Peugeot Sport has provided an early glimpse of the design for the Hypercar it intends to enter the 24 Hours of Le Mans with in 2022. On the eve of the delayed 2020 event, the French brand and longstanding partner Total said the car should produce 680hp from an all-new hybrid, all-wheel drive powertrain. Work on the drive hardware is now underway, with the carโs structure and aerodynamics said to already be at an advanced stage of development. With those swelled arches and Peugeotโs signature light design, the result looks sensational.
The LMH racer will be Peugeotโs first Le Mans machine since its diesel-powered 908 of 2011, which succeeded the 908 HDi FAP that delivered the brand its third and most recent Le Mans win in 2009. The manufacturer had developed a 2012 racer before dropping out, but donโt expect anything to be carried over from that stillborn prototype; the new Hypercar class cars are set to be vastly different. Aerodynamic freedom has been expanded, with the power limited (the front axle eMotor is capped at 270hp) and each car will have to weigh no less than 1,040kg โ about 160kg more than the Toyota TS050, for comparison.
As such, the Hypercar class times are expected to be around 10 seconds slower than the quickest LMP1-H cars at the Circuit de la Sarthe. Quite the drop off for a sprint series, but in Le Mans, where consistency, not peak pace, is key โ just ask 2020 favourite Mike Conway โ it shouldnโt change the visual spectacle much. And with the likes of Glickenhaus, Toyota and possibly even Lamborghini lined up to enter the class, the racing itself should be a lot more exciting to watch, which is the priority. Oh how weโve longed for a close-fought top category since Porsche departed the World Endurance Championship back in 2017.
Peugeot Sport says that โall technical departmentsโ are involved in the development of its upcoming racer, so itโs fair to say the brand doesnโt just want to make up class numbers. Along with its extensive rallying history and former role as an engine builder in F1, Peugeotโs involvement in Le Mans stretches back into the nineties. The French car maker won in 1992 and 1993 with its legendary 905 Evo 1B, using a V10 engine that shared some technical similarities with its F1 motors. No doubt that made convincing Peugeotโs board to plough lots of money into a racing project easier.
This time around, itโll be the Hypercar classโs use of electrified powertrains, not to mention the freer aero rules that allow for a familiar Peugeot design, helping to make the investment worthwhile. That, and the fact Peugeot clearly feels emotionally tied to its home marketโs world-famous event. As Philippe Montanteme, Totalโs strategy and marketing director puts it: โcompetition is firmly embedded in our DNAโ and โrepresents a real technical on-hands workshop for our respective brandsโ. Peugeotโs CEO, Jean-Philippe Imparato, added: โWe are coming back to endurance racing because we have the opportunity to work the sport in a different way, with the hybridisation of gas and electricity".
We are, of course, very excited for this weekendโs race, but are surely not the only ones feeling doubly excited about whatโs to come when Le Mans gets a bustling top category again. 2021 is shaping up to be great, but 2022 might just deliver one of the most competitive Le Mans in history. Hopefully we'll be able to attend that one for real, as well...
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