Tom Kristensen
Jun 15, 2006, 3:28 PM
The new V12 HDi DPFS diesel engine for Peugeot's 2007 24-Hour Le Mans contender was unveiled today.
http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/47/20060615dd696gb15fs.jpg
Peugeot held a press conference in the Old Museum at the Le Mans circuit to announce their latest assault on the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The manufacturer, which took back-to-back victories in 1992 and 1993 with the 905 Group C car, will return in 2007, and is targeting outright victory in 2008.
Introduced by Christian Peugeot, Technical Manager Bruno Famin presented the men behind the new Peugeot LeMans engine: Jean-Pierre Nicolas, director of Peugeot Sport from May 2005, who will retire in September of this year, and engine specialist Claude Billois, most famous for the Peugeot 205 T16 turbo engine.
The new engine is a 100-degree V12 high pressure diesel injection (HDi in Peugeot terminology) with a capacity of 5.5 litres.
Rated at 700 bhp and producing an enormous amount of torque (1200 Nm = 885 foot-pounds = 10,620 inch-pounds),the new engine should run with virtually no smoke emission due to a diesel particulate filter system.
The decisions which led to this kind of engine specs are quite logical. By using the maximum capacity allowed by ACO regulations, the engine can be run effectively even without tuning it to the maximum, while offering the possibility of greater power in the future.
Because Peugeot reversed the usual cycle of developing new technologies in race cars first, then transferring them to production cars, it was desirable to have the bore of the racing engine as close as possible to that of the production diesel. To keep the stroke as short as possible 12 cylinders were called for. The 100-degree configuration was employed to provide the best compromise between structural rigidity and a low centre of gravity.
The weight of the engine has not been disclosed so far, and to date, only its components have been tested. Full engine tests are scheduled for September of this year and the first running tests in December, the latter to be conducted by Eric Helary.
Pioneers in diesel particulate filter systems (introducing this technology as early as 2000)and keen to contribute to the preservation of the environment, Peugeot have employed DPFS on their race engine.
The new car, to be called the Peugeot 908, will be presented at the Mondial de l`Auto in Paris. No final decision has been taken as to whether the car will be a closed or open racer, but the chassis will be an "in house" production of Peugeot Sport.
Several test races will be contested, probably including Sebring. As the WR team, run by Gerard Welter, have announced a Bio-Diesel contender for 2008, Peugeot were asked whether Peugeot will only say they are also investigating the possible use of Bio-Diesel.
The objective for Peugeot is clear: Gain a maximum of information and knowlege in 2007 then go for the outright victory in Le Mans in 2008, even if that means not being the first diesel to win LM but "only" to beat the adversary, who might have done it before them.
"That`s what Motorsport is about" said Bruno Famin.
Two cars will probably be entered in 2007, and no decision has been taken concerning potential drivers. There will probably be about 2 or 3 French drivers in all, but no names have been disclosed at this time."Targeting outright victory in 2008" might just a nice way of saying that ACO will help them, since Peugeot is their absolute favourite. But if they screw up with the reliabilty, they might get owned by... others (read that as Audi).
http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/47/20060615dd696gb15fs.jpg
Peugeot held a press conference in the Old Museum at the Le Mans circuit to announce their latest assault on the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The manufacturer, which took back-to-back victories in 1992 and 1993 with the 905 Group C car, will return in 2007, and is targeting outright victory in 2008.
Introduced by Christian Peugeot, Technical Manager Bruno Famin presented the men behind the new Peugeot LeMans engine: Jean-Pierre Nicolas, director of Peugeot Sport from May 2005, who will retire in September of this year, and engine specialist Claude Billois, most famous for the Peugeot 205 T16 turbo engine.
The new engine is a 100-degree V12 high pressure diesel injection (HDi in Peugeot terminology) with a capacity of 5.5 litres.
Rated at 700 bhp and producing an enormous amount of torque (1200 Nm = 885 foot-pounds = 10,620 inch-pounds),the new engine should run with virtually no smoke emission due to a diesel particulate filter system.
The decisions which led to this kind of engine specs are quite logical. By using the maximum capacity allowed by ACO regulations, the engine can be run effectively even without tuning it to the maximum, while offering the possibility of greater power in the future.
Because Peugeot reversed the usual cycle of developing new technologies in race cars first, then transferring them to production cars, it was desirable to have the bore of the racing engine as close as possible to that of the production diesel. To keep the stroke as short as possible 12 cylinders were called for. The 100-degree configuration was employed to provide the best compromise between structural rigidity and a low centre of gravity.
The weight of the engine has not been disclosed so far, and to date, only its components have been tested. Full engine tests are scheduled for September of this year and the first running tests in December, the latter to be conducted by Eric Helary.
Pioneers in diesel particulate filter systems (introducing this technology as early as 2000)and keen to contribute to the preservation of the environment, Peugeot have employed DPFS on their race engine.
The new car, to be called the Peugeot 908, will be presented at the Mondial de l`Auto in Paris. No final decision has been taken as to whether the car will be a closed or open racer, but the chassis will be an "in house" production of Peugeot Sport.
Several test races will be contested, probably including Sebring. As the WR team, run by Gerard Welter, have announced a Bio-Diesel contender for 2008, Peugeot were asked whether Peugeot will only say they are also investigating the possible use of Bio-Diesel.
The objective for Peugeot is clear: Gain a maximum of information and knowlege in 2007 then go for the outright victory in Le Mans in 2008, even if that means not being the first diesel to win LM but "only" to beat the adversary, who might have done it before them.
"That`s what Motorsport is about" said Bruno Famin.
Two cars will probably be entered in 2007, and no decision has been taken concerning potential drivers. There will probably be about 2 or 3 French drivers in all, but no names have been disclosed at this time."Targeting outright victory in 2008" might just a nice way of saying that ACO will help them, since Peugeot is their absolute favourite. But if they screw up with the reliabilty, they might get owned by... others (read that as Audi).