Peugeot and Leman is a history of decades. And since the late 80s and Group C, their prototypes have been some of the most beautiful, in my opinion. I’m talking about WM P88 of course. Then there was a campaign to create the beautiful 905 model, which eventually became the Сhampion. (then it was the LMP era of the 2020s, which I am not enthusiastic about). But now, 30 years later, the era of Hypercars has come, where Peugeot continued their bright motorsport path with the new 9×8 model.
9×8 2023 and 905 Evo II 1992 (in the next upcoming post)
Unlike other hypercars, Peugeot went a different way during the creation process of this magnificent 9×8. They took the designer’s masterpiece as a starting point, and the engineers began to tailor their solutions to the drawing. That is why we have such an unusual and extravagant hypercar, which does not have a rear wing in the usual form, and most of the downforce is generated due to the ground effect under the bottom.
As a result, Peugeot had a little less downforce than competitors. Also throughout the 2022 innaguration year and early into the 2023 season, the 9×8 suffered some mechanical failures, mostly related to the gearbox. However, when the X-day came – Le Mans 2023 – the cars were more than competitive. And only a pilot error deprived them of a possible victory. Because they were leading and pace was great… At the recent round at Monza, the Peugeot 9×8 was not just about catching up, but was a real threat to Toyota and Ferrari. But again, the mechanics let them down.
This 1/43 model from Spark is considered quite rare, because it was on sale only distribiuted at 2023 Leman race as a limited edition. And what an interesting livery she has!
When imagining the new livery of the 9X8, J. Demsky was doing more than just decorating a car: he is sending out a powerful message, in the great tradition of the Art Cars that have marked the automotive history, by applying it to a sports car that expresses the very best of PEUGEOT in terms of looks, efficiency and technology. J. Demsky is an eclectic Spanish artist and has also created a graphic design for the drivers’ suits and helmets. (Peugeot-sport)
video of Spark Peugeot 9×8 1/43 Spark on rotating stand:
