With the Peugeot 9X8, Lego Gives You a Taste of Le Mans

Have the Lego Peugeot 9X8 Hybrid adorn your coffee table before the actual French hypercar debuts in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans

The oldest active endurance racing in the world is going to celebrate one century this year. Such an iconic moment deserves all types of celebrations, and this is certainly a tasteful one. Lego has partnered with the Peugeot TotalEnergies team in order to develop a magnificent replica of the Peugeot 9X8 Hybrid. As you can see, the Lego Technic version of the hypercar turns out to be impressive from everywhere you see.

If you are a frequent reader of our articles, you have already figured that Lego model cars have become a fixed column. This time, we are going to show you more information not only on the Lego set, but also on the actual Peugeot 9X8 hypercar and on the 24 Hours of Le Mans competition. This way, we aim to better show you the multiple reasons why such a car is so interesting. It’s time to buckle up and keep scrolling!

24 Hours of Le Mans

Also referred to as 24 Heures du Mans, this race is named after the French city of Le Mans. It is focused on endurance, which means that reaching a low lap time is not the goal. Here, the race is won by the car that covers the largest distance in 24 hours. The challenge arises from the fact that cars have to balance ability to reach high speeds with enough resistance to cover that whole time lapse without mechanical failure.

This year’s edition will by the 91st ever held. It will start on June 10th, which is its hundredth anniversary; that is why it is named Centenary 24 Hours of Le Mans. The race’s prestige has made it part of many top-tier competitions, the latest of them being FIA’s World Endurance Championship. Even though France is hot in that month, rain is not rare. It will start in mid-afternoon and finish on the same time on June 11th.

Peugeot 9X8 Hybrid

Succeeding the 905 and the 908, Peugeot created its latest hypercar according to FIA’s latest regulations. Among the consequences of that, we can mention the rear wing. Peugeot chose to reimagine the model’s entire aerodynamic profile in order not to need that item. Besides, it made sure to apply its current design identity with the necessary tweaks. It looks aggressive and even futuristic, but it is still clearly a Peugeot.

The 9X8 name represents the new times as well. The “9” stands for Peugeot’s line of racing cars, while the “8” evokes its current line of urban cars. The “X” is the biggest difference: it represents the car’s all-wheel drive and, more importantly, its hybrid powertrain. For the very first time, it uses a twin-turbo 2.6-liter V6 paired to an electric motor developed by the Peugeot Sport division. The combined power is of 939 hp.

Lego Peugeot 9X8

This is definitely not an ordinary car, and Lego designer Kasper René Hansen knows it. His team wanted to be a part of this environment of change, and they made this 1775-piece replica for that. The Peugeot 9X8 Lego is a part of the Technic series (product code 42156). You can expect nothing but the best when it comes to mechanical representations. The 1:10 scale Lego Technic set is 5″ high, 9″ wide, and 19.5″ long.

One of the highlights here is the suspension. You can gently press on the roof and the model will go back to its normal height. However, that is something you can also find on other Lego sets, such as the Classic Defender we presented here not long ago. Here, we are sure that the V6 piston engine at the rear and the electric motor at the front will be the real attractions. In the actual car, each one powers one of the axles.

Sleek and futuristic design

Once you finish admiring its powertrain, take a look at the design. The Danish toymaker reached perfect balance between regular and custom parts. It made the Lego Peugeot 9X8 realistic without trying to pass as a diecast model. You can see its accuracy on details such as the aerodynamic parts and the color layout with green and black accents over a gray body. The Peugeot logo up front makes it even more elegant.

Now, if you are looking to the car’s front, we know that something else caught your attention. Those bars represent the LED lights of the actual car, which are one of the most striking elements of Peugeot’s latest design identity. In the Peugeot 9X8 Lego, they are made with pieces that glow in the dark with that subtle shade of green. If there is a better way to make this replica cool and realistic, we do not know what it is.

We hope that this article has sparked your interest in not only Lego Technic sets, but also in racing cars as a whole. After all, racing has become increasingly important for automakers, even those that focus on city cars. If you are looking to get a Lego Peugeot 9X8 of your own, all you have to do is wait until May 1st. It will be available for purchase at all Lego stores as well as on the Amazon.