After a series of teasers, Peugeot has finally unveiled their design of the 2008 DKR Rally car that would take to battle at next year’s Dakar Rally. Based on the Peugeot 2008 crossover, the engine and other tech numbers of the car have still been kept under wraps. But Peugeot Sport’s project leader Jean-Christophe Pailler has revealed a few details about the Peugeot 2008 DKR Rally Car. The first being that the 2008 DKR is surprisingly a rear wheel driven car and not a four wheel drive. Pailler clarifies “Given the off-road capability of two-wheel-drive transmission and its ability to run on sand, that’s the choice we ultimately went for.”
The advantage Peugeot gains here is that a two wheel drive would entitle Peugeot to run the car at Dakar’s buggy class and induce lesser restrictions than a four wheel drive class. That would allow Peugeot to increase suspension travel, fit the DKR 2008 with larger wheels and a more powerful engine that should transform the car into a capable dune bashing machine.
Partnered by Total and Red Bull, Peugeot has picked on the 2010 Dakar winner Carlos Sainz and five-time Dakar motorbike winner Cyril Despres who is making a transition from two to four wheels.
Getting down memory lane, Peugeot had four back to back victories at the world’s most grueling rally raid from 1987 to 1990. Though it wouldn’t be as easy beating the likes of the Minis and the Toyotas, but given their past expertise and present engineering prowess, we expect Peugeot to give the leaders a tough time in 2015. Can Team Peugeot recapture its past glories at the desert classic? We all wait for 2015.