LION KINGS

Peugeot wants victory at the 100th Le Mans in June. We meet its pioneering 9X8 race car and a few ancestors

- STEPHEN DOBIE

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE WING OR RATHER THE distinct lack of one. The Peugeot 9X8 made its debut in the World Endurance Championship in 2022, entering a small handful of rounds to complete its development programme ahead of a full assault on WEC and Le Mans glory this year. And while the car didn't trouble any podiums, its striking appearance attracted more attention than its rivals might care to admit.

And that has added importance as we enter what could well be a new golden era of endurance racing. One that kicks off - somewhat fittingly - as Le Mans marks its centenary year. There'll be more than a dozen competitors in WEC's new Hypercar class, with five major manufacturers behind the bulk of them, not least Ferrari and Porsche. Fast forward to 2024 and BMW, Lamborghini and perhaps even Honda will be in the mix, too. Ultimately only one can win and there'll be battered and bruised egos littering La Sarthe's pitlane come Sunday June 11. If history teaches us anything, though, it's that some of the most iconic race cars don't actually win. Standing out in a grid that's full to bursting with legendary names feels like half a victory already.

'We as engineers were a little surprised by the amount of interest!' admits Olivier Jansonnie, Peugeot Sport's technical director, when I bring up the wingless appearance of his team's new car. 'I think most of the talk we've had on this car regards the lack of wing, but quite frankly there's a few things on the car more innovative than this...'

Undeterred, I ask how it came about. 'We were exceeding the targets in the wind tunnel. So during one of the first tests we came up with the idea of removing the rear wing altogether. By the end of 2021 we had two prototypes running in parallel - one much closer to an LMP1 design, and this one.