It has been four years since Peugeot debuted its 908 HDi for competitive racing. There is not much development room left for the 908 without practically redesigning a whole new car. In some respects, the 908 fulfilled its mission to take the fight back to Audi. Audi would come to highly respect the 'Lion'. But after four years and four attempts, Peugeot has yet to supplant the team of the four rings and their dominance at Le Mans. A new design needed to be made, especially with new regulation changes handed down the pike from the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The new 90'X' is what Peugeot believes to be the necessary answer to finally overcome the stranglehold Audi has had, at least at Le Mans.
Not much, if anything has been stated by Peugeot about designing a new car other than its hybrid idea back in 2009. But even that announcement appeared to have more to do with the internals of a 908, not a new car. But what was seen at Monza the early part of November was a new car bearing a resemblance to the 908, but with some major differences. These differences give away some of the other changes Peugeot has already made, or are planning to make, before next season gets underway.
Many of the changes on the 90X are subtle. There are some obvious differences, but many others that are not so easily seen, but they do denote some shifts in thinking for the team. Of course, it is interesting to see influences of older car designs coming through new designs. One of the most notable differences on the 90X is the single air scoop on the top of the closed cockpit. This design, for many, is reminiscent of Toyota's GT One. The past still works. Peugeot has taken bits and pieces of the past and has combined that knowledge with modern technology and design to create a new Le Mans challenger.
First of all, the front edge of the nose has been changed. Not so much in shape, although the nose does obviously appear to be more narrow, but in length. On the 908, the nose protruded out past the front edge of the front wheel fairings some distance. The nose on the 90X does not appear to extend out as far.
It could be argued that the front wheel fairings appear to be wider in their styling. While this could be true, one thing that seems without question is that, when viewed head-on, the width of the wheel fairings at the top compared to the bottom is much greater. This kind of 'V' shape helps with airflow control to either side of the fairing. It allows greater maximization of the small wing planes attached along the side of the front fairings near the headlights. It also allows greater maximization of airflow on either side of the twin-pillar nose and back to the radiator inlets in the sidepods.
The suspension shrouds and fairings used to direct airflow out-and-over the car, and, toward the radiator inlet, has remained relatively unchanged on the 90X. Another area relatively unchanged at the front of the car is the front wheel fairings. The profile of the wheel fairings is similar until past the vertical centerline of the wheel. From that point on back, the wheel fairing's angle of descent is a little steeper than that of the 908. This is partly due to the redesign of the fairing at its trailing-edge. Instead of falling almost straight-down, the trailing edge on the 90X is comprised of a few angles which extends the fairing further back toward the rear of the car. This is designed in concert with the refinement seen on the 90X's sidepods.
The sidepods of the 90X are much more Formula One-like. When viewed from the side, the sidepods lean forward much more greatly and are pulled in more-tightly at the bottom. This enables airflow not entering the radiator, to more easily flow out around the sidepod and out the side of the car. The top edge of the sidepod is also much more rounded. Viewing the 90X from the front, it is noticeable that Peugeot engineers also changed the angle of the top of the sidepods. Instead of a horizontal line, from where the sidepod joins the middle part of the chassis, the top line of the sidepod is more like that of a gull's wing. The top line of the sidepod is actually on an ascending line until it sculpted around and bends back tightly as the radiator inlets get pulled inward at the waist, or, the lower portion of the sidepod. From the side, the top line of the sidepods slopes gently downward as it heads toward the rear of the car. While this also happened on the 908, the angle of descent on the 90X is greater.
The lines of the closed cockpit subtly changed also. The lines of the 908 arched gently, almost uniformly, from its front edge all the way down the back of the engine cover and toward the rear wing. While practically the same, it would appear the angle of the driver's windshield is actually a little bit steeper, and then, comes to more of a crown near the top of the cockpit structure, instead of having a continuous arc like that of the 908. Undoubtedly, this minor adjustment is to help maximize airflow into the prominent change on the 90X, the air scoop designed on the top of the engine cowling.
At this point in time Peugeot remains undecided concerning its engine choice. The ACO has been on an effort to level the playing field concerning diesel and petrol-powered cars. For the last six years, diesel engines have been the class of the entire field. But with regulation changes and a continuing focus on utilizing new engine technology, such as KERS and other hybrid systems, Peugeot is weighing the competitive advantages of every powerplant option. After all, this is still racing. Therefore, by incorporating an air scoop design into the top of the chassis Peugeot would be able to incorporate whichever engine type it desires into the 90X.
The engine cover of the 90X was seen sporting some bulges in its design. This is different from the 908 and lends itself to questions as to truly what engine, and other systems, Peugeot will end up employing under the hood. Of course, part of the reason for the bulges is the simple fact the engineers have made some changes in the design of the car at its rear. The cowling would appear to fit much more tightly around the engine and other components at the back of the 90X. And also, it would appear evident the 90X has a cowling with a lower profile than that of its predecessor.
The other hard-to-miss item attached to the top of the engine cowling is the shark fin panel. This is a regulation item handed down by the ACO that each team must comply with in the design of the cars. It is believed the shark fin will prevent any car from going airborne if it gets turned sideways. Many think the shark fin to be an eyesore and an unnecessary attachment. Time will tell whether the appendage fulfills its roll or not.
This brings the focus to an area of the 90X where there have been a number of changes made. Some of the most obvious changes between the 90X from the 908 are found at the back of the car. The decision to go with a single air scoop at the top of the engine cover means the two smaller air inlets that feed into the leading edge of the rear wheel fairings are most likely for the purpose of brake cooling rather than having anything to do with the engine as they once did on the 908.
The rear wheel fairing profile has been extended further forward than what was designed into the 908. This means there is a much more-gentle, flowing profile to the fairings. On the 908, the fairings were much more rounded, with a steeper arc.
It is important to keep the airflow in tight as it exits out the rear of a race car. Airflow that escapes out the sides, like a wake from a boat, actually induces greater amounts of drag on the car and upsets airflow for the car at the rear. Therefore, besides greater drag and lower top-end speeds, airflow escaping to the sides of the car can also induce imbalances to the car as the general airflow to the rear of the car becomes upset. So, it is important to keep airflow within the width of the car. As a benefit, any airflow kept within the width of the car can still be used for the purposes of downforce and stability before it fully exits out the rear of the car. This is the reason for the lower profile engine cowlings. Used in conjunction with the rear wheel fairings, the lower profile engine cowling helps to keep airflow directed toward the rear of the car, but within the width of the car. The increase in airflow out the back of the car enabled Peugeot to design what very much appear to be the profile of a bird, with wings extended, into the rear-end of its 908. The overall shape only helps to maintain that directive of keeping airflow staying in towards the middle of the car. The use of small 'gurney' flaps, with that airflow, helped to generate even more downforce for the 908 when it needed it on the tighter tracks. The same 'bird' profile is retained on the 90X, but, it is its rear wheel fairings that underwent most of the changes.
The 908 used the airflow passing over the rear wheel fairings to help generate downforce by having a ski-jump-like ramp designed into the fairing. Much more downforce could be created over the fairing utilizing a 'gurney' flap. But airflow was still allowed to escape out the side of the car too easily. What's more, the air could tumble out the sides of the car right near the rear wing. This tumbling air caused some disturbances to the airflow headed toward the rear wing. To increase efficiency for top-end speed, downforce and stability, the design team reshaped the fairing of the 90X's rear wheel. From the side, it appears the ski-jump-like ramp is gone, but it is not. When viewed from the back, each of the fairings look like the edge of a bowl, or, half of a snowboarder's half-pipe. The same options for use to create downforce remain, but, its design helps; once again, to prevent airflow from spilling out the side of the car's rear-end, and instead, directs the airflow back in toward the center of the car. This is a bit of a take off of what Audi did with their R15 Plus, but Peugeot's interpretation is much more dramatic.
Finally, the one other obvious change from the 90X to the 908 is its rear wing, particularly, the rear wing's support structure. Throughout its life, the 908 used a twin-pillar support system that attached to the underside of the rear wing. However, on the 90X, Peugeot has chosen to abandon the conventional design in favor of the swan-neck support style. Instead of supporting the rear wing from underneath, the rear wing, in essence, hangs from the support pillars. This helps to reduce turbulence on the underside of the wing, which is, in all reality, the most important part of the wing element. Anything that impedes the air from flowing smoothly, and accelerating as it flows around the curved structure, hinders the amount of downforce possible to be generated by the wing. A possible way to overcome this that has been tried by Formula One and Audi in the past has been to support the rear wing from its endplates way out at its edges. This, many times, is not practical due to the incredible amounts of force generated by the wing at speed. So having a support structure in toward the middle helps to reduce the overall forces the support structure has to endure. This means the airflow can become impeded then if the wing is supported from its underside. This is the advantage of the swan-neck style. It supports the wing from the top side, thereby reducing turbulence on the underside of the rear wing. The only major concern teams, employing such a system, has had to endure has been the need to beef up the pillar system. Supporting from the top means the connecting points are usually rather small, and with the rear wing developing such amounts of force, there is the very real potential for failure. However, many teams have come to incorporate this design now, like Audi, and it would appear most all of the concerns have been addressed by merely witnessing the system, or, by teams actually employing the design to their cars.
Prior to the sweeping rule changes for 2011, which will severely restrict engine performance, Peugeot's 100° V12 diesel engine produced so much power in excess the team was little concerned with the need to refine the 908's aerodynamics over the years. But with increasing performance restriction, Peugeot is forced to take a much harder look at the aerodynamics package of its cars. The 90X represents the 'Lion' coming to grips with that reality. The fact the 90X is not a total departure from the 908 is a testament to the design the engineers produced in the first place. And the changes expressed in the 90X over the 908 represent those areas of weakness whereby the aero-package needed to be refined in order to maintain performance expectations. Undoubtedly, as the year progresses there will be further refinements that will take place to the 90X.
In the not-too-distant future it will be seen whether Peugeot's 90'X' is the car capable of finally establishing that French flag as a sign of dominance on its home turf. The 908 definitely achieved a foothold at races throughout the world, and, with its breakthrough win in 2009. It will be interesting to see if Peugeot's engineers have been able to build upon all of the right aspects of the 908, in creating the 90X, and can finally rout its nemesis from Ingolstadt. 'Le Mans: Peugeot 90X Comparison', (http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/le-mans-peugeot-90x-comparison/), SpeedTV.com. http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/le-mans-peugeot-90x-comparison/. Retrieved 10 November 2010.'Peugeot 90X Breaks Cover', (http://www.planetlemans.com/2010/10/30/peugeot-90x-breaks-cover/), PlanetLeMans: The Latest Sportscar and GT Racing News First. http://www.planetlemans.com/2010/10/30/peugeot-90x-breaks-cover/. Retrieved 10 November 2010.By Jeremy McMullen
Not much, if anything has been stated by Peugeot about designing a new car other than its hybrid idea back in 2009. But even that announcement appeared to have more to do with the internals of a 908, not a new car. But what was seen at Monza the early part of November was a new car bearing a resemblance to the 908, but with some major differences. These differences give away some of the other changes Peugeot has already made, or are planning to make, before next season gets underway.
Many of the changes on the 90X are subtle. There are some obvious differences, but many others that are not so easily seen, but they do denote some shifts in thinking for the team. Of course, it is interesting to see influences of older car designs coming through new designs. One of the most notable differences on the 90X is the single air scoop on the top of the closed cockpit. This design, for many, is reminiscent of Toyota's GT One. The past still works. Peugeot has taken bits and pieces of the past and has combined that knowledge with modern technology and design to create a new Le Mans challenger.
First of all, the front edge of the nose has been changed. Not so much in shape, although the nose does obviously appear to be more narrow, but in length. On the 908, the nose protruded out past the front edge of the front wheel fairings some distance. The nose on the 90X does not appear to extend out as far.
It could be argued that the front wheel fairings appear to be wider in their styling. While this could be true, one thing that seems without question is that, when viewed head-on, the width of the wheel fairings at the top compared to the bottom is much greater. This kind of 'V' shape helps with airflow control to either side of the fairing. It allows greater maximization of the small wing planes attached along the side of the front fairings near the headlights. It also allows greater maximization of airflow on either side of the twin-pillar nose and back to the radiator inlets in the sidepods.
The suspension shrouds and fairings used to direct airflow out-and-over the car, and, toward the radiator inlet, has remained relatively unchanged on the 90X. Another area relatively unchanged at the front of the car is the front wheel fairings. The profile of the wheel fairings is similar until past the vertical centerline of the wheel. From that point on back, the wheel fairing's angle of descent is a little steeper than that of the 908. This is partly due to the redesign of the fairing at its trailing-edge. Instead of falling almost straight-down, the trailing edge on the 90X is comprised of a few angles which extends the fairing further back toward the rear of the car. This is designed in concert with the refinement seen on the 90X's sidepods.
The sidepods of the 90X are much more Formula One-like. When viewed from the side, the sidepods lean forward much more greatly and are pulled in more-tightly at the bottom. This enables airflow not entering the radiator, to more easily flow out around the sidepod and out the side of the car. The top edge of the sidepod is also much more rounded. Viewing the 90X from the front, it is noticeable that Peugeot engineers also changed the angle of the top of the sidepods. Instead of a horizontal line, from where the sidepod joins the middle part of the chassis, the top line of the sidepod is more like that of a gull's wing. The top line of the sidepod is actually on an ascending line until it sculpted around and bends back tightly as the radiator inlets get pulled inward at the waist, or, the lower portion of the sidepod. From the side, the top line of the sidepods slopes gently downward as it heads toward the rear of the car. While this also happened on the 908, the angle of descent on the 90X is greater.
The lines of the closed cockpit subtly changed also. The lines of the 908 arched gently, almost uniformly, from its front edge all the way down the back of the engine cover and toward the rear wing. While practically the same, it would appear the angle of the driver's windshield is actually a little bit steeper, and then, comes to more of a crown near the top of the cockpit structure, instead of having a continuous arc like that of the 908. Undoubtedly, this minor adjustment is to help maximize airflow into the prominent change on the 90X, the air scoop designed on the top of the engine cowling.
At this point in time Peugeot remains undecided concerning its engine choice. The ACO has been on an effort to level the playing field concerning diesel and petrol-powered cars. For the last six years, diesel engines have been the class of the entire field. But with regulation changes and a continuing focus on utilizing new engine technology, such as KERS and other hybrid systems, Peugeot is weighing the competitive advantages of every powerplant option. After all, this is still racing. Therefore, by incorporating an air scoop design into the top of the chassis Peugeot would be able to incorporate whichever engine type it desires into the 90X.
The engine cover of the 90X was seen sporting some bulges in its design. This is different from the 908 and lends itself to questions as to truly what engine, and other systems, Peugeot will end up employing under the hood. Of course, part of the reason for the bulges is the simple fact the engineers have made some changes in the design of the car at its rear. The cowling would appear to fit much more tightly around the engine and other components at the back of the 90X. And also, it would appear evident the 90X has a cowling with a lower profile than that of its predecessor.
The other hard-to-miss item attached to the top of the engine cowling is the shark fin panel. This is a regulation item handed down by the ACO that each team must comply with in the design of the cars. It is believed the shark fin will prevent any car from going airborne if it gets turned sideways. Many think the shark fin to be an eyesore and an unnecessary attachment. Time will tell whether the appendage fulfills its roll or not.
This brings the focus to an area of the 90X where there have been a number of changes made. Some of the most obvious changes between the 90X from the 908 are found at the back of the car. The decision to go with a single air scoop at the top of the engine cover means the two smaller air inlets that feed into the leading edge of the rear wheel fairings are most likely for the purpose of brake cooling rather than having anything to do with the engine as they once did on the 908.
The rear wheel fairing profile has been extended further forward than what was designed into the 908. This means there is a much more-gentle, flowing profile to the fairings. On the 908, the fairings were much more rounded, with a steeper arc.
It is important to keep the airflow in tight as it exits out the rear of a race car. Airflow that escapes out the sides, like a wake from a boat, actually induces greater amounts of drag on the car and upsets airflow for the car at the rear. Therefore, besides greater drag and lower top-end speeds, airflow escaping to the sides of the car can also induce imbalances to the car as the general airflow to the rear of the car becomes upset. So, it is important to keep airflow within the width of the car. As a benefit, any airflow kept within the width of the car can still be used for the purposes of downforce and stability before it fully exits out the rear of the car. This is the reason for the lower profile engine cowlings. Used in conjunction with the rear wheel fairings, the lower profile engine cowling helps to keep airflow directed toward the rear of the car, but within the width of the car. The increase in airflow out the back of the car enabled Peugeot to design what very much appear to be the profile of a bird, with wings extended, into the rear-end of its 908. The overall shape only helps to maintain that directive of keeping airflow staying in towards the middle of the car. The use of small 'gurney' flaps, with that airflow, helped to generate even more downforce for the 908 when it needed it on the tighter tracks. The same 'bird' profile is retained on the 90X, but, it is its rear wheel fairings that underwent most of the changes.
The 908 used the airflow passing over the rear wheel fairings to help generate downforce by having a ski-jump-like ramp designed into the fairing. Much more downforce could be created over the fairing utilizing a 'gurney' flap. But airflow was still allowed to escape out the side of the car too easily. What's more, the air could tumble out the sides of the car right near the rear wing. This tumbling air caused some disturbances to the airflow headed toward the rear wing. To increase efficiency for top-end speed, downforce and stability, the design team reshaped the fairing of the 90X's rear wheel. From the side, it appears the ski-jump-like ramp is gone, but it is not. When viewed from the back, each of the fairings look like the edge of a bowl, or, half of a snowboarder's half-pipe. The same options for use to create downforce remain, but, its design helps; once again, to prevent airflow from spilling out the side of the car's rear-end, and instead, directs the airflow back in toward the center of the car. This is a bit of a take off of what Audi did with their R15 Plus, but Peugeot's interpretation is much more dramatic.
Finally, the one other obvious change from the 90X to the 908 is its rear wing, particularly, the rear wing's support structure. Throughout its life, the 908 used a twin-pillar support system that attached to the underside of the rear wing. However, on the 90X, Peugeot has chosen to abandon the conventional design in favor of the swan-neck support style. Instead of supporting the rear wing from underneath, the rear wing, in essence, hangs from the support pillars. This helps to reduce turbulence on the underside of the wing, which is, in all reality, the most important part of the wing element. Anything that impedes the air from flowing smoothly, and accelerating as it flows around the curved structure, hinders the amount of downforce possible to be generated by the wing. A possible way to overcome this that has been tried by Formula One and Audi in the past has been to support the rear wing from its endplates way out at its edges. This, many times, is not practical due to the incredible amounts of force generated by the wing at speed. So having a support structure in toward the middle helps to reduce the overall forces the support structure has to endure. This means the airflow can become impeded then if the wing is supported from its underside. This is the advantage of the swan-neck style. It supports the wing from the top side, thereby reducing turbulence on the underside of the rear wing. The only major concern teams, employing such a system, has had to endure has been the need to beef up the pillar system. Supporting from the top means the connecting points are usually rather small, and with the rear wing developing such amounts of force, there is the very real potential for failure. However, many teams have come to incorporate this design now, like Audi, and it would appear most all of the concerns have been addressed by merely witnessing the system, or, by teams actually employing the design to their cars.
Prior to the sweeping rule changes for 2011, which will severely restrict engine performance, Peugeot's 100° V12 diesel engine produced so much power in excess the team was little concerned with the need to refine the 908's aerodynamics over the years. But with increasing performance restriction, Peugeot is forced to take a much harder look at the aerodynamics package of its cars. The 90X represents the 'Lion' coming to grips with that reality. The fact the 90X is not a total departure from the 908 is a testament to the design the engineers produced in the first place. And the changes expressed in the 90X over the 908 represent those areas of weakness whereby the aero-package needed to be refined in order to maintain performance expectations. Undoubtedly, as the year progresses there will be further refinements that will take place to the 90X.
In the not-too-distant future it will be seen whether Peugeot's 90'X' is the car capable of finally establishing that French flag as a sign of dominance on its home turf. The 908 definitely achieved a foothold at races throughout the world, and, with its breakthrough win in 2009. It will be interesting to see if Peugeot's engineers have been able to build upon all of the right aspects of the 908, in creating the 90X, and can finally rout its nemesis from Ingolstadt. 'Le Mans: Peugeot 90X Comparison', (http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/le-mans-peugeot-90x-comparison/), SpeedTV.com. http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/le-mans-peugeot-90x-comparison/. Retrieved 10 November 2010.'Peugeot 90X Breaks Cover', (http://www.planetlemans.com/2010/10/30/peugeot-90x-breaks-cover/), PlanetLeMans: The Latest Sportscar and GT Racing News First. http://www.planetlemans.com/2010/10/30/peugeot-90x-breaks-cover/. Retrieved 10 November 2010.By Jeremy McMullen
PEUGEOT 90X BREAKS COVER
In parallel with its 2010 Peugeot 908 HDi FAP race programme, Peugeot Sport is busy designing and developing a new prototype that will defend its colours in 2011.
Peugeot Sport's principal mission accomplished
Having been kept secret in Peugeot Sport's factory in Vélizy, near Paris, the team's new endurance challenger – known under the codename 90X – has been out for its first track test. 'Our objective was to start track testing before the end of the year,' says Peugeot Sport Director Olivier Quesnel. 'I am pleased to report that we have now done that. Even so, there is still a long way to go and a considerable amount of work to be done as we prepare for 2011.'
The 90X's technical characteristics
The 90X complies with the new ACO's 2011 regulations, and notably incorporates the extra 'shark fin' bodywork on the engine cover. This new feature is designed to help prevent the car from becoming airborne in the case of a high-speed spin. As with the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP, Peugeot Sport has opted for a closed cockpit design, which still meets the mandatory 900kg weight requirement. 'We are still exploring several options with regard to the engine and technology we will use,' points out Bruno Famin, the Technical Director of Peugeot Sport. 'Work on the engine's development is ongoing. Endurance racing is an ideal proving ground to provide us with the opportunity to showcase all the brand's technologies.'
The 90X complies with the new ACO's 2011 regulations, and notably incorporates the extra 'shark fin' bodywork on the engine cover. This new feature is designed to help prevent the car from becoming airborne in the case of a high-speed spin. As with the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP, Peugeot Sport has opted for a closed cockpit design, which still meets the mandatory 900kg weight requirement. 'We are still exploring several options with regard to the engine and technology we will use,' points out Bruno Famin, the Technical Director of Peugeot Sport. 'Work on the engine's development is ongoing. Endurance racing is an ideal proving ground to provide us with the opportunity to showcase all the brand's technologies.'
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