Peugeot, having won the Le Mans 24hrs three times before (1992, 1993, and 2009) is coming back to the Circuit de la Sarthe for 2022 with a dramatic new racing car.
Four-wheel drive hybrid
It still doesn't have a name, but this new Peugeot conforms to the latest Le Mans Hypercar (LMH) regulations, and will use petrol-electric hybrid power which will be badged 'Neo Performance.' The French car giant says that the combined power from both petrol and electric will be 500kW, or 680hp. It'll also have four-wheel drive, and fuel-supplier Total has been heavily involved in the development of the car to maximise both its performance and efficiency.
"Le Mans is the holy grail of the automobile world", says Jean Philippe Imparato, Peugeot brand CEO. "It is the race who determines its winner. For us, this represents three victories but also the endless sweat, tears and joy and an incredible team spirit with Total, with whom we celebrate this year, 25 years of collaboration.
Links to production cars
"This category unites our entire company and all of our entities, with features and technologies similar to those of our production cars. Through this commitment, Peugeot is opening a new register, that of Neo Performance. We 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. Peugeot Sport is changing its identity and launching its label of electrified high-performance vehicles; Peugeot Sport Engineered with its first 508 model: 360 horsepower, 4-wheel drive and 46g of CO2. This endurance program allows us to integrate ourselves fully into the transition of energies."
Philippe Montantême, TOTAL Strategy/Marketing & Research Director said: "We mark 25 years of close collaboration between Peugeot and Total but also of strong involvement in motorsport. Competition, firmly embedded in our DNA, represents a real technical on-hands workshop for our respective brands. It is in these workshops that we can work together, in search of perpetual performance and efficiency, in order to share the best solutions and products from high-level sport to our final customers. The "Le Mans Hypercar" project provides us today possibilities for joint development on the entire energy system of the car; on the efficiency of our fuels for all the competitors, and as the exclusive supplier of lubricants, specifically designed for hybrid vehicles. It will also allow Total and SAFT to study new battery solutions alongside Peugeot. Total is now a multi-energy company that answers to all mobility demands while maintaining itself as a pioneer. The "Le Mans Hypercar" embodies this perfectly."
Heavier, longer, and wider
Olivier Jansonnie, Technical Director Peugeot Sport WEC program: "The car will be 4-wheel drive, equipped - as required by the regulations - with an electric motor and a maximum power of 200kW on the front axle. The Total power level will be identical to that of a 100 per cent thermal two-wheel drive car (500kW or approx. 680hp) that will be distributed between the two axles. In comparison with what we currently know in LMP1, the car will be heavier so as to be compatible with road vehicles. It will also be longer and wider. This regulation is also different because it incorporates a performance balance. It 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. 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. 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."
Matthias Hossann, Peugeot Design Director: "The new Le Mans Hypercar category offers an unprecedented and historical opportunity for sports and design teams to collaborate. The regulations answer fully to Peugeots need and appetite to embody its vision for the future in its next competition car: that of electric Neo-Performance. The look of the vehicles will no longer only be the result of the wind tunnel sessions, we will have a dedicated space to create a unique, iconic product, combining performance and expressiveness. We intend to make the most of the wiggle room offered and we are very excited about this project! We are currently in the pre-project stage, that of studies and conception. We have discussed different regulation possibilities with the Peugeot Sport teams to assure that we are fully aware of that is allowed and what is not. The rest of the project will be carried out in close collaboration between the two teams.
Price rises for family cars
These sketches are the first design drafts intended to help us identify the important segments on which we should focus on. The three claw marks and the colours are symbols that we wish to produce on our hypercar. Our signature found in the light impressions are part of the strong identity emblems present on our production vehicles and that we wish to reproduce in the race."