Thursday 26th April 2018

Peugeot 905: Time For Coffee?

2018 marks 25 years since Peugeot's incredible 1-2-3 at Le Mans, so no further excuse required for a vid!

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Distinguished as Peugeot has been in international motorsport, it's unlikely that a V10 sportscar would be your first thought when discussing its racing past. The 205 T16 will probably come to mind, as will various rallying 306s and 206s, plus perhaps the 405s and 406s we saw in the BTCC. But a Le Mans sports prototype might take a bit of thinking of, and even then it'll likely be the 908 HDI FAP - Le Mans winner in 2009 - that jogs the memory.

But don't forget the 905! First seen in 1990 for the 1991 season (which brought in new rules), it turned out to be a tremendously successful Peugeot. In 1991 it scored consecutive one-twos at Magny-Cours and Mexico, in 1992 it won Le Mans and in 1993 - 25 years ago this year - the 905 scored a momentous 1-2-3 finish at the 24 Hours. Peugeot left sportscar racing after that victory, not returning for 14 years.

And what a car the 905 was. Using a 3.5-litre V10 (that went into F1 for 1994) making 650hp at 12,500rpm (!), the 905 was as fast as it was staggering to look at and listen to. Indeed, by the time of the 1993 Le Mans triumph, the Evo 1B car was making more than 700hp.

This little onboard video is our gesture to mark 25 years since the 905's final (and greatest) success. Of course it's the noise that's most beguiling, V10 wailing its way to 12,000rpm and beyond, but just look at how quick it is too. We're not talking 919 Evo levels here, of course, although the 905 did weigh less than 800kg. It's searingly rapid, be in no doubt.

Don't forget, either, that if you're sad cars like this don't race at Le Mans anymore, there's every possibility a 905 could be at Le Mans Classic again. Watch this vid and you'll see why the Peugeot might be worth the whole weekend away on its own...

 

[Image: LAT, additional 905 info from Wikipedia]

[vz-r_dave]

How have we gone from this to diesels and 4 cylinders

[Turbobanana]

I went to Le Mans 1989-91 and by 1992 was a Peugeot salesman. Sadly I couldn't afford to go for a couple of years after that so I missed the 1-2-3.

If anything the non-Evolution model looked even better, with almost-believable road car headlights and clearly heavily based on Peugeot's Proxima concept car from 1986. I still have a 1:43 scale model of it.

They did sound good at full chat on the Mulsanne, too

[pthelazyjourno]

Always preferred this. Amazing cars.

[Guy456]

This brings back so many memories for me as I was there in 1993, my fourth Le Mans at that time. It was the Thursday practice and the first time I found my way to the Chinese restaurant on the Mulsanne Straight in the days you could watch track side just metres away from the cars. Watching the 905 (and similar Toyota’s) scream past then brake into the first chicane at night remains my most visceral motorsport experience and I’ve been to a few events over the years. Such a shame that health and safety has made it more difficult to see it now - although I have to concede that at one point I was lying on part of the restaurant’s corrugated iron roof that might have given way in a gust of wind! Those were great cars but Group C remains for me the high point for sports car racing.

[LotusOmega375D]

Imagine sharing the workload of racing that for 24 hours. Is that a 3 pedal manual or a sequential type gearchange?

[Rocket.]

Guy456 said:

This brings back so many memories for me as I was there in 1993, my fourth Le Mans at that time. It was the Thursday practice and the first time I found my way to the Chinese restaurant on the Mulsanne Straight in the days you could watch track side just metres away from the cars. Watching the 905 (and similar Toyota’s) scream past then brake into the first chicane at night remains my most visceral motorsport experience and I’ve been to a few events over the years. Such a shame that health and safety has made it more difficult to see it now - although I have to concede that at one point I was lying on part of the restaurant’s corrugated iron roof that might have given way in a gust of wind! Those were great cars but Group C remains for me the high point for sports car racing.

Very similar experience to mine, agree 100 pct

[Amanitin]

The 1993 1-2-3 is a truly remarkable achievement as both Toyota and Porsche were present with multiple factory and private teams. The 962 was at the end of its shelf life by then, but the TS010 was introduced two years later than the 905.

[rampageturke]

vz-r_dave said:

How have we gone from this to diesels and 4 cylinders

progress

[British Beef]

rampageturke said:

vz-r_dave said:

How have we gone from this to diesels and 4 cylinders

When I watch & listen to v12s, v10s and v8s screaming, and then the modern F1s or any other form of racing, I think that Formula E, is where it is all heading to.

Very sad, how the quest for efficient cars on the road has so compellingly destroyed the spectator enjoyment of motor racing.


Removing high revving NA engines from motorsport is not just taking the jam from the dohnut of the spectator, it's replacing the whole dohnut with an apple.
Ironically motorsport only exists to please the spectator, remove the spectators / audience and the marketing / publicity of motorsport is worthless.

Rant over!!!

[Jimbo.]

vz-r_dave said:

How have we gone from this to diesels and 4 cylinders

‘cos they go faster. Progress in motorsport is rubbish, isn’t it?

[Nerdherder]

Pure aural porn for spectators this machine. Just listen to it blast over Spa: https://youtu.be/pg6yPF1HBIQ

Edited by Nerdherder on Thursday 26th April 18:23

[andymac]

Great era . Was there when they won and was there when the mighty Mazda won ...probably the best sounding Le Mans car ever
at night used to wake you up on almost every lap ....

peugeot -Le Mans needs some manufacturers back and back then the crowds were massive to see them win

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az39eqLIbyU

[sumpoil]

I happened to be driving past Silverstone one weekday in the early 90's and called in on the off chance, just to see what was going on. As it happened Peugeot were there testing the 905. I stood and watched from the exit of Woodcote onto the then start/finish straight of the Grand Prix circuit. I swear it's still the fastest thing I've seen through Copse corner. The engine note didn't waiver from flat out on the straight through turn in and apex at Copse. Absolutely bloody awesome!

[Krikkit]

Jimbo. said:

vz-r_dave said:

How have we gone from this to diesels and 4 cylinders

‘cos they go faster. Progress in motorsport is rubbish, isn’t it?

Not just significantly faster, but a lot more efficiently.

The modern LMP1 cars are a marvel of engineering, and the V4/V6 in the Porsche/Toyota sound rather magnificent. Not as good as this mind.

[Housey]

The 3.5L for me was the start of the ruination of sports car racing as I had been lucky enough to live through the Group C era from start to finish. These cars sounded great and looked great, but the racing was not a patch on the previous generation, the manufacturers involvement far less and the end was nigh as the FIA did their best to homogenise a formula that had become a place of relatively free innovation.

Fantastic cars, but give me the peak of Group C with Porsche, Jaguar, Mercedes, Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Aston Martin, Lancia all out there at the same time, not all works car but all from the works factories at some point.

[Housey]

Guy456 said:

This brings back so many memories for me as I was there in 1993, my fourth Le Mans at that time. It was the Thursday practice and the first time I found my way to the Chinese restaurant on the Mulsanne Straight in the days you could watch track side just metres away from the cars. Watching the 905 (and similar Toyota’s) scream past then brake into the first chicane at night remains my most visceral motorsport experience and I’ve been to a few events over the years. Such a shame that health and safety has made it more difficult to see it now - although I have to concede that at one point I was lying on part of the restaurant’s corrugated iron roof that might have given way in a gust of wind! Those were great cars but Group C remains for me the high point for sports car racing.

Great wasn't it?

I feel sorry for those who never got to experience it, for they have zero idea what they missed and sadly great though Group C historic racing is, it is no match for works cars, driven by the best drivers, at full chat.

[Mattygooner]

Krikkit said:

Not just significantly faster, but a lot more efficiently.

The modern LMP1 cars are a marvel of engineering, and the V4/V6 in the Porsche/Toyota sound rather magnificent. Not as good as this mind.

The modern power trains are not the real reason they go faster though are they? Delivery and efficiency yes, but Porsche were putting out 1,300 BHP in qualifying trim 40 years ago, if large capacity 8, 10 and 12 cylinder cars were still being developed, and if the regulations would allow, they would be just as quick with modern delivery and aero.

And honestly, they don't sound great, not even in the top 5 of what I can hear from my tent, certainly last year the Aston, Vette and LMP2 cars sounded far better, and nowhere near the screaming 911.

Hopefully this will be back at the Le Mans classic again this year.