Peugeot boss keeps door open for wild French Ferrari rival, but only if there’s enough demand
Peugeot has revealed it could push ahead with plans to put the wild, wingless Peugeot 9X8 Hypercar into production if enough buyers step forward to demand it be built.
It was originally thought a road-going Peugeot 9X8 Hypercar was a dead cert when the early regulations for the Le Mans Hypercar class required car-makers to homologate the racer for road use.
But those plans were soon dropped to help lower the cost of competition in the top-flight race series.
Sparking rumours that an advanced 500kW twin-turbo V6 Peugeot 9X8 was back on the cards, Peugeot boss Linda Jackson left the door open when asked if a road version was likely.
“No. It’s not in the pipeline,” Jackson told Britain’s Top Gear magazine, but added: “If you’re going to come with a blank cheque, we can always talk.
“It’s one of these things where if somebody were to come along, then why not? But nobody has come along yet.
“Maybe I’ve opened the door now? We might have somebody come along, you never know.”
Jackson didn’t reveal whether the car-maker had already been approached, but if a production version is green-lit the 9X8 Hypercar could become one of the fastest and most technologically advanced cars money can buy.
Currently, the racing prototype is powered by a twin-turbo 2.6-litre V6 that by itself produces 520kW. Driving the front axles is another electric motor that produces a punchy 200kW.
The current regulations restrict total combined power to 500kW. However, if uncorked, the advanced powertrain can produce more than 700kW, according to engineers.
What’s more, the racer achieves this while weighing just 1030kg.
Despite its radical aerodynamics that delete a rear spoiler, success has not been forthcoming for the 9X8 Hypercar racer, with the advanced Peugeot prototype only managing a lowly eighth overall earlier this month at the Le Mans 24 Hours.
Over the years, Peugeot has frequently flirted with the concept of a supercar – from the mid-engined Quasar (1984) and wild V12 907 (2004) to the twin-turbo diesel V8-powered Onyx (2012).
If produced the Peugeot 9X8 Hypercar’s closest rival will be the street-legal Toyota GR Super Sport Hypercar that has been frequently teased but not officially confirmed for production.
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Keyword: Peugeot 9X8 Hypercar a chance for production