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Peugeot will try to win next year’s Dakar with a 2-wheel drive diesel car, aiming to become the first manufacturer to do so.Details released this morning show the 2008 DKR vehicle will have a 24 valve 2993cc bi-turbo diesel engine mounted mi-rear and developing 340bhp, driving the front wheels through a 6-speed sequential gearbox.
 One interesting innovation will be the ability to adjust tyre pressures from inside the cockpit…handy at sand dunes. It also allows reduced overhang and to use bigger wheels, apart from saving weight.Peugeot Sport Director Bruno Famin:
“When it comes to cross-country rallying, the biggest question is whether to run with four-wheel-drive or just two. After a detailed study of the question, we decided to go for two-wheel drive transmission which presents a number of interesting benefits.” Technical project manager Jean-Christophe Pallier is quoted: “In motorsport, weight is counter to performance. However, in the case of cross-country rallying, two-wheel drive cars are allowed to be significantly lighter than 4x4s. They are also entitled to use bigger wheels which provide them with a certain advantage when it comes to coping with the many pitfalls associated with this type of terrain. On top of that, they allow us to minimise the front overhang. The 2008 DKR can practically climb vertical walls! And that’s not all! Longer suspension travel – 460mm instead of 250mm – enhances its ability over dunes and when soaking up uneven ground. That’s a key asset on an event like the Dakar!” “Fitting all of the vital assemblies into such a small space gave us quite a headache. Small cars tend to perform more comfortably over twisty WRC-type stages, so this arrangement increases the potential of two-wheel drive cars in situations where the 4x4s tend to have the edge.” |
