Peugeot will again participate in the World Endurance Championship from 2022 and will also return in the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans. At this year’s Les 24 Heures, the brand is already showing a preview of its new race car.
Peugeot has already presented three teaser photos of the hypercar that will be shown in its entirety at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this weekend. The concept car is a preview of the car with which Peugeot will participate in the new hypercar class of the WEC from 2022. According to Peugeot, the LMH class offers ‘more aerodynamic freedom’ than the lower LMDh class, where every team has to work from a fixed Ligier base. Hence the choice to develop a completely own LMH car.
In the LMH class, the cars must be a maximum of 4.65 meters long and 2 meters wide, they must weigh at least 1,100 kilos and the motor must weigh at least 180 kilos. Obviously there are more regulations, but the most important thing is that the manufacturers have a lot of freedom in terms of engine choice. As long as the power source does not deliver more than 681 hp (500 kW) of power. There is also a homologation obligation for the powertrain and (possible) ERS.
The colossus in the teaser photos looks promising. Peugeot has managed to pour clearly recognizable design details over the body, which cannot be compared with any model. For example, the three ‘tusks’ as headlights immediately catch the eye and at the rear the three ‘stripes’ return. It also goes well with the new Peugeot Sport logo, also consisting of three stripes.
Peugeot also competed in the highest prototype class, then called LMP1, in the past and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times. That was in 1992, 1993 and most recently in 2009. The last time was with the Peugeot 908 (photo 4). The name of the new race car is not yet known. 908, however, seems a promising name to revive.
With Peugeot’s return to the WEC – and to the 24 Hours of Le Mans – a French titanic battle seems imminent as Renault subsidiary Alpine confirmed its participation in the WEC at the highest level earlier this week.