First images of a car known as the 9X8 2024 reveal a conventional, if low-line rear wing on a car that retains the familiar look of the original version, which entered competition in the final three races of the 2022 season.
The addition of the wing, which hadn’t been previously confirmed by Peugeot, follows the French manufacturer’s decision to abandon the equal width front and rear tyres of the mk1 car.
Peugeot’s 9X8 now runs 29cm tyres at the front and 34cm at the rear like all its competitors in the WEC’s Hypercar class rather than the 31/31 of before.
The adoption of the revised tyre dimensions has forced Peugeot to undertake a massive overhaul of the avant-garde concept of its LMH.
The 31/31 tyres allowed Peugeot to go for a 50/50 front/rear weight distribution, while the freedoms in the LMH rulebook meant it could generate most of the car’s downforce from the underfloor.
Combined, they allowed it do away with the need for a conventional rear wing.
The weight bias of the car has now been shifted to the rear and more downforce comes from the upper body surfaces, including the rear wing.
Source: Autosport