Peugeot's 9X8 Le Mans and WEC (World Endurance Championship) race car is no stranger to a dramatic livery. When it made its debut, three years ago, it wore a battleship grey paint scheme, with lime green highlights. For the past couple of seasons, instead, it's worn a grey-green-white scheme, almost like an urban camouflage. And now, for 2026, it's all change again.
What's the new colour scheme?
Now, the 9X8 wears a mixture of white, red, and black, and is decked out in a dramatic ziggurat look, almost like tiger stripes. The new look isn't just about making the 9X8 look faster - although according to Peugeot it does just that, with the team saying: "These gradient streaks evoke the speed and constant motion of the 9X8 race cars which are constantly on the move” - the look also symbolises "the continuous flow of millions of data points, with analysis and interpretation of such data becoming pivotal to competitiveness in a championship where the margins between rivals are incredibly small.”
Any other reason for the new colours?
Yes, actually. Peugeot has declared 2026 to be the 'GTi Year' as it prepares to launch the new all-electric Peugeot 208 GTi, and the black, red, and white colour scheme of the new 9X8 is meant to remind us of the colours in which you could buy an original 205 GTi when it was first launched. The 'Okenite White' of the 9X8's colour scheme will be the official launch colour for the new 208 GTi, by the way.
Matthias Hossann, Head of Design at Peugeot, explains the livery vision: "The new livery of the Peugeot 9X8 is first and foremost further proof of the exceptional quality of the collaboration between Peugeot Design and Peugeot Sport. Hypergraphs that represent the legendary 3 claws and their expression of performance, and modernity with a colourway that represents the legendary Peugeot GTi spirit. Our aim is to bring an extra dose of emotion and enjoyment to every lap completed by the Peugeot 9X8.”
Will there be any other major changes?
That's still TBC. Peugeot had been talking about some upgrades to the 9X8 to improve its performance. Those upgrades would require the permission of the WEC's governing body, but given that two big teams - Porsche and Alpine - have recently said that they're leaving endurance racing, the WEC will doubtless be keen to keep Peugeot sweet.
Emmanuel Esnault, Team Principal of Team Peugeot TotalEnergies, said: "Unveiling a new livery is always a key moment for the brand and for Team Peugeot TotalEnergies. 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. It is also a valuable opportunity to bring our partners together to share this important moment that launches the 2026 season. We are looking forward to seeing it come to life on track in Qatar, at the opening round of the championship.”
When can I see the new 9X8 in action?
Very soon. Pre-season testing kicks off in Qatar shortly, ahead of the first race at the same track - the 1812km of Qatar - on the 28th of March.