Tuesday 2nd November 2010

'Finned' Peugeot Le Mans Racer Revealed

French factory team is first out to play with (ugly?) new aero aid

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Having previously been kept secret in Peugeot Sport's factory in Vélizy, near Paris, Peugeot Sport's new Le Mans/endurance racer - known under the codename 90X - has been out for its first track test at Monza.

The 90X complies with the new ACO's 2011 regulations, and (like the 2011 Aston Martin LMP1 rendering we showed you a while back) incorporates a 'shark fin' on the engine cover, a feature designed to help prevent the car from becoming airborne in the case of a high-speed spin. These newly-released images are the first official pictures we've seem of a top team's LMP1 car featuring the mandatory aid.

As with the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP, Peugeot Sport has opted for a closed cockpit design, which still meets the mandatory 900kg weight requirement.

"We are still exploring several options with regard to the engine and technology we will use," says out Bruno Famin, the Technical Director of Peugeot Sport. "Work on the engine's development is ongoing. Endurance racing is an ideal proving ground to provide us with the opportunity to showcase all the brand's technologies."

According to Autosport, that means Peugeot is planning to run some sort of hybrid powertrain next year, but that no definitive decision has been taken yet.

[beez]

How does that fin stop a car getting airborn in a spin, nascar have a flap on the roof to stop this which makes sense and is only visible if a car spins and the air gets under the flap???

[Nick M]

It's to try and stall the airflow over the car when it slides sideways and air gets underneath. Rather than acting as a wing it breaks up the airflow and stops the car lifting off the ground and flying, like the Oreca did at Monza in, I think, 2008 and the Peugeot did at Le Mans in the pre-test weekend.

[TheArchitect]

How flat is that rear wing!

Edited by TheArchitect on Tuesday 2nd November 13:31

[Scuffers]

TheArchitect said:

How flat is that rear wing!

one would assume they were at Monza for a reason, ie. doing high speed stability testing?

[JMC1]

I THINK THE CAR LOOKS GREAT, A REAL BEAST. I LIKE THE WAY THEY HAVE PAINTED THE FIN BLACK AND LOVE THE REST OF THE COLOUR SCHEME REMINDS ME A LITTLE BIT OF THE OLD LOTUS ESSEX COLOUR SCHEMES.
AS PLAY STATION IS ON THE SIDE IS THIS THE CARS THAT ORECA WILL CAMPAIGN NEXT YEAR.

[The Leaper]

I hate fins! In my opinion they look rubbish on F1 cars and even worse on LMPs. However, if safety is in mind then they are inevitable.

R.

[soad]

Looking good

[dvs_dave]

Nick M said:

It's to try and stall the airflow over the car when it slides sideways and air gets underneath. Rather than acting as a wing it breaks up the airflow and stops the car lifting off the ground and flying, like the Oreca did at Monza in, I think, 2008 and the Peugeot did at Le Mans in the pre-test weekend.

And also very conveniently offers a lot more prime space for advertising....funny that.

[ajprice]

Waits for somebody to build an f-duct into the fin...

[Scuffers]

ajprice said:

Waits for somebody to build an f-duct into the fin...

just thinking that!

wonder if that kind of thing is covered in ACO's regs?

[esudfu]

TheArchitect said:

How flat is that rear wing!

Monza would be like that regardless of what the test was for. Look at the special wings the F1 boys use there. When F3 and GP2 race at Monza, they used to take the top element of the wing off completely and just have the bottom plate and end plates...looked weird!

On a side note though - what an awesome looking car (apart from the fin). That fin looks like an early iteration to me, and will probably end up being a bit more 'sculpted' like the one on the Aston rendering. Unless the rules dictate a square one, or it turns out to be most efficient, of course!

[Antj]

ajprice said:

Waits for somebody to build an f-duct into the fin...

don;t think its needed so much to be honest on closed cockpit as top speed has never been a rpobelm. if you rmemebr right last few years they have been trying to slow the peugeot down top end wise.

[Blue Meanie]

JMC1 said:

I THINK THE CAR LOOKS GREAT, A REAL BEAST. I LIKE THE WAY THEY HAVE PAINTED THE FIN BLACK AND LOVE THE REST OF THE COLOUR SCHEME REMINDS ME A LITTLE BIT OF THE OLD LOTUS ESSEX COLOUR SCHEMES.
AS PLAY STATION IS ON THE SIDE IS THIS THE CARS THAT ORECA WILL CAMPAIGN NEXT YEAR.

[The Wookie]

beez said:

How does that fin stop a car getting airborn in a spin, nascar have a flap on the roof to stop this which makes sense and is only visible if a car spins and the air gets under the flap???

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the Nascar blowovers happen when the car is travelling backwards because of their high tail, hence the flaps pointing in that direction.

The cars naturally don't blow over side on because of their slab sided shape, and the flaps are in no danger of opening during normal driving because they're being pressed shut by the airflow, which wouldn't be the case with sideways on flaps.

[F1GTRUeno]

Fins are the bain of my motorsport enjoying life.

They've helped massively ruin the way F1 cars look and now they're gonna do the same to LMP cars as well.

[A Scotsman]

Fins aint what they used to be!

[biggrim]

A Scotsman said:

Fins aint what they used to be!

LMAO ^^^^^^^^^

[vintageracer01]

Looks wild to me. I like it.

Race cars ain't about DESIGN there are about speed and performance only.
That is what creates the form.
And these forms are quite inspireing, imo.

As far design goes at the most it is the paint job.

[freedman]

Gebhardt did this in 1982 on their C2 car!

Later bought and developed by Ian Harrower as an ADA I believe

[LukeBird]

Lovely, except for that fin!