Photo: Stellantis
Unleashed in 2022, the Peugeot 9X8 marked the company's return to top-tier endurance racing after 11 years. Having completed its first full FIA World Endurance Championship in 2023, the 9X8 received significant changes for the 2024 season.
Graced by a new livery with the brand's Lion symbol at its core, the 9X8 now sports a rear wing. But that's not the only notable change; Peugeot modified 90% of the bodywork. Sure, the race car looks largely the same at first glance, but the redesigned elements pop up upon closer inspection.
The canopy is decidedly sleeker on the 2024 version, while the side-pods seem taller and incorporate reworked intakes. The fender and engine fins were redesigned to work with the new wing. Peugeot also decided to drop the identical 31cm tire widths at all four corners. The 2024 9X8 will now run on 29cm rubber at the front and 34cm tires at the rear.
As a result, Peugeot also had to alter the center of gravity by moving certain components and making others lighter than before. "We decided to use this new homologation to add some reliability and performance upgrades to give us the best opportunities in the championship," said Olivier Jansonnie, Peugeot Sport's technical director.
The racing outfit had nothing to say about drivetrain upgrades but mentioned that the chassis was carried over unchanged. Thus, it's safe to say that the new 9X8 relies on last year's hybrid powertrain, which brings together a twin-turbo, 2.6-liter V6, a front-mounted motor-generator unit, and a single-speed reducer. While the V6 engine delivers 671 horsepower, the electric unit packs 268 horses.
Peugeot is looking to improve last year's performance when the 9X8 scored a single podium at the 6 Hours of Monza. The No. 93 car, driven by Paul di Resta, Mikkel Jensen, and Jean-Eric Vergne, finished third. With only 67 points from seven events, Peugeot placed fifth in the manufacturers' standings, behind Toyota, Ferrari, Porsche, and Cadillac.
2023 also saw the 9X8 make its official debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but Peugeot failed to pose a threat to the winner. The No. 93 car finished 12 laps behind the winning Ferrari 499P. It was the company's first presence at Le Mans after 12 years.
Having completed "several thousand kilometers of tests," the 2024 9X8 will make its competitive debut on April 21 at the 6 Hours of Imola. The upgraded Peugeot will compete in a rather crowded Hypercar division with entries from Cadillac, Porsche, Toyota, Isotta Fraschini, BMW, Alpine, Ferrari, and Lamborghini.
The 2024 FIA WEC season includes eight races. The season started in March with the Qatar 1812km race and will end in November with the 8 Hours of Bahrain. The calendar includes events at Imola, Spa-Fancorchamps, Circuit de la Sarthe, Interlagos, Circuit of the Americas, and Fuji Speedway.
This year's 24 Hours of Le Mans will occur June 15-16. That's when Peugeot will attempt to win the iconic endurance event for the fourth time. The French company previously won the race in 1992, 1993, and 2009.
The canopy is decidedly sleeker on the 2024 version, while the side-pods seem taller and incorporate reworked intakes. The fender and engine fins were redesigned to work with the new wing. Peugeot also decided to drop the identical 31cm tire widths at all four corners. The 2024 9X8 will now run on 29cm rubber at the front and 34cm tires at the rear.
As a result, Peugeot also had to alter the center of gravity by moving certain components and making others lighter than before. "We decided to use this new homologation to add some reliability and performance upgrades to give us the best opportunities in the championship," said Olivier Jansonnie, Peugeot Sport's technical director.
The racing outfit had nothing to say about drivetrain upgrades but mentioned that the chassis was carried over unchanged. Thus, it's safe to say that the new 9X8 relies on last year's hybrid powertrain, which brings together a twin-turbo, 2.6-liter V6, a front-mounted motor-generator unit, and a single-speed reducer. While the V6 engine delivers 671 horsepower, the electric unit packs 268 horses.
Peugeot is looking to improve last year's performance when the 9X8 scored a single podium at the 6 Hours of Monza. The No. 93 car, driven by Paul di Resta, Mikkel Jensen, and Jean-Eric Vergne, finished third. With only 67 points from seven events, Peugeot placed fifth in the manufacturers' standings, behind Toyota, Ferrari, Porsche, and Cadillac.
2023 also saw the 9X8 make its official debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but Peugeot failed to pose a threat to the winner. The No. 93 car finished 12 laps behind the winning Ferrari 499P. It was the company's first presence at Le Mans after 12 years.
Having completed "several thousand kilometers of tests," the 2024 9X8 will make its competitive debut on April 21 at the 6 Hours of Imola. The upgraded Peugeot will compete in a rather crowded Hypercar division with entries from Cadillac, Porsche, Toyota, Isotta Fraschini, BMW, Alpine, Ferrari, and Lamborghini.
The 2024 FIA WEC season includes eight races. The season started in March with the Qatar 1812km race and will end in November with the 8 Hours of Bahrain. The calendar includes events at Imola, Spa-Fancorchamps, Circuit de la Sarthe, Interlagos, Circuit of the Americas, and Fuji Speedway.
This year's 24 Hours of Le Mans will occur June 15-16. That's when Peugeot will attempt to win the iconic endurance event for the fourth time. The French company previously won the race in 1992, 1993, and 2009.
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