Peugeot has revealed the first images of the Le Mans Hypercar project it is developing for its return to the 24 hour race in 2022.
The new LMH class will replace LMP1 as the top category in the race. Peugeot’s entry will be a four-wheel-drive hybrid producing approximately 680bhp. The new design will be larger than current LMP1s: two metres wide (compared to 1.9m) and around five metres long (compared to 4.65m).“The car will be 4-wheel drive, equipped – as required by the regulations – with an electric motor and a maximum power of 200kW [268bhp] on the front axle,” said Peugeot Sport WEC technical director Olivier Jansonnie.
Under the new LMH rules, a Balance of Performance will be imposed to ensure close competition between competing designs. Jansonnie said the BoP “certainly sets limits, but also allows room for many technical possibilities in our development, specifically on the general shape, as long as a certain overall aerodynamic efficiency is not exceeded.
“This will be measured in a 1:1 scale wind tunnel and which will be part of the BoP.”
While the images revealed today only show the broad design direction of the car, Peugeot has already final several key aspects of its specification.
“To this date, we have confirmed part of the aerodynamic concept, the engine framework has been decided and we have chosen the functionality of the hybrid system and its fundamental design,” said Jansonnie. “We still have several steps left before our debut in endurance in 2022, in studies, the production of prototypes and finally, affirmation on the bench and on the track.”
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Barry Bens (@barryfromdownunder)
18th September 2020, 14:46
We’ve seen with Alpha Tauri that looking cool actually can mean you go fast. Let’s hope that’s the case with this project as well. Can’t wait for some more action in the top of the field during Le Mans!
Robbie (@robbie)
18th September 2020, 14:47
Looks gorgeous!
ColdFly (@)
18th September 2020, 15:16
Especially if they keep the LED lights in the tyres ;)
Robbie (@robbie)
18th September 2020, 15:21
Lol ya really.
Chaitanya
18th September 2020, 16:31
Those will look really cool in rain conditions.
cdfemke (@cdfemke)
19th September 2020, 2:15
The peogeot Tron?
Invisiblekid (@invisiblekid)
19th September 2020, 3:59
HA yes! Can only hope all the LEDs stay, cos come nighttime, oh my.
Robbie (@robbie)
18th September 2020, 15:25
Reminds of my man Jacques Villeneuve who came oh so close to the Triple Crown of Motorsport with his second place with Peugeot in 08.
Jack (@jackisthestig)
18th September 2020, 17:02
I don’t remember JV winning the Monaco GP.
Robbie (@robbie)
18th September 2020, 17:10
@jackisthestig There are two accepted interpretations of what constitutes the Triple Crown of Motorsport, one being Monaco, the Indy 500, and the 24 hours of Lemans. The other interpretation is F1 WDC, Indy 500 winner, and 24 hours of Lemans.
Kasim
18th September 2020, 17:46
Monaco is nice I suppose but a wdc is a much greater achievement.
Although I suppose the Monaco gp win goes in line with the other two “requirements” in that it’s a race win, not a championship
But then maybe that’s why the wdc is almost considered a possible one of three, because it’s a great achievement, more so than a single monaco gp win.
But then I wonder, should that mean the indycar or equivalent championship should be considered as an alternative to the indy 500? And the same with lemans and the equivalent championship?
At this point we’re going around in circles and could add in many other races or championships and say why not this coveted race or that championship.
Maybe the underlying thing we can take from this is that, acheiving multiple race or championship wins (or even podiums?) Across different parts of the world in varying types of cars (or bikes) and on varying styles of racetrack or race circumstances/conditions.. is, a very commendable and respectable “crown” of motorsport.
Also makes me wonder, from the world of all motorsport, past and present. Who are the drivers with the most diverse motorsports participation?
Wether that be just participating, or points, podiums, wins and championships.
Who are motorsports greatest renaissance men???
F1oSaurus (@f1osaurus)
18th September 2020, 18:45
@robbie Which in itself already shows what hogwash this whole triple crown nonsense is.
GtisBetter (@)
18th September 2020, 18:51
I’m pretty sure the people who regard f1 WDC as part of the triple crown are the ones who haven’t won Monaco, but have a F1 WDC :).
anon
18th September 2020, 19:35
@passingisoverrated actually, it looks like it’s more a case of drivers who have won the Monaco Grand Prix then changing the definition of the Triple Crown, not the other way around.
The original definition, which is generally attributed to Graham Hill in 1972, was the World Drivers Championship, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Indianapolis 500 – that is how he defined it when he discussed the idea, and for several decades that was the traditionally accepted definition of the Triple Crown.
As one example, Mario Andretti is traditionally considered as one driver who came close to completing the Triple Crown – but he never won the Monaco Grand Prix (in fact, he only had a single points finish in that race, with just a lowly 5th place to his name). Indeed, you will find contemporary articles from 1995, where he finished 2nd in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where writers acknowledged that he was close to winning the Triple Crown and defined it as the World Drivers Championship, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Indianapolis 500.
Out of the two accepted definitions, therefore, the version that includes winning the Monaco Grand Prix is the more modern definition of the two (it doesn’t seem to have cropped up until a couple of decades later).
StephenH
18th September 2020, 17:05
If only they could have kept Aston and the Valkyire in the mix.
LMH should be such an awesome class – if it’s run properly and can attract those kind of manufacturers.
BaKano (@bakano)
18th September 2020, 18:25
I think Peugeot “needs” to win. With them owning Opel/Vauxhall the PSA group needs Motorsport success and they are not really winning for real for quite some time…
BaKano (@bakano)
18th September 2020, 18:26
Ooops, replied on a comment and not wrote a new one… Mobile version sucks…
Sush Meerkat
19th September 2020, 12:38
Didn’t Peugeot win the WEC several times? They just didn’t win Le Man’s as many times as they wished
I think it’s one win for the factory team, and one win for Oreca with a Peugeot
anon
18th September 2020, 19:18
StephenH, the thing is, there is some debate as to whether the Hypercar is that viable in the longer term given the Daytona Prototypes can run in the same category in WEC events, but Hypercars can’t enter IMSA’s events. Furthermore, the Daytona Prototype class is significantly cheaper than the Hypercar class is
Peugeot itself was actively considering cancelling the Hypercar and going for the Daytona Prototype – they’ve confirmed the main reason for going for the Hypercar rules in the end is aesthetics (to quote, it “makes it possible to incorporate, with the support of Peugeot Design, the aesthetic detail of the brand”).
Right now, I’d say the Hypercar class has still got some way to go to ensure it is viable – whilst Peugeot has joined, the ACO had been hoping for multiple new manufacturers (I believe their target was to get 3-4 new manufacturers) to join that class. The Hypercar rules were quite badly delayed and went through multiple major rewrites, and the indication is that quite a few of the manufacturers whom the ACO had been courting eventually gave up on the class because the ACO was taking too long to produce the rules.
Maybe, now the rules are in place, the ACO might be able to generate some interest – but the problem is that, with a merger between the LMDh and LMH classes due in a few years time, they’ve damaged the economic case for the Hypercar class for a number of other manufacturers.
The ACO also has the delicate question of how to deal with another problem in 2021, which is grandfathering the old LMP1 cars. Alpine has announced a plan to enter in 2021 with a second hand Rebellion R13, which is a move that Toyota aren’t happy about – they’ve indicated they want the ACO to ensure the old R13 isn’t as fast as their planned Hypercar, so there are more politics to be played about that issue too.
StephenH
18th September 2020, 23:33
All very good points. Well made.
Kasim
18th September 2020, 17:29
Wow I didnt realise the BoP rules were so much so that they even dictate the aero efficiency 9f the car
‘as long as a certain overall aerodynamic efficiency is not exceeded’
Yikes, that’s a bit far no?
F1oSaurus (@f1osaurus)
18th September 2020, 18:44
So it looks like a Le Mans car, but then a bit more street legal (ish)?
anon
18th September 2020, 23:36
@f1osaurus the intention of the Hyperclass rules is more of the opposite case – producing what are largely bespoke racing cars that are intended to strongly imitate road cars, mainly so it is more attractive in terms of advertising, with a limited number of homologation specials being produced to act as “halo cars” for those manufacturers.
Mike
18th September 2020, 19:14
What a pointless set of pics, this is just some Peugeot 3d artist being bored, not a race car. Most rendered concepts are.
Holmzini
18th September 2020, 20:23
They will crush again