The Peugeot 908 is an auto racing car developed by Peugeot Sport in 2011 for the Le Mans Prototype category of racing. Powered by a diesel engine, it is the successor to the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP which competed since 2007. The newer 908 features a smaller diesel than its predecessor, utilizing a 3,700 cc (230 cu in) HDi V8 engine with Honeywell Turbo Technologies turbocharger [3] in order to meet new regulations for 2011. The 908 has competed in all rounds of the 2011 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup including the 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans. The new 908 lost about 150 bhp compared to 2010 but improvements in the chassis and handling made the car much more agile. Unlike its predecessor the front tyres are the same width as the rear. The only part that has been reused from its predecessor was the windscreen wiper. [4]
The 908 was known under the codename 90X during development. [5] The car was officially revealed in February 2011. [6]
The 908's first competitive outing was at the 2011 Sebring 12 Hours. The new cars faced competition from the older R15+ and the older-specification Oreca Peugeot 908 HDi FAP. Both Peugeots ran at the front, building a 2-second gap per lap over the Audi but relentless safety car periods cut their lead over time. Marc Gené then shoved the car to the inside of Capello in turn 17. Both cars spun but only Gené hit the barrier and suffered a suspension failure. The #8 led for a while until a slow pit stop and a spin by Lamy threw them back to third. The Peugeots finished 3rd and 8th.
At the 2011 1000 km of Spa, three 908s were up against Audi's new R18 as well as the R15+ and Oreca / Matmut 908. After a disastrous qualifying session leaving only one 908 in the top ten, they quickly got to the front of the field during the first laps and soon were running 1-2-3 after the R18s ran into technical issues. After an off by the third placed 908 piloted by Pedro Lamy, Tom Kristensen's R18 took its position. Following damage to the engine cover of the R18, the Peugeots regained the podium positions, but a front suspension failure half an hour before the end of the race led to a nine-minute pit-stop and a drop into position eight. Nonetheless this same car achieved the fastest lap of the event at 2:03.699.
At Le Mans the three Peugeot 908s were able to battle Audi for the lead of the race. Aided by fewer pit stops, Peugeot remained on the same lap as the lead Audi but failed to catch the leader in the final hour, the No. 9 Peugeot crossing the finish line thirteen seconds behind the race winner.
A hybrid version of the 908 known as the Peugeot 908 Hybrid4 was expected to run in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2012 in addition to an updated version of the regular car, but after poor economic performance in 2011 Peugeot cancelled their race program for 2012. [7] Peugeot was already at Sebring to test the new cars, so the announcement came as a severe blow to Peugeot Sport Total.
(key) Races in bold indicates pole position. Races in italics indicates fastest lap.
Year | Entrant | Class | No | Results | Championship | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Pts. | Pos. | ||||
2011 | Team Peugeot Total | LMP1 | SEB | SPA | LMS | IMO | SIL | ATL | ZHU | 113 | 1st | |
7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 2 |
Year | Entrant | # | Drivers | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | Peugeot Sport Total | 7 | Anthony Davidson Alexander Wurz Marc Gené | LMP1 | 351 | 4th | 4th |
8 | Stéphane Sarrazin Franck Montagny Nicolas Minassian | LMP1 | 353 | 3rd | 3rd | ||
Team Peugeot Total | 9 | Sébastien Bourdais Simon Pagenaud Pedro Lamy | LMP1 | 355 | 2nd | 2nd | |
José Pedro Mourão Nunes Lamy Viçoso, OIH, known as Pedro Lamy, is a Portuguese former professional racing driver. He was the first Portuguese driver to score a point in a Formula One World Championship event, in the 1995 Australian Grand Prix, for Minardi.
ORECA is a French racing team and race car constructor, founded in 1973 and run by Hugues de Chaunac, former team manager of F1 team AGS. Oreca has had success in many areas of motorsport. Since the early 1990s the team has concentrated on running sports cars and GT cars.
The Peugeot 908 HDi FAP is a sports prototype racing car built by the French automobile manufacturer Peugeot to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race, starting in 2007 and eventually winning in 2009. This effort, in development since 2005, was publicly unveiled on 15 June 2006. It first competed against the Audi R10 TDI, becoming the second diesel engined sports car from a major manufacturer, and then against the Audi R15 TDI. This was Peugeot Sport's first Le Mans effort since the end of the Peugeot 905 project in 1993. It won 19 from the 28 races in which it raced between 2007 and 2011.
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