The French carmaker, which last raced at Le Mans in 2011 when it did not defend its title, is preparing for the World Endurance Championships (WEC) in the newly created category of hypersports. He will arrive on the tracks during 2022.
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Hypersport is called 9X8. Nine refers to specials of the past, including the 905 or 908, the letter X for all-wheel drive, and the eight fits into the current numbering of civilian models.
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In addition to details such as distinctive headlights and taillights, this is a common special for endurance circuit racing. However, the “standard” badge with a glass cockpit does not end with a normal huge wing. According to Peugeot, it was possible to create sufficient pressure even without it.
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“The absence of a rear wing is a significant innovative step. We have achieved a degree of aerodynamic efficiency that allows us to terminate this function. But don’t ask how! We intend to keep it a secret for as long as possible, “said Jean-Marc Finot, CEO of Stellantis Motorsport.
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“It simply came to our notice then. It really looks like the future of racing. The absence of the rear wing was a big surprise. It seems to me like the beginning of a new era, “commented Kevin Magnussen, the driver of the car. His colleagues will be Paul di Resta, Jean-Eric Vergne, Loic Duval, Gustavo Menezes and Mikkel Jensen.
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Peugeot also shows a colorful interior with cameras instead of mirrors, which, however, remains racing.
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Rechargeable hybrid
The six-cylinder fork in the middle with cylinders placed at an angle of 90 degrees has 2.6 liters, two turbochargers and itself offers 500 kilowatts, 680 horsepower. Drives the rear wheels through a seven-speed sequential transmission.
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However, there is also an electric motor at the front that drives the front wheels. It has an output of up to 200 kW, 268 hp. It is powered by a battery located in the middle with a voltage of 900 V.
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These numbers cannot be added together. It will be essential to harmonize the two units, because regulations are significantly involved in all this. The maximum system power that the device can provide at one time is 500 kW. The electric motor can then be connected from 120 km / h. Only then will the car become an ATV.
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It is a plug-in hybrid. In races, the battery will be 100 percent charged before the start using a charging device, on the track the battery will be fully autonomous and will be charged only thanks to the kinetic energy gained during braking.
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However, two exceptions are allowed in the regulations. If the battery is discharged, the power of the internal combustion engine at the end of the straight line can increase by three percent to 515 kW (700 hp), so that the electric motor operates as an alternator with a power of 15 kW. This configuration, called “End of Straight”, is used automatically by the car’s electronics. The name refers to the fact that the battery typically discharges at the end of a long straight line.
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“The driveline architecture was created according to very detailed specifications, which were governed by the new regulations of the championship. We originally considered a single-turbo engine, but with that we failed to achieve the goal of reducing the engine’s center of gravity. The double-supercharged V6 is the best compromise between technology, weight, architecture, reliability and performance, ”said Francois Coudrain, Director of WEC Drive Development at Peugeot Sport.
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