Peugeot 908: Peugeot blends pace with grace

Beaten to the grid, never mind the chequered flag, by Audi’s turbodiesel-powered R10 sports prototype, Peugeot used October’s Paris motor show as a fitting venue to debut its 2007 Le Mans hopeful, the 908 V12 HDi.

Powered by a twin-turbo 5.5-litre V12 common-rail high-pressure direct-injection diesel, it packs 700bhp and over 885lb ft of torque – more than even the Audi's quoted output.

By deciding not to rush out a car for the 2006 season, Peugeot has been able to develop a closed-cockpit racer that takes advantage of forthcoming endurance-racing regulations. While the fixed lid presents problems of weight, a higher centre of gravity and trickier driver changes, Peugeot says the benefits in terms of aerodynamics and chassis rigidity outweigh them.

The V12’s 5.5-litre capacity is the biggest allowed under current regulations, while its 100-degree ‘V’ angle reduces its centre of gravity for better handling.

As with Audi’s V12, the Peugeot unit runs complete with diesel particulate filters in its exhaust system – as well as being a racer, the 908 must act as an ambassador for Peugeot’s diesel technology, so clean-looking exhaust emissions are essential.

While useful for pushing Peugeot’s road-car message – diesels produce fewer CO2 emissions – the V12 oil-burner proved challenging for the motorsport team. Despite being of all-aluminium construction, the engine is comparatively heavy and sits a long way back in the chassis. Those factors, plus its hefty torque output, placed unusual stresses on the rear tyres. Aerodynamics were used to overcome this problem.

Testing of the 908 starts in the latter part of this year. Although Peugeot will compete in the entire Le Mans series, victory in the flagship 24-hour race is its ultimate goal for the 2007 season.