In 2007, Peugeot returned to endurance racing to face off against the might of Audi's domination, and in 2009 it beat the Germans at Le Mans with its 908 prototype. It then switched its attention to Formula 1 for a while, supplying engines to McLaren, Jordan, and then Prost with diminishing success. Peugeot first saw success at Le Mans in 19, during the very final days of Group C. And the company hopes to do it with a new hybrid formally revealed to the world on Tuesday morning it's called the 9X8. So after more than a decade's hiatus, Peugeot is returning to Le Mans with its eyes on the overall win. To up the pressure, it all happens in front of a larger crowd than practically any other sporting event you can think of. The annual endurance classic is arguably tougher than ever, now requiring not just complete reliability but also outright speed as the little hand goes twice around the clock.

No race is as important to a French company like Peugeot as the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Jean-Marc ZAORSKI/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Le mans prototype