1921 Peugeot 161 Quadrilette on 2040-cars

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Peugeot 9x8 WEC racer installs a rear wing and a pack-of-lions livery

After France's ACO racing organizing body created new rules for the Hypercar class in World Endurance Racing, manufacturers like Toyota, Glickenhaus, and eventually Cadillac, Ferrari, and Porsche created traditional-looking top-class race cars. Peugeot did not, debuting its 9x8 single-seater with an unmistakable headlight signature and an unmistakable rear end that went without a wing, its concept focused on ground-effects aero instead of silhouette aero. The aft aero consideration was a small airfoil between two vertical strakes hanging off the back of the bodywork, its location making it more like a long ducktail spoiler or Gurney flap. With two years of racing in the World Endurance Championship completed, it appears the consensus at Peugeot Sport HQ is that a more traditional approach is needed; the 9x8 scored points, but outside of a third-place finish in Monza last year, usually finished toward the back of the class. The new 9x8 for the 2024 WEC season returns to the old ways of a rear wing. Peugeot Sport Technical Director Olivia Jansonnie said rule changes at the beginning of the 2022 season put Peugeot at a disadvantage with Balance of Performance (BOP) rules. On the new car, in the works since early 2023, "The idea was therefore to go back to a car design that is similar that of our rivals car design," he said, "so that it would then be given equivalent treatment by the BOP." But he also stressed that the new car is a heavily upgraded version of last year's 9x8, not a brand new car. Adding a rear wing lead engineers to rework 90% of the bodywork and change the weight balance. The new regulations encouraged a switch to staggered tires instead of the 310-mm rubber previously used all around. And engineers took steps to improve engine and gearbox reliability.  As on the last car, Peugeot Sport worked with Peugeot Design on a new livery in Peugeot Sport's various colors, described as "black, grey, white and kryptonite." The scheme puts the brand's lion icon all over, in different sizes, symbolizing a pack of lions that "conveys the sense of collective that reflects the values of Endurance racing perfectly." It can take a second to make out the heads because they're bigger than you'd expect, but start by looking at the dark gray graphics, the icons are easier to see.  After entering the previous 9x8 in the 2024 WEC season's first race in Qatar, the updated 9x8 enters the fray at the 6 Hours of Imola on April 21.

Your 2013 Pikes Peak Hill Climb primer: "Donuts at 14,000 feet."

The teams have all set up their pits and paddocks for today's run of the 91st Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, and there's nothing left to do but take a shot at the title. At 8 am Mountain time (9 am EST / 7 am PST), the first of a field of 83 bikes and 63 cars - whittled from an original field of 157 - will race 12.42 miles through 156 turns from the start gate at 9,390 feet to the summit finish at 14,110 feet. The summit is where we'll be all day, having arrived on the media bus at around 5 am and not allowed to come down until the race is finished. If it's anything like last year that could mean a 14-hour day on the top munching on donuts at the summit café, begging for hits of pure oxygen and trying to stay hydrated and warm...
Here are the event with Hyundai, we enjoyed dinner with Rhys Millen got his take on what's happened and what's about to happen. Millen said the issue that caused his engine swap last week was minor, a head gasket (a production part) that was causing a bit of hesitation and a slight drop in top speed. He said it's the first time they've stressed the engines this hard, pushing boost pressures up to 19 psi at altitude, which equates to 25 psi at sea level. Offering testament to the strength of the engines, though, he said that Paul Dallenbach's engine did the entire 2012 drift season as well as Pikes Peak, and it's the engine being used again for the hill climb this year.
We also chatted with Dallenbach, who has come back from that beastly crash last year in the Unlimited category to lead almost every practice day this year in the Time Attack class. Telling us he's happier behind the wheel this year than he has been in 20 years, he asked us, "Know what my dashboard says when I turn the car on? 'Donuts at 14,000 feet.'"

Fiat Chrysler, Peugeot owner PSA reportedly in merger talks

Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot owner PSA are in talks to combine in a deal that could create a $50 billion automaker, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing sources. The deal could be in the form of an all-stock deal, the report said. Fiat Chrysler shares rose sharply after the report and were up more than 7% in late afternoon trading. Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot had no comment. Investors have speculated for several years that Fiat Chrysler was hunting for a merger partner, encouraged by the rhetoric of the company's late chief executive, Sergio Marchionne. In 2015, Marchionne outlined the case for consolidation of the auto industry, and tried unsuccessfully to interest General Motors in a deal. Peugeot and Fiat Chrysler had discussed a combination earlier this year, before Fiat Chrysler proposed a $35 billion merger with French automaker Renault SA. Fiat Chrysler Chairman John Elkann broke off talks with Renault in June after French government officials intervened, and pushed for Renault to first resolve tensions with its Japanese alliance partner, Nissan. Following the collapse of the Renault merger plan, Fiat Chrysler CEO Mike Manley left the door open for talks with would-be partners, but said the Italian-American automaker could go it alone despite mounting costs to develop electric vehicles and comply with tougher emissions rules in Europe, the United States and China. Peugeot CEO Carlos Tavares dismissed the idea of a combination with Fiat Chrysler during a discussion with reporters at the Frankfurt auto show last month. "We don't need it," Tavares said when asked whether he was still interested in a deal with Fiat Chrysler. Fiat Chrysler has a commercial vehicle partnership with Peugeot.