Peugeot has begun evaluating an enhanced variant of its 9X8 Hypercar in preparation for unveiling an Evo version in the forthcoming FIA World Endurance Championship season.
The carmaker has been conducting tests with a revised iteration at Paul Ricard on Tuesday and is also slated to return to the same circuit on Thursday for further running this week.
Its management revealed at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans that a new evolution for 2027 is on the agenda and that the company remains committed to the series through at least the end of the current regulations cycle in 2029, despite a difficult campaign.
The upgrades are designed to boost “performance, efficiency and competitiveness” of the 9X8, according to a Peugeot statement.
Nevertheless, the statement notes that the Paul Ricard test forms part of the manufacturer’s progress “towards approval of its planned evolutions for 2027.”
There is no guarantee Peugeot will be allowed to introduce additional Evo jokers next year, as it has already exhausted all five allocated under LMH regulations, in addition to the single re-homologation allowance.
Still, the manufacturer hopes to leverage a recently added clause in this season’s WEC sporting rules that permits extra adjustments to cars deemed by officials to be substantially underperforming.
At present, it sits seventh in the manufacturers’ standings, having scored more points only than the newcomer Genesis during the season’s first half.
“Since its debut, the Peugeot 9X8 has been a platform in constant evolution — competing at the highest level of endurance racing means continuously learning, adapting and progressing,” said Peugeot team principal Emmanuel Esnault.
“The intensity of competition at a world championship level reinforces our determination to keep evolving.
“Our objective is clear: to position the 9X8 consistently among the top contenders.
“As we look ahead to 2027, the team is taking the next step in its development, focused on a revised approach to performance, efficiency and design.
“This work is a key milestone in preparing the next chapter of the Peugeot 9X8 story and perpetuating the legacy of Peugeot in endurance racing.”
So far, only a single teaser image has been released of the updated 9×8, offering limited clues about the magnitude of the potential upgrades.
