WM P87/88 PEUGEOT Just before the 1987 Le Mans race the WM team ran a straight line speed test on a

Just before the 1987 Le Mans race the WM team ran a straight line speed test on a closed section of autoroute and clocked 258 mph. The car under test was its new P87 chassis designed specifically to set a record 400 kph (250 mph) at Le Mans. Designed by Gerald Welter and Vincent Soulignac the car was based on regular WM running gear and had side mounted coolers fed from a central nose intake. The usual Peugeot twin turbo engine now had a Bosch engine management system and qualifying power was as high as 900 bhp.

The WM's aerodynamics were the prod-uct of testing at the St Cyr wind tunnel. An exceptionally smooth upper and lower body surface was made possible through ingen-ious internal airflow. The air from the nose entry was split into ducts for the coolers alongside the cockpit then, heated, was allowed to escape upwards through an opening at a low pressure area in the rear canopy. The car had a relatively shallow underwing and a rear wing designed to act as a trim tab. Although it looked long, the very clean design was actually shorter than the P86 in wheelbase.

Sadly engine problems in qualifying saw the fastest official speed reading as 238 mph and poor fuel saw the car last only 13 laps of the race. In 1988 a second example, the P88, with minor revisions joined the original car and a full 3.0 litre capacity promised more engine power. However, both cars blew turbochargers in qualifying and both were in the pits within minutes of the start. This was particularly frustrating as the team was convinced it had exceeded 400 kph this year and in 1987 but that it had been let down by the official radar.

All was not lost, however, since the P88 was coaxed to run cleanly on Saturday evening and this time it was clocked by the official radar at 405 kph.

WM PEUGEOT P87 - 1987 90 degree V8 Aluminium monocoque 3.0 litres Suspension: Alloy block wishbone front Fuel injected wishbone rear 32 valves Engine stressed d.o.h.c. Hewland gearbox Twin turbo Ground effect car + 700b.h.p.