The field at the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans will be a bit smaller this year, as Peugeot has announced they’re shutting down their endurance racing program for the year. Maybe they’ll let us have their unused prototypes.

Peugeot cited the cruddy economy for straining their resources, forcing them to can the endurance racing program so they could instead use the money to help launch five new cars—the 208, the 3008 HYbrid4, the 508 RXH, the 508 HYbrid4 and the 4008. (Since our American readers probably have no idea what any of these cars look like, feel free to click on any of the model names to see them.) We hope they’ll come back to Le Mans next year. France’s best race needs more French cars in it. [via Peugeot]