Those times when simulation meets reality are some of my favorite times. Recently, we had some crossover episodes that makes it seem really cool what type of world we live in sometimes.
The most recent example comes to us from the folks at one of our favorite sims over here at Traxion, Assetto Corsa by Kunos Simulazioni. A tweet a few days ago from the official AC account expressed their support towards the car manufacturer Peugeot and their new 9X8 Hypercar that will compete in the 2022 FIA World Endurance Championship and 24 Hours of Le Mans.
A teaser video that was used in the build-up to the reveal shows off a hyperrealistic preview of the new vehicle with the words “Produced in collaboration with Assetto Corsa Competizione” displayed at the end.
Kunos Simulazioni has worked closely behind the scenes with car manufacturers in the past, and this tweet suggests some sort of collaboration has occurred with the two companies on some level.
I wouldn’t expect to see this as a playable option in either Assetto Corsa or Assetto Corsa Competizione any time soon, as the former is now seven years old and the latter only focussed on GT cars.
As for the car itself, this new Peugeot 9X8 Hypercar boasts a 2.6-liter, 500kW, 680hp, 90-degree V6 with bi-turbo hybrid engine mounted in the rear. It also has a front-mounted 200kW motor-generator unit, seven-speed sequential gearbox and a 900-volt high-density battery in the works.
As far as the design, there is no rear wing, but that is totally by design. Stellantis Motorsport Director Jean-Marc Finot said “the absence of a rear wing on the Peugeot 9X8 is a major innovative step. We have achieved a degree of aerodynamic efficiency that allows us to do away with this feature.”
There have been a few other recent virtual to reality crossovers that have been covered over here. iRacing dipped their hands in the Atlanta Motor Speedway track rebuild that started on Monday. A few weeks earlier, Fanatec built a wheel together with Bentley that was used in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, but can also be used on their sim racing product… or as a clock too, I guess.
Anyway, we love to see it when paths converge for the betterment of both parties. As we continue to dive deeper into the future, I’d expect to see more stories like this continue to pop up. Let us know what you think in the comments below.
