PARIS: Coming off the back of a successful Dakar and Silk Way Rally campaign with the Peugeot 2008 DKR this year, Team Peugeot Total and Red Bull have revealed the new Peugeot 3008 DKR.
This is the successor to the famous machine with which Stephane Peterhansel claimed his resounding 12th victory on the Dakar back in January, and Cyril Despres clinched his first win on four wheels on the Silk Way Rally in July.
The all-new Dakar challenger is based on a new Peugeot SUV, to be revealed at the Paris Motor Show next month.
The new Peugeot 3008 SUV forms the inspiration for the latest evolution, following the company’s return to Dakar after 25 years in 2015.
The 3008 DKR also remains loyal to Peugeot’s two-wheel drive philosophy, with the first Dakar win for a two-wheel drive car in 15 years nine months ago proving that you don’t necessarily need four wheel drive to conquer the toughest landcapes in the world.
“The new 3008 symbolises the next step,” said team director Bruno Famin. “Our goal with this car was to take the weaker points of the existing car and make them stronger, while capitalising on all the existing strengths to improve them still further.”
The new 3008 DKR improves on its illustrious predecessor in four main areas, namely reliability, driveability, suspension and air conditioning.
The Dakar is the toughest race in the world, taking in 10,000km at high speeds and altitudes, which makes it the ultimate test of reliability for any machine.
Peugeot Sport has ensured that the car’s 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbodiesel engine is even more driveable for next year’s Dakar, delivering greater torque at lower revs.
The car’s suspension is one of the key elements to success on the Dakar, as it governs just how quickly the car can cover the ever-changing untrammelled terrain that is the hallmark of the Dakar, ranging from salt flats, to WRC-style gravel roads, to sand dunes.
For the new 3008 DKR, further work has been done on the geometry and dampers.
Air conditioning is something we all take for granted on our road cars, but the air conditioning that was introduced on the 2008 DKR in Asia this summer has been made even more effective for Peugeot Sport’s latest creation.
With crews spending up to 12 hours a day inside the cars, subject to cockpit temperatures in excess of 60 degrees centigrade, the effect of air conditioning on human performance cannot be underestimated.
Even though the drivers are super-fit athletes, the improved air conditioning should help them to perform at a higher level and get more out of the car.
Peugeot Sport will be aiming now for the sixth Dakar win in its illustrious history, with last year’s triumph – in which a Peugeot led every proper stage – coming on top of four wins on the Dakar in Africa between 1987 and 1990.
The Peugeot crews have 18 Dakar wins between them and the latest in cutting-edge technology with the new 3008 DKR but the task ahead is still far from easy with an all-new route this year through Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay, as well as strong opposition.
Keyword: New Peugeot 3008 DKR ready for Dakar