Diesel propulsion isn’t anything new in Le Mans-class endurance racing. Hybrids are still a rarity, but even when Toyota returns to Le Mans with a hybrid LMP1 next year, it won’t be alone. That’s because Peugeot is preparing to chart new territory with the 908 Hybrid4.
The latest evolution of the 908 prototype incorporates a competition version of PSA’s Hybrid4 system, which uniquely pares a diesel engine with electric assist. We first saw the new racer in Geneva last March, but the 908 Hybrid4 has now undergone its first shake-down test at the Estoril track in Portugal that once hosted the Portuguese Grand Prix and continues to host the Six Hours of Estoril in the Le Mans Series.
Test-driving duties were performed by Nicolas Minassian, Stephane Sarrazin and Alex Wurz, who report that the added boost from the hybrid drivetrain was already evident in the 300 kilometers (186 miles) of testing at the circuit.
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