Peugeot 905
| Peugeot | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 905 | |
| Production period: | 1990-1993 |
| Class : | race car |
| Body versions : | Coupe |
| Engines: |
Petrol engines : 3.5 liters (478–493 kW) |
| Length: | 4800 mm |
| Width: | 1960 mm |
| Height: | 1080 mm |
| Wheelbase : | |
| Empty weight : | 750-810 kg |
| successor | Peugeot 908 HDi FAP |
The Peugeot 905 is a sports car prototype that Peugeot developed to take part in the Sports Car World Championship , which it won in 1992. The French car brand also won the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1992 and 1993 .
introduction
After Peugeot Talbot Sport had been very successful in the rally world championship in previous years under the direction of Jean Todt , the team looked for a new field of activity after the cancellation of vehicle category Group B. On November 23, 1988, Jean Boillot, chairman of the Peugeot car brand, and Jean Todt announced to the press that they would take part in the World Sports Car Championship . Fifteen months later, a full-size model of the 905 was unveiled.
Model variants
Peugeot 905
For the prototype named 905, Peugeot developed a chassis made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic in cooperation with the aviation company Dassault , which was equipped with a 3.5 liter naturally aspirated engine, which was very similar to the Formula 1 engines of the time. The V-engine called Peugeot SA35-A1 had 10 cylinders, the banks of which were arranged at an angle of 80 °, and produced an output of 480 kW (660 hp) at 12,500 rpm. Under the direction of André de Cortanze , Gérard Welter gave the 905 a very characteristic front section, which was strongly reminiscent of that of the production vehicles of the time. A special feature of the vehicle were the rear-view mirrors moved into the cockpit.
Peugeot 905 Evo1 bis
After it turned out that the Peugeot 905 was too slow and unreliable, Peugeot completely revised the aerodynamics of the 905 so that only the cockpit was reminiscent of the original 905. In addition, with the Peugeot SA35-A2, a new version of the engine was used. In 1992, the development team was reinforced by Enrique Scalabroni , who was mainly responsible for improving the vehicle's mechanical grip and relieving project manager de Cortanze. For the 1993 season, the Evo1 expansion stage was supplemented with a few improvements. Among other things, the vehicle received the newly developed transmission of the Evo2.
Peugeot 905 Evo2
Even before the Evo 1 made its debut, Peugeot engineers began developing the successor, called Evo2, which was first launched at the end of 1992. Above all, it stood out from its predecessor thanks to the jagged front section, and a narrower cockpit resulted in less air resistance and weight. Due to its futuristic appearance, the vehicle was soon nicknamed the Supercopter . In addition to many changes in detail, another important innovation was the semi-automatic 6-speed gearbox , which made it easier for the driver to change gears .
Races
1990
On June 20, the prototype was tested for the first time at the Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry . A week later, Jean-Pierre Jabouille completed the 500 km distance on the test track of the tire supplier Michelin. He also took over the first public appearance of the Peugeot 905 on July 4, 1990 on the Magny-Cours racing circuit .
After a few more tests on French soil, two cars were flown to Montréal for the eighth round of the 1990 World Sports Car Championship . At the racing debut on September 23, the previous test driver Jabouille and the former Formula 1 world champion Keke Rosberg took turns behind the wheel of the Peugeot 905. However, the car retired after a third of the race distance. At the last race of the season in Mexico, the driver duo finished their first race in 13th place, despite problems with the starter.
1991
After a surprising victory at the season opener in Suzuka , the next races were marked by failures and back places. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans, however, the trio Jabouille, Philippe Alliot and Mauro Baldi put their Peugeot 905 on pole, Rosberg, Yannick Dalmas and Pierre-Henri Raphanel completed the front row in the second 905. After a furious start, both cars got technical Defects and so after four hours there was no longer any Peugeot in the race.
After these sobering results, Peugeot launched a completely redesigned vehicle, the Peugeot Evo1 bis, in the fifth round of the World Sports Car Championship at the Nürburgring . From now on, Peugeot was the team to beat. Two double victories in Magny-Cours and on the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez were impressive proof of this. At the end of the first season in 1991 , Philippe Alliot and Mauro Baldi were runner-up in the drivers' championship, while Peugeot Talbot Sport was only surpassed by the Jaguar works team in the team standings.
1992
After Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz left the sports car world championship , the 1992 season threatened to turn into a farce, but was nevertheless carried out at Peugeot's insistence. Apart from Peugeot, only Toyota and Mazda were active at the factory, but were no serious competition. Peugeot won five of the six championship races and secured both the drivers 'and the constructors' championships of the sports car world championship.
The highlight of the season was the 24 Hours of Le Mans , in which the team started with three cars. While the Wendlinger / van de Poele / Ferté trio was eliminated due to an engine failure, Warwick / Dalmas / Blundell won the race in front of a Toyota and the third Peugeot with the line-up Baldi / Alliot / Jabouille .
During training for the last race of the season in Magny-Cours, Peugeot used the 905 Evo2 for the first time, but used the tried and tested Evo1 back in the race . With the end of the sports car world championship, the Evo2 was not used in racing.
1993
After the sports car world championship was canceled in 1993, Peugeot only competed in the Le Mans 24 Hours . In 1993, Jean Todt also spoke out against using the Evo2, so the French resorted to the 905 Evo1 bis again. Without serious competition, they finished the race in a superior position in 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.
Le Mans results
| year | team | number | driver | driver | driver | placement | Failure reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 |
 Peugeot Talbot Sport
|
# 5 |
 Mauro Baldi
|
Philippe Alliot
|
Jean-Pierre Jabouille
|
failure | engine |
| 1991 |
Peugeot Talbot Sport
|
# 6 |
Yannick Dalmas
|
 Keke Rosberg
|
Pierre-Henri Raphanel
|
failure | transmission |
| 1992 |
Peugeot Talbot Sport
|
#1 |
Yannick Dalmas
|
 Derek Warwick
|
Mark Blundell
|
Overall victory | |
| 1992 |
Peugeot Talbot Sport
|
# 2 |
Mauro Baldi
|
Philippe Alliot
|
Jean-Pierre Jabouille
|
3rd place | |
| 1992 |
Peugeot Talbot Sport
|
# 31 |
 Eric van de Poele
|
 Karl Wendlinger
|
Alain Ferté
|
failure | engine |
| 1993 |
Peugeot Talbot Sport
|
#1 |
Yannick Dalmas
|
Thierry Boutsen
|
Teo Fabi
|
2nd place | |
| 1993 |
Peugeot Talbot Sport
|
# 2 |
Mauro Baldi
|
Philippe Alliot
|
Jean-Pierre Jabouille
|
3rd place | |
| 1993 |
Peugeot Talbot Sport
|
# 3 |
Christophe Bouchut
|
Eric Helary
|
 Geoff Brabham
|
Overall victory |
