Peugeot’s 2022 Le Mans hypercar might look like this

Good news everyone – Peugeot is still committed to racing at Le Mans in 2022 in the new and massively exciting ‘hypercar’ (LMH) class. On the eve of the COVID-delayed 2020 LM24, it’s released “the first conceptions of design” for its 2022 racer. And it looks… interesting.

The new car, developed with long-time partner Total, will be all-wheel drive and hybrid-powered, with a combined output of no more than 670bhp. Per the regs it’ll be bigger and heavier than existing LMP1 cars.

Toyota and Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus will both contest the LMH class alongside Peugeot, but Aston Martin pulled out earlier this year. Other manufacturers rumoured to be interested in taking part include McLaren, Lamborghini and even Ferrari (we can but dream). Alpine might be tempted too, given it’s just announced it’ll compete in the final season of LMP1 next year.

Peugeot says it’s chosen to compete in the LMH class because it gives a “certain aerodynamic freedom”, making it “possible to incorporate, with the support of Peugeot Design, the aesthetic detail of the brand”.

Olivier Jansonnie, Technical Director of the company’s WEC program, says: “To this date, we have confirmed part of the aerodynamic concept, the engine framework has been decided and we have chosen the functionality of the hybrid system and its fundamental design.

“We still have several steps left before our debut in endurance in 2022, in studies, the production of prototypes and finally, affirmation on the bench and on the track."