Team Peugeot TotalEnergies has unveiled a striking new livery for its pair of 9X8 prototypes in the FIA World Endurance Championship this year, as the French manufacturer pays tribute to its renowned GTi performance line.
The 9X8 enjoyed a strong finish to proceedings last season, running well in São Paulo, reaching the rostrum at COTA and coming within less than eight seconds of victory in FIA WEC’s milestone 100th race at Fuji, where Peugeot’s #93 crew took the chequered flag second.
Hopes are high in Versailles of picking up from where the squad left off when the forthcoming campaign gets underway in Qatar in exactly one month’s time (26-28 March), and the Lion will head into battle sporting a fresh look, inspired by an automotive icon.
Created by Peugeot Design in close collaboration with Peugeot Sport, the team’s 2026 livery represents a dynamic interpretation of the marque’s signature three-claw motif. Gradient streaks evoke the speed and constant motion of the 9X8, while simultaneously symbolising the continuous flow of millions of data points. In a championship where the margins are invariably fine, analysis of such information can mark the difference between victory and defeat.
Gone is the green-and-white of recent seasons, replaced by white, black and red – the traditional colours of the Peugeot GTi, first offered on the 205 GTi when it hit the market back in 1984. The design – hinted at on a show car during the 24 Hours of Le Mans last year – blends the historic DNA of the company’s sportiest models with a nod to current-day creativity and technology.
“The new livery of the 9X8 perfectly illustrates the brand’s ambition to perpetuate the legend of the Peugeot GTi,” commented Peugeot CEO, Alain Favey. “An elegant fusion of unique heritage and cutting-edge technological excellence, it expresses the synergy between the team’s performances on the track and on the road.”
The cars were officially presented today at the prestigious Atelier Vendôme in the heart of Paris. The #93 9X8 will be piloted by Paul di Resta, Stoffel Vandoorne and Hypercar debutant Nick Cassidy, with the #94 to be shared by incumbent duo Loïc Duval and Malthe Jakobsen alongside rising star Théo Pourchaire, who briefly led on his FIA WEC bow in Bahrain last November.
“Unveiling a new livery is always a key moment,” affirmed Emmanuel Esnault, who recently took over Team Principal duties. “It symbolises the start of a new season and a new dynamic driven by renewed ambitions, while remaining firmly rooted in Peugeot’s heritage and identity.
“This livery fully embodies the spirit of the project and the close link between competition and the brand. We are looking forward to seeing it come to life on-track in Qatar, during the opening round of the championship.”
Following the ten-hour curtain-raising contest in Lusail next month, the hunt for honours will continue with races at Imola (19 April), Spa-Francorchamps (9 May), Le Mans (13-14 June), Interlagos (12 July), COTA (6 September) and Fuji (27 September), prior to concluding with the traditional eight-hour season finale in Sakhir on 7 November.
