First pictures of Lego Technic Peugeot 9X8 endurance racer leak

Hot on the heels of Lego Technic kits for the Ford GT supercar, Chevrolet Camaro NASCAR and McLaren F1 racer comes another licenced model, guaranteed to keep the dining table busy for a few days: the Le Mans-bound Peugeot 9X8 endurance race car.

With 1775 pieces, the Peugeot kit is expected to cost about $300 – in line with the McLaren Formula One model released last year – and at 50cm long, is a 1:10 scale representation of the real Le Mans race car (5000mm length).

Plans for this Lego Technic kit (number 42156) have been known for nearly nine months, but the exact release date – and images of the set – have not been available until now.

The Peugeot 9X8 racer signified a return to endurance racing for the French brand, debuting at the 6 Hours of Monza race last July.

While the car hasn't been hugely successful so far – its best finishes a fourth place at both the 2022 6 Hours of Fuji and 8 Hours of Bahrain races, the team is working toward an entry into the 24 Hours of Le Mans this June.

The 9X8 is unique in its lack of a rear spoiler – reportedly generating enough downforce under the car to eliminate the need for one – and is powered by a 500kW 2.6-litre twin-turbo V6 mated to a 200kW hybrid system.

It is all-wheel drive, can achieve a top speed of 350km/h, and weighs just 1030kg.

While full details of the Lego Technic Peugeot 9X8 are still to be made official, the box artwork shows a realistic-looking model, complete with deep-offset racing wheels and a Peugeot-Sport and Total Energies racing livery.

Interestingly, a fan-designed Peugeot 9X8 has already been submitted on the toy maker's 'Ideas' platform, where builders can propose their own designs for future Lego models – and there are some similarities in the approach to the real, Lego-created model's design.

It wouldn't be the first time a car submitted to Lego Ideas made production, with the Caterham Seven 'idea' of 2014 eventually arriving as the Caterham 620R kit in 2017.