Big changes to Peugeot Dakar car
An updated version of the two-wheel drive beast that made its debut on the epic Dakar Rally in January has been revealed.
This latest evolution of the car, which is scheduled to make its competitive debut later in the year before heading to South America, is longer, wider, lower and more powerful than its predecessor: presenting a more aggressive stance, with a raft of improvements under the skin as well.
The front and rear overhangs have been reduced, enhancing the car’s go-anywhere ability. This is vital when it comes to tackling the varied obstacles, such as sand dunes, river beds and huge rocks, that characterise the Dakar, making it one of the last true sporting adventures left on earth.
The Peugeot 2008 DKR16 also benefits from improved aerodynamics: the bonnet and roof-mounted air-intake have been heavily revised in order to provide more balanced downforce between front and rear. The new air scoop also ensures better airflow.
Other evolutions lie under its carbon skin. The suspension has been redesigned to deal more effectively with the different and rough terrains. It also benefits from better weight distribution, as well as magnesium one-piece wheels for the first time, matched to lighter tyres from Michelin. These replace the aluminium two-piece wheels from last year, with the combination resulting in a significant weight saving.
The new car has been a continual work in progress, with development work starting as soon as the original car crossed the finish ramp in Buenos Aires just over seven months ago, at the conclusion of this year’s Dakar.
Peugeot’s engineers went over their “Lion” piece by piece, analysing what could be done better, with the help of its Dakar experts Stéphane Peterhansel (an 11-times winner), Carlos Sainz (twice world rally champion and also former Dakar winner) and Cyril Despres (a fivetimes Dakar winner on bikes).
These improvements were gradually applied and assessed through a series of tests, culminating in a one-two finish for Peterhansel and Despres on the recent China Silk Road Rally, using an interimspecification car. This was essentially the 2015 model with a number of development parts for 2016 added.
There are some surprises under the bonnet as well. Despite the air restrictor, the three-litre V6 twin-turbo diesel engine now has more power. The driveability of the engine is increased too, which will be particularly useful during twisty stages.
Peugeot Sport director Bruno Famin, overseeing the final test in Morocco to sign off the latest incarnation of Peugeot’s Dakar challenger, commented:
“There isn’t one big change that we have made on our car: instead it has been a series of small evolutions in different areas, which together we hope will amount to an overall improvement. The areas we have concentrated on include bodywork and aerodynamics – as a result of which the car looks slightly different compared to last year – as well as engine and suspension, which is all under the skin.