Gary (27 November 2022). "Peugeot to complete first 24-hour test with 9X8 before Christmas". Motorsport.com. Archived from the original on 6 February 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Entry List 2023" (PDF). 24 Hours of Le Mans (in French). Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 June 2023. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Peugeot to make 6 Hours of Monza 2022 WEC debut as bumper entry list announced | FIAWEC". www.fiawec.com. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  7. ^ a b "Nouvelle Peugeot 9X8 Hypercar | Néo-performance par Peugeot Sport". www.peugeot.fr (in French). Archived from the original on 22 September 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Peugeot to make a Le Mans comeback in 2022". www.goodwood.com. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  9. ^ Goodwin, Graham (25 February 2022). "Peugeot Sport Confirm No 9X8 Hybrid Hypercar Debut Until After Le Mans". Dailysportscar. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  10. ^ "24h du Mans : où en sont le programme Peugeot et la 9x8 ?". Auto moto : magazine auto et moto (in French). 18 August 2021. Archived from the original on 20 September 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  11. ^ Géraldine Gaudy (20 July 2021). "Peugeot 9X8 (2022). Découvrez l'hypercar hybride au V6 biturbo !" (in French). L'Argus. Archived from the original on 23 August 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  12. ^ Ong, Jay (14 April 2023). "LEGO unveils the Technic Peugeot 9X8 Le Mans Hypercar (42156) ahead of its 24 hour Le Mans debut". Jay's Brick Blog. Archived from the original on 25 April 2023. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  13. ^ "What do Hypercar race numbers mean?".
  14. ^ "WEC: Peugeot 9X8 Hypercar to debut at Monza". Federation Internationale de l'Automobile. 20 May 2022. Archived from the original on 2 July 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  15. ^ Klein, Jamie (19 January 2024). "Peugeot Reveals Alteration to Driver Crews – Sportscar365". sportscar365.com. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  16. ^ Kilbey, Stephen (2 March 2024). "Penske Leads Porsche 1-2-3 In Qatar | dailysportscar.com". www.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
  17. ^ Watkins, Gary (25 March 2024). "Peugeot reveals revised 9X8 Le Mans Hypercar with rear wing". motorsport.com. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  18. ^ "Jakobsen Promoted to Peugeot Race Seat for 2025 – Sportscar365". Sportscar365. 18 July 2024. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  19. ^ Klein, Jamie (7 September 2025). "No. 6 Penske Porsche Emerges Victorious in Chaotic COTA Race". Sportscar365. Retrieved 8 September 2025.
  20. ^ "Season 2022 Results". FIA World Endurance Championship. Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
  21. ^ "Season 2023 Results". FIA World Endurance Championship. Archived from the original on 18 January 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
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