Peugeot Sport is offering a sneak preview of the 2008 DKR Dakar racer ahead of the car’s official debut on April 15. Set to debut in the 2015 Dakar rally in the hands of Carlos Sainz and Cyril Despres, the Peugeot 2008 DKR spearheads the company’s motorsport program, following the successful Pikes Peak offensive last year with the 208 T16.
As we can see from the teaser images, the Peugeot 2008 DKR won’t have too much in common with the production car, except for the name and styling cues like the shape of the headlights and taillights, as well as the brand’s corporate grille. The big air intakes on the sides of the car suggest a mid-mounted engine architecture, similar to the Peugeot 208 T16.
While there are no technical details yet, Peugeot may follow Mini’s example and use a diesel for its Dakar adventure, given the French company’s expertise in this field and the fuel-economy advantage of these powerplants.
In any case, we’ll know that for sure on April 15, when Peugeot will unveil the car.
By Dan Mihalascu
PHOTO GALLERY
