Looks like Jacques Villeneuve will be driving the new Peugeot 908 HDi at this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans alongside Sébastien Bourdais. Peugeot themselves have said that 2007 will be a learning year and that they don't expect to be competitive until 2008 but, even so, it will be good to see JV back on the track again. The car's quite a looker too: http://www.endurance-info.com/article.php?sid=3030

Awesome looking car.

I agree, the car looks awesome. I'm really looking forward to LM

Great to see Audi finally getting some competition. The car is beautiful and the driver line-up is world class (Loeb is also driving).

Car does look kinda cool, but I have to say - is Villeneuve actually Batman?

It'll be really tough to spot in the night!

...Don't tell me that's what the spotlights are for...

Oh, and I though Porsche was allowed to use the 90x-range of car names for their sportscars.

Vain

Contrary to the others, I actually think this car is hideous. The nose is nearly flat (horizontally) with an almost upright windshield, that looks too tall to be aerodynamic. The greenhouse is so small, that the pics I see of the driver inside look like he is practically in the fetal position. The sidepod comes up over the driver's shoulder, which I cannot assume to be safe at all.

Although, they say it was basically designed in the windtunnel, so obviously they know something I don't (suprised? :P) but it still is one butt-ugly machine, imho. The 2003 Bentley Speed 8 and the 01 & 02 Bentley EXP Speed 8's were so much nicer looking.

Can't wait to see what the other manufacturers come up with regarding the (rumoured?) ACO GTP rules that will replace the LMP classes come 2010... GTPs have always been my favorites, shame I was too young to remember the days of the Nissan ZX-GTP and Jaguar XJR-9.

Does look a bit funky, but non-aerodynamic? Well, when you look at it, it does have the water-drop shape on every possible part. So, it could actually be guite sleek, and I'm sure that the engineers know better than we do Maggot

Quote from Vain :

Oh, and I though Porsche was allowed to use the 90x-range of car names for their sportscars.

Vain

Good question. I was also a bit confused when I heard about the "908" and so I sent an E-Mail to Peugeot Switzerland. I will write the answer in this thread

Quote from Blackout :

Does look a bit funky, but non-aerodynamic? Well, when you look at it, it does have the water-drop shape on every possible part. So, it could actually be guite sleek, and I'm sure that the engineers know better than we do Maggot

The trouble spot for me (aerodynamically speaking) is where the nose and windshield meet. It looks like it'd create a huge pressure buildup, resulting in masses of drag. But, like I said, I'm not an expert.

Aesthetically speaking, I hate the nose and cockpit. The nose starts high, and it just looks so flat and ugly imho. The fenders have a nice shape, and I like the front suspension area right back into the sidepods, but that nose... ugh!

It's an awesome and good looking car, but all in black is a bit poor in my opinion.
Unicolor cars are just so boring

it reminds me the old 905, which is good.

certainly not the best looking gtp ... actually one of the ugliest ive seen
reminds me a bit of the allard j2x

Quote from Shotglass :

certainly not the best looking gtp ... actually one of the ugliest ive seen
reminds me a bit of the allard j2x

The Allard only looked better than this

Quote from Polaxis :

It's an awesome and good looking car, but all in black is a bit poor in my opinion.
Unicolor cars are just so boring

It's bare carbon fiber, not black. These are testing photos, the car has not been painted yet.

Quote from J.B. :

Loeb is also driving [for Peugeot]

Have to correct myself here. Loeb is driving for Pescarolo again and is doing so for free due to the limited budget of the small team. That guy's a class act.

http://www.eurosport.com/carra ... 06/sport_sto1044883.shtml

Quote from MAGGOT :

Contrary to the others, I actually think this car is hideous.

I see what you're saying Maggot. I like it from the front / rear, and dislike it in profile.

Quote from J.B. :

Have to correct myself here. Loeb is driving for Pescarolo again and is doing so for free due to the limited budget of the small team. That guy's a class act.

http://www.eurosport.com/carra ... 06/sport_sto1044883.shtml

Top stuff.

9min peugeot vid http://www.eurosport.com/carracing/mc_vid32301.shtml

It's ugly. It's a diesel.

Therefore, it's definitely a Peugeot.

Quote from TiJay :

It's ugly. It's a diesel.

Therefore, it's definitely a Peugeot.

Hold on a minute. You can't possibly say that...it hasn't broken down yet.

With regards to the aerodynamics; there are a lot of rules governing closed top prototypes at Le Mans nowadays, so they can't be made perfectly aerodynamic.

The car is ugly as sin and IMO closed prototypes should be forced top put an extra 20kg of lead in the car. Ideally, just get rid of em for good - tell Pug to just chainsaw the roof off it.

Quote from TiJay :

It's ugly. It's a diesel.

Therefore, it's definitely a Peugeot.

What's the problem with diesel? Diesel has many advantages in fuel consumtion and it isn't really dirty anymore when you use the newest model with filters.

must be the only LM car where the gearbox is louder than the engine! I was hoping it would sound a bit like the rip snorting 905s which i know and love i hope at least that they use the Peugeot Sport colours to carry on the tradition