Peugeot 908 HDI FAP: Pug Gone Racing #blogpost

Assuming that many have heard of the 908 already, I thought I’d make a small blog about it. The Peugeot 908 was the first ever LMP car I saw, and has been my favourite ever since. I know Peugeot’s styling during this period wasn’t exactly their greatest, but I personally think they hit the nail right on the head. This beast was powered in the early stages by a 5.5 litre twin turbo-diesel V12, which churned out 730HP and a collossal 890 lb/ft of torque. In a car that weighed less than a tonne, it goes without saying that this was a serious force to be reckoned with.

The 908 HDI FAP had a rather mixed racing career. In its debut year, it had a rocky start, being a lot slower than Audi’s R10 TDI cars at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The rest of the season went well however, with the number 8 car winning 3 races and finishing 5 out of 6. This awarded the car the LMP1 teams’ championship, with the 7 car finishing the 2007 season in 3rd. Later seasons were not as good however, especially with Audi developing their new R15. There were, however, a few notable occasions, such as the #8 and #9 cars taking the first two spots on the podium, crossing the line with the sixth placed #7 car, three-abreast.

The 908 was not Peugeot’s first foray in LMP racing, however. In the early 90s, they had the 905. This was during the Group C era, so around the same time as the Mazda 787B, Jaguar XJR-14, Porsche 962 and so on. The 905 had a screaming, naturally aspirated 3.5 litre V10 which was notably akin to the F1 engines of the time. The early 905 was rather down on pace when compared to its competitors, though after seeing this the 905B was developed, bringing the fight well and truly to the XJR.

This was a short blogpost I wanted to make, detailing my favourite (and probably one of the most underrated) prototype racer(s). Thanks for reading!

#realcars