Peugeot has revealed the first images of its radical latest generation 9X8 Hypercar that will carry the French manufacturer back to the World Endurance Championship in 2022.
Powered by a hybrid power unit which drives through all-wheel drive transmission, the stunning design which will herald a new era of motor racing due to its "flowing lines" is noticeable, among other things, for the absence of a rear wing.
Peugeot design director Matthisas Hossann revealed the original inspiration for the Le Mans Hypercar's outline.
"Since the 9X8 is a Peugoet, the original sketch that steered our work portrayed a big cat ready to pounce, a stance which we have suggested by the slightly forward-tilting cockpit”, said Hossann?
"The overall lines of the Peugeot 9X8 express the brand’s styling cues, while its sleek, racy, elegant forms inspire emotion and dynamism."
In case you're wondering about the car's nomenclature, the "9" continues the series employed by the manufacturer for its recent topflight endurance racing cars, while the "X" refers to the machines all-wheel drive technology and hybrid powertrain, and the "8" is the suffix used for all of peugoet's current model names.
"It is the first racing car to feature styling to this extent," said one of the 9X8's future drivers, Kevin Magnussen.
"There’s been nothing like it before. It really looks like the future of racing. It’s the first time so much work has gone into a racing car’s actual design.
"The absence of a rear wing was as a huge surprise. It feels like the beginning of a new era."
Magnussen will be joined next year at Peugoet by fellow former F1 drivers Paul di Resta and Jean-Eric Vergne, as well as by endurance racers Loic Duval, Mikkel Jensen, Gustavo Mnenezes and James Rossiter.
