Why Peugeot had no choice but to revamp its radical Le Mans Hypercar
OPINION: Peugeot has revealed a heavily-revised version of its 9X8 Le Mans Hypercar after deciding to give up the unequal struggle with its original wingless design. Rather than a result of design errors or over-ambition, the French constructor was undone by regulation changes rendering its concept uncompetitive at many circuits on the WEC calendar
It somehow seemed incongruous given what we knew was around the corner. The sight of a Peugeot heading the chase of the leader over a full race distance in the World Endurance Championship season-opener in Qatar earlier this month was a first and also a bit strange.
That was because it was the soon-to-be-replaced original version of the 9X8, a car that had previously only shown flashes of speed, putting in the starring performance. But its pace in the desert proved exactly why the French manufacturer had no choice but to abandon the wingless concept of its original Le Mans Hypercar.
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