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Peugeot shares stunning images of the 9X8 Le Mans Hypercar entry

French firm teamed up with fashion and automotive photographer Agnieszka Doroszewicz.

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Peugeot 9X8

Peugeot has shared detailed images of its stunning Le Mans Hypercar entry for 2022, called 9X8.

The Hypercar category is new to the sport and aims to bring more manufacturers back to top level prototype racing.

This new gallery comes from a collaboration with fashion and automotive photographer Agnieszka Doroszewicz, aimed at demonstrating the attention to detail that has gone into the 9X8’s creation.

Peugeot 9X8
(Peugeot)

Peugeot says the look of the car essentially takes the firm’s design language to the extreme, with ‘a feline stance’ and sleek lines, along with the three-clawed light signature also seen on its road cars.

These lights were used as a key component of the design to give the cars a distinctive appearance at night. Team members said one of the frustrating things about watching the 24 Hours of Le Mans trackside is that it’s hard to distinguish cars as they pass at night, something the three-claw design hopes to combat.

Previously, race cars were built with a focus on performance but with less concern for its aesthetics. However, Peugeot’s design director Matthias Hossann said there was ‘unprecedented’ collaboration between designers and engineers for the 9X8.

Peugeot 9X8
(Peugeot)

He added: “Guided by performance, for which no compromise was ever made, and under innovative regulations, the engineers left as much room as possible to allow the Hypercar’s designers freedom of creativity.”

One of the 9X8’s most distinguishing features is its lack of rear wing, giving it a unique profile in motorsport circles. Peugeot has worked hard on the rear of the car to ensure it has decent downforce without a wing, hoping to become the first car to win without a wing in over 50 years.

Propulsion comes from a hybrid powertrain, with a 2.6-litre twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine at the rear and electric motors at the front making 671bhp and 266bhp respectively.

Peugeot 9X8
(Peugeot)

Speaking of the images shared today, photographer Doroszewicz said: “We really wanted to spread our shoot over a long day, and extend it late into the night.

“I was able to achieve a perfect evocation of the Le Mans 24 Hours in my photos. Daylight, artificial lighting and the bright illumination of the headlights combine with the powerful pattern of the car’s light claws.

“Of course, we are not in Le Mans at all, but it is the whole atmosphere of Le Mans that we have here.”

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